British Rail Class 82
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 82 electric locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company
between 1960 and 1962 as part of the West Coast Main Line
electrification.
division of AEI (Associated Electrical Industries
) and built by Beyer, Peacock and Company
at their works in Gorton
, Manchester
. They were originally classified as AL2 under the pre-TOPS
classification scheme and were originally numbered E3046 - E3055.
During manufacture it was realised that the locomotives would be heavier than anticipated and some redesign was required to meet the British Transport Commission
specification. The design modifications included replacing heavy parts with lighter aluminium or fibreglass parts, replacing heavy electrical equipment with lighter versions.
rectifier replacing the mercury-arc rectifier, being done in 1972. The rest of the class followed suit over the following years.
system they were reclassified Class 82. They became 82001 to 82008, being renumbered in order.
Euston Station
and Willesden
and worked until 1987.
, located at Barrow Hill Engine Shed
.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 82 electric locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
between 1960 and 1962 as part of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
electrification.
History
Ten locomotives were designed by the Metropolitan-VickersMetropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
division of AEI (Associated Electrical Industries
Associated Electrical Industries
Associated Electrical Industries was a British holding company formed in 1928 through the merger of the British Thomson-Houston Company and Metropolitan-Vickers electrical engineering companies...
) and built by Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
at their works in Gorton
Gorton
Gorton is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is located to the southeast of Manchester city centre. Neighbouring areas include Longsight and Levenshulme....
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. They were originally classified as AL2 under the pre-TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
classification scheme and were originally numbered E3046 - E3055.
During manufacture it was realised that the locomotives would be heavier than anticipated and some redesign was required to meet the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
specification. The design modifications included replacing heavy parts with lighter aluminium or fibreglass parts, replacing heavy electrical equipment with lighter versions.
Power supply
The locomotives always worked on power provided by overhead catenary energized at 25,000 V AC. However, the main transformer, normally operated with the four windings in series, could be operated at 6250V AC with the transformer windings in parallel. This voltage was initially to be used where limited clearances gave concern over use of the higher voltage.Early withdrawals
The last locomotive built, E3055, was destroyed by fire in 1966 and the first locomotive built, E3046, was also destroyed by fire in 1971.Rebuild
E3049 was the first to be refurbished with a siliconSilicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
rectifier replacing the mercury-arc rectifier, being done in 1972. The rest of the class followed suit over the following years.
Renumbering
Under the TOPSTOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
system they were reclassified Class 82. They became 82001 to 82008, being renumbered in order.
The end
The entire fleet was placed into storage in 1982 and the majority of these locomotives were withdrawn in 1983. Two, 82005 and 82008 were subsequently reinstated for use on empty coaching stock workings between LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Euston Station
Euston station
Euston station may refer to one of the following stations in London, United Kingdom:*Euston railway station, a major terminus for trains to the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and part of Scotland...
and Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
and worked until 1987.
Preservation
82008 was preserved in the early 1990s following a long period of storage and is now owned by the AC Locomotive GroupAC Locomotive Group
The AC Locomotive Group is the UK's only dedicated AC electric locomotive preservation society. It currently has ten AC locomotives in its care, numbers 81002, 82008, 83012, 84001, 85101, 86101, 86213, 86401, 87002, 89001.- Locomotives :...
, located at Barrow Hill Engine Shed
Barrow Hill Engine Shed
Barrow Hill Roundhouse & Railway Centre, until 1948 known as Staveley Roundhouse & Train Centre, is a former Midland Railway roundhouse in Barrow Hill, near Staveley and Chesterfield, Derbyshire .-History:...
.
Fleet details
| Key: | Preserved | Scrapped |
|---|
| Numbers | Works Number | Date Introduced | First Depot | Withdrawn | Final Depot | Disposal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-TOPS | TOPS | ||||||
| E3046 | - | 1021-7884 | May-60 | 9A | Jan-71 | ACL | Scrapped at Crewe Works June 1971 |
| E3047 | 82001 | 1022-7885 | Jul-60 | 9A | Aug-83 | LG | Scrapped at Vic Berry, Leicester March 1985 |
| E3048 | 82002 | 1023-7886 | Aug-60 | 9A | Aug-83 | LG | Scrapped at Vic Berry, Leicester October 1984 |
| E3049 | 82003 | 1024-7887 | Aug-60 | 9A | Aug-83 | LG | Scrapped at CF Booth Ltd, Rotherham June 1993 |
| E3050 | 82004 | 1025-7888 | Sep-60 | 9A | Oct-83 | LG | Scrapped at Vic Berry, Leicester November 1984 |
| E3051 | 82005 | 1026-7889 | Oct-60 | ACL | Oct-87 | WN | Scrapped at CF Booth Ltd, RotherhamJuly 1993 |
| E3052 | 82006 | 1027-7890 | Dec-60 | ACL | Aug-83 | LG | Scrapped at Vic Berry, Leicester November 1984 |
| E3053 | 82007 | 1028-7891 | Jan-62 | ACL | Aug-83 | LG | Scrapped at Vic Berry, Leicester November 1984 |
| E3054 | 82008 | 1029-7892 | Nov-61 | ACL | Dec-87 | WN | Preserved at Barrow Hill Engine Shed |
| E3055 | - | 1030-7893 | Apr-62 | ACL | Sep-69 | ACL | Scrapped at Crewe Works August 1970 |
Further reading
- AC Locomotives for British Railways Type A, E3046-E3055 Publisher: Associated Electrical Industries Ltd