 |
The first ac electric locomotive — No E1000, later E2001
The design and building of the production classes AL1 -AL5 (Classes 81-85)
Into traffic — Class 81
Into traffic — Class 82
Into traffic — Class 83
I nto traffic — Class 84
Into traffic — Class 85
Pattern of operations - present-day
Present scene — Class 81
Recent years — Class 82
Recent years — Class 83
Decline of the Class 84s
Present scene — Class 85
On depots and under repair
Technical description
Performance
Cover: Painted in early 'electric blue' livery, Class AL3 No E3026 traverses the Styal line during August 1960, shortly after handover to BR from Vulcan Foundry. The locomotive is heading a test and staff training special formed of seven BG vans painted in maroon livery.
Work commenced on the scheme during 1957/58 and orders were placed for 100-locomotives, 60 to be constructed by outside contractors and 40 by British Railways workshops. The design of these various classes came under the watchful eye of the BTC Design Panel who stipulated stringent requirements for the cabs and internal design. The main contractors of the original five classes were Associated Electric Industries, English Electric and GEC, who supplied most of the electric and control \ equipment. Mechanical parts construction was sub-contracted to established locomotive builders such as the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co Ltd, Beyer Peacock Ltd, Vulcan Foundry (a subsidiary of the English Electric.Group) and the North British Locomotive Co. Construction of the lineside ac equipment commenced at the northern end of the route and tracks were progressively energised southwards from 1959/60, with electric power reaching Euston in 1964.
After initial trial operation on the Styal line, the AL1-5 classes provided the sole ac motive power until the mid-1960s, and although prolonged problems were encountered mainly involving the rectifiers, the passenger/freight diagrams were well maintained. The first laTge withdrawals in the ac fleet came in the late 1970s when the NBL-built Class84s were deemed a$ Uneconomic for further repair. This was followed in 1982/83 by the storage and subsequent condemnation of Classes 82 and 83. However, the two surviving fleets of Classes 8.1 and 85 are still very much in evidence in the daily operation on the West Coast main line and are expected to remain so for some years. The next issue of Modern Railways Pictorial — Profile — No 8 — will cover the famous Western Region allocated diesel hydraulic Class 35 'Hymek' locomotives and will be on sate from 12 January 1985. Place an order for your copy now.
