[BigV]

the "no cylinders, direct drive" caught my attention.

You mean the turbines powered by the (320 psi !!!!) steam were directly coupled to the drive wheels? How in the world does that thing just start moving??!! How much bypass is happening in the drivetrain? You're trying to get the million pounds off the schneid by blowing on it? I'm thinking through this now, obviously there's a gearbox of some kind involved, and low-low-low-low must have been pretty low to start that monster.