There's lots of things you could take from that but it would all be heresay, opinion and guesswork so it is just going to be a "wait and see" thing regarding their future then!
Indeed. 050 and 086 are certainly not ’preserved’ in a heritage sense.
surely 60 001 can be preserved swell
That depends if someone who has deep enough pockets wants it?!!
What's the significance of 60001? Other than the existence of a 10 1/4" scale model built by one of the original engineers.
I presume other than it's number it is no more significant than many of the class. Arguably 60098 is more significant being the 1,000th Brush built loco
Doubt it as electronics usually control traction systems, which would previously be controlled by relays etc.
I assumed that would be the case. Which I guess means that preserving one in working order would be quite a challenge. But it’s been done with the class 89, a complex loco of similar vintage……..
That’s true, but I think that was accomplished with the backing of LSL, not sure other preservation groups would have quite the same sort of financial resources?
A lot of locos have electronics on them in one form or another, class 50s have some notoriously temperamental electronics!! AVR (automatic voltage regulator) on a 45/1 has early electronics, which can be unreliable. Many locos have electronic AVRs fitted as some were fitted in BR days but as they were of 1980s era tended to be better than those of 1960/70s.
Yes, though I don’t know how far the AC Loco Group guys had taken the restoration before the agreement with LSL came into being. And, from recollection, weren’t engineers from Brush Traction involved in resurrecting the 89?
Indeed. But, in relative terms, is that like comparing my 1980s Ford Capri with a modern, say, Range Rover? The electronics on one of them could be repaired by a competent home mechanic, the other needs real specialist knowledge.
He already owns one, 60081. No idea how much work it would need to be operational but a new power unit would be required to replace the one which catastrophically failed
Very few left…
I have made enquiries and been advised that 60086 (along with 050) has been acquired by ESH. Additional confirmation has been provided by RAIL Magazine on 31/07/2026:
