Originally Posted by
Old Fella
The first of the RR RB211 family of engines was the -22 as fitted to the L1011 Lockheed TriStar. The engine was a development by Rolls of the first, that I know of, to have three spools. (Fan, LP Compressor, HP Compressor) all with their own Turbine sections and all on seperate shafts rotating at different RPMs. RB comes from Rolls Royce Barnoldswick where the engine was designed.
(Yes I've seen the date). I don't recall Barnoldswick as being a design centre, at least not at the time the RB211 was being designed. It was certainly a development centre and many new ideas were tried out there but the main design and associated facilities for the RB211 were in Derby.