Turbine waterwheels. Gas, steam, and water turbines have a casing around the blades that contains and controls the working fluid. Credit for invention of the steam turbine is given both to Anglo-Irish engineer Sir Charles Parsons (1854–1931) for invention of the reaction turbine, and to Swedish engineer Gustaf de Laval (1845–1913) for invention of the impulse turbine. Modern steam turbines frequently employ both reaction and impulse in the same unit, typically varying the degree of reaction and impulse from the blade root to its periphery. The word "turbine" was coined in 1822 by the French mining engineer Claude Burdin from the
Gas turbine locomotive of the Advanced Passenger Train, was turbine-powered. Like the French TGV, later models were electric. This choice was made because British Leyland, the turbine supplier, ceased production of the model used in the APT-E. ALCO-GE built a prototype oil-fired gas turbine-electric locomotive in 1948. After demonstration runs it was acquired by Union Pacific, who were seeking a more powerful alternative to diesel for transcontinental trains. Union Pacific ran a large fleet of turbine-powered freight locomotives starting in the early 1950s. These were widely used on long-haul routes, and were cost-effective despite their poor fuel economy, due to their use of