Bad news for AC electric followers

[Harbon 1]

Well, if you really desire Class 87 haulage you want to get yourself on a railtour across to Bulgaria where most of this class is now.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

One of my good friends is Bulgarian, and she wants us and a few others to go on holiday there one year, and I've already said to them, I get one whole day at a station photographing them. Once I knoe where they work obviously :P



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the 92s still have cast arrows, tunnel rings, depot plaque and sticker name on...

I've heard the tunnel rings are welded onto the body side, so to remove them would need a new side

 

[yummy125]

That's such a shame if they do go on to Europe, why not keep them for freight services as the "Electric Cord" is being built in a few years time..

Will there be a farewell tour as this will be very popular.

 

[12CSVT]

On the subject of 87s the latest 'Modern Locomotives Illustrated' is now out.

 

[Boothby97]

That's such a shame if they do go on to Europe, why not keep them for freight services as the "Electric Cord" is being built in a few years time..

Will there be a farewell tour as this will be very popular.

No farewell tour planned and it can't be done due to the planning required at such short notice!!! Plus, they couldn't do a Euston to Glasgow charter
Thanks, Sam

 

[NSEFAN]

That's such a shame if they do go on to Europe, why not keep them for freight services as the "Electric Cord" is being built in a few years time..

Will there be a farewell tour as this will be very popular.

Would the 87s not need to be regeared for freight? They are express passenger locos and probably aren't designed to haul heavy 75mph loads?

I agree with others on here that it's a waste, but the market for heritage electric locos is, for various reasons, a small one. Any new electric freight or passenger flows will probably see new more-efficient locos being ordered.

Perhaps a solution for mainline preservation would be to focus all resources on one or two locos and keep them mainline-ready (for example, NRM's 87001 and an 86)? There are quite a few 86s still kicking around with various owners.

 

[87015]

Would the 87s not need to be regeared for freight? They are express passenger locos and probably aren't designed to haul heavy 75mph loads?

Not particuarly for general traffic. Pre-Sectorisation on a joined-up railway they worked liner, steel and speedlink traffic among others every day between Class 1 turns.

 

[buses7675]

I've heard the tunnel rings are welded onto the body side, so to remove them would need a new side

I don't think this is quite correct as on 92001 (and 92031 I assume!) they were moved lower down than they were originally to line up with the yellow band on the EWS livery.

Now in DB Schenker livery they remain lower down than those in triple grey livery.

In original livery - http://www.flickr.com/photos/gbrailphotos/8310959051/

EWS livery, with tunnel rings moved down - http://www.flickr.com/photos/81001006/5038797641/

 

[Eng274]

Would the 87s not need to be regeared for freight? They are express passenger locos and probably aren't designed to haul heavy 75mph loads?

I agree with others on here that it's a waste, but the market for heritage electric locos is, for various reasons, a small one. Any new electric freight or passenger flows will probably see new more-efficient locos being ordered.

Perhaps a solution for mainline preservation would be to focus all resources on one or two locos and keep them mainline-ready (for example, NRM's 87001 and an 86)? There are quite a few 86s still kicking around with various owners.

Is 87001 railworthy? I thought it was just a static display that had all the traction equipment stripped out.

 

[MCW]

Is 87001 railworthy? I thought it was just a static display that had all the traction equipment stripped out.

I think it is Static, 002 is rail worthy?

 

[Boothby97]

I think it is Static, 002 is rail worthy?

Yes 87002 is "rail worthy". That's why it's on hire to Network Rail and is mainline registered!!!
Thanks, Sam

 

[Rhydgaled]

That's such a shame if they do go on to Europe, why not keep them for freight services as the "Electric Cord" is being built in a few years time..

Aren't there lots of class 90s, 92s etc. (how many exactly) spare anyway? Would the increase in electric loco requirements the neck-less "electric spine" be enough to require all the 90s and 92s and hence get into the teritory where older locos (87s and 86s) would be needed?

As nice as it is to still have a handfull of 87s and 86s around, I find it supprising that they are used at all due to the availability of newer (class 90) locos.

 

[Phil6219]

As nice as it is to still have a handfull of 87s and 86s around, I find it supprising that they are used at all due to the availability of newer (class 90) locos.

The "availability" of the Class 90s (just like 92s and 60s) is somewhat debatable given EWS/DB own them and prefer to let theirs rot away rather than either use them themselves or sell them to the competition (at least some 90s & 92s get used by the other companies that own or lease them).

I'm positive that if they were more available (perhaps through a leasing company) then they would all be out earning money. Not sure what EWS actually had against it's electric fleet, given so many of their 66 hauled trains run entirely under the wires it really doesn't make sense (not counting drivers & maintenance etc...)

Phil