European Railroad Discussion > A Mission Electric...

With the weather brightening up rapidly last Friday, I decided I'd take the risk of a 100 mile round trip to (hopefully) see and photograph a scene that will disappear for good quite soon... Freightliner's remaining 25kV AC electric class 86s are all likely to be retired in the coming weeks/months, after operating services since 1965 i.e. for well over 50 years!

Freightliner uses the remaining 86s in pairs on the West coast main line, between the port of Felixstowe in the South East and locations in the North West such as Manchester and Glasgow. At first it looked like two pairs would be scheduled to run from Felixstowe to Trafford Park in Manchester last Friday (with one pair unpowered/in transit) but in the end just the one pair ended up on the train. I couldn't be too disappointed though, as the sun came out for a really nicely sunlit shot to be realised, and in the UK that's really not to be sniffed at!

The location is just north of Stafford, near Millmeece in the Midlands, with 86607 and 86639 providing the power on the last leg of their northward journey, as they approach a well-earned retirement...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/20 12:43 by exhaustED.

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An excellent action photo.  Thanks for your posting.
ALLEN

I remember riding behind on my trip over there in 1992. Those 86's are  almost as old as I am... :):):) 
Thank you for sharing this amazing picture...:):):)

I know what you mean age-wise! That length of time in mainline use must mean they've covered some immense mileage.

Very nice picture both in composition and lighting. I would guess that some of these will end up in preservation. 

Jim

Think maybe I caught the eastbound version on July 16, 2016 at Forest Gate!

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The design looks good today. Hats off to the car body designers. And to the engineers. I am sure they did not think they would be in service today. Are Class 86 one of the original locomotive classes for the WCML electrification?

nm2320 Wrote:
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> The design looks good today. Hats off to the car
> body designers. And to the engineers. I am sure
> they did not think they would be in service today.
> Are Class 86 one of the original locomotive
> classes for the WCML electrification?

The large scale electrification of the West Coast route called on designers to submit prototype designs. This resulted in classes 81-85 being built, with different electrical equipment and truck designs for each, but all based on a B-B design and about 3000 horse power. The lessons learned from these prototype classes resulted in a 'production class', the class 86. So yes, the 86s were the original large (>100) locomotive design that made electrification a success. A really pivotal approx 4000 horsepower design that has stood the test of time. Kind of an electric SD40-2!
Two in multilpe will cope with pretty much anything! 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/20 12:50 by exhaustED.

Many thanks to both for the photos - nice work. chris uk.

dwatry Wrote:
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> Think maybe I caught the eastbound version on July
> 16, 2016 at Forest Gate!

Nice shot. 86605 was actually taken out of service last month... not sure if it will return or not.

Found one more!  86637 on same train eastbound at Hackney Central on June 24, 2016, under threatening skies.    

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Very nice! The newer and more 'artistic' powerhaul paint scheme on the leading 86.

This is how they looked originally, 86233 was repainted by Virgin West Coast in 2002 as a tribute before they were retired from passenger service on the WCML.

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Aha - same idea as the revised Deltic paint scheme!  Nice shot!

'Electric blue'! Very nice shot.

86235 Wrote:
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> This is how they looked originally, 86233 was
> repainted by Virgin West Coast in 2002 .....

Apparently the E31xx class had a shade of blue that was different [ much darker ] than the Electric Blue of AL1-5 but not quite a Rail Blue [ or one of the Rail Blues ], and 86233 was repainted into that.  See for example the post by Ben Jones of Heljan [ as 61661 ] on 19/4/19 in the rmweb site under the heading "Heljan announce retooled 86 in 00".

Best regards, SZ         A big fan of Electric Blue -- but who thinks the best-ever blue on an electric was the original shade on the SNCB 150 and 160 classes

Steinzeit2 Wrote:
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> A big fan of Electric Blue -- but who thinks the best-ever blue
> on an electric was the original shade on the SNCB
> 150 and 160 classes

No, electric blue. ;-)

Should point out that 86s are still hard at work, in Hungary.

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Good point 86235, examples of class 86, 87 and 92 are operating in Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria i.e. in countries that have invested more widely in electrification. Some class 91s also about to leave for foreign rails.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/20 09:13 by exhaustED.