British Rail Class 86
The British Rail Class 86 is a class of electric locomotives built during the 1960s. Developed as a 'standard' electric locomotive from earlier prototype models, one hundred of these locomotives were built from 1965 to 1966 to haul trains on the then newly electrified West Coast Main Line from to Birmingham,, Liverpool, Manchester and later Glasgow and. Introduction of the class enabled the replacement of many steam locomotives, which were finally withdrawn by British Rail in 1968.
Under the earlier BR classification system, the type was given the designation AL6 and locomotives were numbered E3101–E3200. In 1968, this was changed to Class 86 when BR introduced the TOPS classification system.
The class was built to haul passenger and freight trains alike on the WCML; however, some members of the class also saw use on the Great Eastern Main Line between and, after the remainder of the line north of was electrified in the mid-1980s. The type has had a generally long and successful career, with some members of the class seeing main line service lives in Great Britain of up to 55 years. Most regular passenger duties of the class came to end on both the WCML and the GEML in the early-to-mid-2000s, after a career of up to 40 years. Some members of the class remained in use for charter work and for freight work with Freightliner until 2021. A number of the class were exported to Bulgaria and Hungary and remain in use., three Class 86s remain preserved in usable condition in the UK; all are in private ownership.
Development and construction
The class was developed as a result of experience with the earlier prototype classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85; these had been produced by different manufacturers in the early days of the WCML electrification, as test-beds for locomotive development.The AL6 featured design elements pioneered on the earlier classes, such as the general construction of the bodies and bogies, and control systems. However, some design features were unique, such as the squarer front ends, the lack of a second pantograph and the cooling fans, which were redesigned to produce less noise than the earlier locomotives. A major departure from the designs of the earlier prototype locomotives came in the use of axle-hung, rather than frame mounted traction motors; this feature would later prove very problematic for the class.
The order for 100 locomotives was placed in 1963; it was split between two manufacturers, with the English Electric Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows building 60 locomotives and BR's Doncaster Works producing 40. The Doncaster and Newton-built locomotives were not identical; the Newton-built versions had a power output of, whilst the Doncaster-built examples were rated at, due to a different design of traction motor.
British Rail service
The class was introduced officially into service in August 1965; the entire fleet was delivered within 24 months of that date. In the early years, the locomotives became notorious for rough riding and causing track damage, being fitted with axle-hung traction motors in place of the bogie-frame-mounted motors of the earlier designs; this additional unsprung mass was causing damage at speeds in excess of. In 1969, E3173 was fitted experimentally with the large helical flexicoil springs. Trials carried out under the direction of the British Rail Research Division proved successful and the modification was applied gradually in phases to the whole fleet.As a result, the first batch of Class 86s were modified with improved suspension and, from 1971 onwards, locomotives were renumbered progressively into two subclasses: 86/0, which remained in as-built condition, and had their maximum speed reduced from to and which were generally restricted to use on freight and slower passenger services; and subclass 86/2, which were fitted with the improved suspension and retained the 100 mph maximum speed. Within a short time, a further batch was modified to the new specification and renumbered accordingly; 86040–86048 became 86253–86261.
In 1970, E3173 was also fitted experimentally with a streamlined nose cone made from fibreglass; this was to assist BR's research into aerodynamics and high-speed running for their new Advanced Passenger Train and High Speed Train, which were under development. The locomotive was tested on the WCML in the area; it reportedly reached speeds of, which made it the first BR locomotive to beat Mallard's speed record. The record was not publicised however, as BR did not want the event to overshadow their new trains.
At the same time, three Class 86s were converted into test-bed locomotives for development of the ; they were numbered initially to 86201–86203, refitted with BP9 bogies but were renumbered quickly to a new 86/1 subclass: 86101–86103. These locomotives were capable of running. The most obvious visual difference between the classes is that the Class 86 has a windscreen with three windows, whereas the Class 87 only has two; likewise, the Class 86 was fitted with headcode boxes while the Class 87 was built without them.
