![](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/298/713/medium_thumbnail_1975_8071__0001_.jpg)
Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car
- Made:
- 1907 in United Kingdom
- maker:
- Louis Brennan
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/23/325/small_thumbnail_d110155.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/23/327/small_thumbnail_d110157.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/23/326/small_thumbnail_d110156.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/13/22/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_55210.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/535/728/small_thumbnail_1914_552_0001.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/535/731/small_thumbnail_1914_552_0003.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/535/729/small_thumbnail_1914_552__0004.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/535/730/small_thumbnail_1914_552_0002.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/9/261/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5529.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/8/935/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5524.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/9/283/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5521.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/9/290/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5525.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/8/527/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5523.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/8/484/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5527.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/9/637/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5522.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/8/896/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5528.jpg)
![Brennan's Gyroscopic Mono-rail Car (model gyroscopic mono-railcar)](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/9/650/small_thumbnail_pic_1914_5526.jpg)
Model Gyroscopic Mono-Rail car, scale 1:8, built by Brennan.
The inventor Louis Brennan (1852-1932) built this working model in about 1907 to demonstrate his ideas for a single-tracked rail vehicle stabilised by two linked gyroscopes. Brennan's daughter became a guinea-pig and was enlisted to help him conduct tests and demonstrations to prove the stability of his invention.
Brennan had patented the Gyroscopic Mono-Rail design in 1903 and was commissioned by the United Kingdom's War Department to create a full size prototype. He built his full size version in 1909, and it was 40ft long, weighed 22 tons and could carry a load of up to 15 tons. Demonstrations to the Press took place as well as an exhibition at the White City in 1910, where fifty passengers were driven around a circular track - one of the passengers was Winston Churchill who showed considerable support for the invention. Despite this, investers were not convinced and the Mono-Rail was not adopted.
Details
- Category:
- Railway Models
- Object Number:
- 1914-552
- Materials:
- brass (copper, zinc alloy), steel (metal), copper (alloy), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), leather, glass, wood (unidentified), wool and aluminium (metal)
- Measurements:
-
Overall: 315 mm x 1870 mm x 482 mm, 77 kg
- credit:
- Graham, R