A gas turbine locomotive is a locomotive that uses an internal combustion engine with a gas turbine. Power transmission is required for the engines to drive the wheels, so they must be allowed to continue running when the locomotive is stopped.
These locomotives utilize a self-regulating transmission to deliver the energy generated by the gas turbines to the wheels.
Gas turbines have certain advantages over reciprocating engines. These locomotives have a limited number of moving parts, which reduces the need for lubrication. This reduces operating costs and the power to weight ratio is much higher. A similar engine with a solid cylinder outperforms a turbine, allowing the train to be exceptionally profitable and efficient without being huge.
The efficiency and power output of the turbine decreases as the rotational speed increases. This makes gas turbine locomotives suitable mainly for long distance and fast travel. Other problems with gas turbine locomotives have been the extreme loudness and the specific noise caused.