By the late-1970s, there was a need for more locomotives capable of operating at 100 mph. To achieve this, nineteen 86/0s were modified by the use of SAB resilient wheels, a new design of wheel in two sections separated by a rubber bearing, which allowed their top speed to be raised. The converted locos were renumbered into the 86/3 series. As the SAB wheels were found to be insufficient for preventing track damage, BR decided to refit all of their remaining 86/0 and 86/3 locos with flexicoil suspension in 1984; by the mid-1980s, all of the modified 86/0s and 86/3s were renumbered again as 86/4s, allowing a standardised fleet capable of 100 mph running.
Further electrification of the GEML in the 1980s beyond Colchester to Harwich, and saw the class employed on passenger trains from to these locations; Ipswich was energised in 1985 and Norwich in 1987. Class 86s would operate inter-city passenger services to Norwich and boat trains to Harwich until 2005, when they were replaced fully by s. In addition, many of the freightliner trains to Felixstowe were also hauled as far as Ipswich by Class 86 locomotives working in multiple. The West Anglia Main Line from Liverpool Street to was also electrified at the same time and Class 86s hauled services on this route from 1987 until 1989.
A later development saw Class 86/2 and 86/4 locomotives fitted with time-division multiplexing to enable them to operate push-pull passenger trains. The main benefit of this was the requirement for fewer locomotives; for example, a second locomotive would otherwise have to join at the other end of the train after arrival at terminal stations to lead the train's onward journey. 52 Driving Van Trailers were manufactured and introduced to the WCML in 1988 to enable push-pull trains; Driving Brake Standard Opens were transferred later from Scotland to the GEML to work with their Class 86/2s. The 86/4s were already fitted with an older multiple-working system and this was gradually phased out after TDM was fitted across the fleet.
Sectorisation of British Rail in the late 1980s saw the fleet split up again; the 86/2s were dedicated to the InterCity sector for use on express passenger trains, whilst the majority of the 86/4 subclass were dedicated to freight and parcels traffic. As a result, many had their electric train heating isolated and were regeared to a lower maximum speed of ; these were usually operated in pairs on long-distance freight services; these locomotives were reclassified as a new subclass 86/6. Eight Class 86/2 locomotives were also dedicated to freight work and were reclassified as Class 86/5, being renumbered into the range 86501–86508. However, the InterCity sector decided that it wanted these locomotives back, so they were soon renumbered back to Class 86/2s. For a period of one year, starting on 10 May 1992, six Class 86/6s were returned to parcels use which were renumbered back to Class 86/4, as follows: 86405, 86411, 86414, 86415, 86428 and 86431; all six remained in Railfreight's Triple Grey livery.
The late 1980s also saw the introduction of many new liveries. The class had previously worn rail blue when built with cast lion-and-wheel emblems, but this was replaced by the standard BR Blue livery from 1967 with a cast-metal double arrow symbol. The first new livery was introduced by the InterCity sector in 1984 with the unveiling of an InterCity Executive livery, with dark grey upper body, tan lower body separated by red and white stripes, with wrap around yellow cabsides and cab roofs.
A rebranding of InterCity Swallow livery was undertaken in 1987 on InterCity 125s, Class 90s and s, which were in the final stages of construction. Class 86/4s were still used on a mixed traffic basis on InterCity express trains, parcels, Speedlink and Freightliner traffic, so a modernised version of InterCity livery was used, commonly known as Mainline livery. The red and white stripes and tan bands covered the whole bodyside, and the roof was dark grey. The whole of the ends were painted yellow, although some were repainted dark grey around the front windows.
The first Class 86 received InterCity Swallow livery in 1990, when a full sector ownership was established.
The Railfreight sector introduced its new two-tone grey livery in 1987, initially without sub-sector logos due to shared operations on Speedlink and Freightliner duties. Four Class 86s received Railfreight General logos from June 1988, but all Class 86/6 locomotives carried Railfreight Distribution livery beginning in January 1990. Finally, the parcels sector introduced a new red and grey livery, with repaints from July 1990 to July 1991; it was replaced with Rail Express Systems livery, applied between December 1991 to February 1995.