British Rail Class 84
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 84 was a 25 kV AC electric locomotive
that operated on the West Coast Main Line
of the London Midland Region.
, which included electrification, 100 locomotives of five types were acquired from different manufacturers. Ten Class AL4 locomotives numbered E3036 - E3045 were built in 1960 to a design by GEC by the North British Locomotive Company
in Springburn, Glasgow
.
Within a year, all ten were out of service for repair. The problems persisted and in 1967 they were once more placed into storage, along with Class AL3
. During this time E3043 went to Rugby Testing Centre for testing.
electrification to Glasgow
meant that more electric locomotives would be needed. It was therefore decided that the stored Class AL3
and AL4 locomotives would be repaired and returned to service, with a lower number of Class 87
being built.
as Class 84, being renumbered 84001 - 84010.
decided in 1976 to withdraw them from service. The first to be withdrawn was 84007 in 1977, the last 84003 and 84010 in 1980.
: 84009 was rebuilt as a load bank tester and 84003 was used for spares. They were given departmental numbers ADB968021 and ADB968022 respectively, although the latter was never applied. In 1995 84009 was broken-up following withdrawal from its load bank duties; one cab of this locomotive was saved together with a quantity of spares.
84002 and 84010 were purchased by GEC for experiments, but scrapped soon afterwards.
84001 was moved to the National Railway Museum
in York on long-term loan. The original intention was to eventually swap it for a more representative Class 86
, but in 1994 the locomotive was officially claimed for the National Collection. In the intervening years, the 84 had become important to the Museum as the sole-surviving post-steam, main line (i.e. not a small shunting locomotive) example of a North British Locomotive Company
product. 84001 remained at the NRM until 2000 when it was loaned to the AC Locomotive Group for an initial period of three years, later extended by five years, in exchange for much-needed cosmetic restoration work being undertaken. It continues to carry BR blue livery, as expensive cosmetic modifications would be required to return to "as built" condition in electric blue livery.
and is on loan to the AC Locomotive Group
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 84 was a 25 kV AC electric locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
that operated on 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...
of the London Midland Region.
History
As part of the modernization of the West Coast Main LineWest 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...
, which included electrification, 100 locomotives of five types were acquired from different manufacturers. Ten Class AL4 locomotives numbered E3036 - E3045 were built in 1960 to a design by GEC by the North British Locomotive Company
North British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
in Springburn, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
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.Rebuild
Problems with the mercury-arc rectifiers plagued this class and in 1962 E3036 was returned to GEC, the builder of the electrical equipment, in an attempt to find a solution.Within a year, all ten were out of service for repair. The problems persisted and in 1967 they were once more placed into storage, along with Class AL3
British Rail Class 83
The British Rail Class 83 electric locomotives were built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification.- History :...
. During this time E3043 went to Rugby Testing Centre for testing.
Reprieve
The persistent problems could have been the end of the ten locomotives of Class 84, but the extension of the West Coast Main LineWest 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 to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
meant that more electric locomotives would be needed. It was therefore decided that the stored Class AL3
British Rail Class 83
The British Rail Class 83 electric locomotives were built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification.- History :...
and AL4 locomotives would be repaired and returned to service, with a lower number of Class 87
British Rail Class 87
The British Rail Class 87 is a type of electric locomotive built from 1973-75 by British Rail Engineering Limited . 36 of these locomotives were built to work passenger services over the West Coast Main Line . They were the flagships of British Rail's electric locomotive fleet until the late 1980s,...
being built.
Rebuild 2 and renumbering
Between 1971 and 1972, all ten locomotives were rebuilt once more and were reclassified under TOPSTOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
as Class 84, being renumbered 84001 - 84010.
The end
The second rebuild failed to overcome some of the more persistent problems and British RailBritish 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...
decided in 1976 to withdraw them from service. The first to be withdrawn was 84007 in 1977, the last 84003 and 84010 in 1980.
After withdrawal
84003 and 84009 passed to the Research DivisionBritish Rail Research Division
The British Rail Research Division came into being in 1964 directly under the control of the British Railways Board, moving into purpose-built premises at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby. The intention was to improve railway reliability and efficiency, while reducing costs and improving revenue...
: 84009 was rebuilt as a load bank tester and 84003 was used for spares. They were given departmental numbers ADB968021 and ADB968022 respectively, although the latter was never applied. In 1995 84009 was broken-up following withdrawal from its load bank duties; one cab of this locomotive was saved together with a quantity of spares.
84002 and 84010 were purchased by GEC for experiments, but scrapped soon afterwards.
84001 was moved to the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
in York on long-term loan. The original intention was to eventually swap it for a more representative Class 86
British Rail Class 86
The British Rail Class 86 was the standard electric locomotive built during the 1960s, developed as a result of testing with the earlier Classes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85. One hundred of these locomotives were built from 1965-1966 by either English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, or...
, but in 1994 the locomotive was officially claimed for the National Collection. In the intervening years, the 84 had become important to the Museum as the sole-surviving post-steam, main line (i.e. not a small shunting locomotive) example of a North British Locomotive Company
North British Locomotive Company
The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...
product. 84001 remained at the NRM until 2000 when it was loaned to the AC Locomotive Group for an initial period of three years, later extended by five years, in exchange for much-needed cosmetic restoration work being undertaken. It continues to carry BR blue livery, as expensive cosmetic modifications would be required to return to "as built" condition in electric blue livery.
Preservation
One locomotive (84001) has been preserved by the National Railway MuseumNational Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
and is on loan to the AC Locomotive Group
AC 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 :...
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 | Withdrawn | Disposal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-TOPS | TOPS | ||
| E3036 | 84001 | 1979 | Preserved by the National Railway Museum On loan to the AC Locomotive Group at Barrow Hill |
| E3037 | 84002 | 1980 | Scrapped at Texas Metals |
| E3038 | 84003 | 1980 | To Research Department Scrapped at Vic Berry, Leicester |
| E3039 | 84004 | 1977 | Scrapped at Birds, Long Marston |
| E3040 | 84005 | 1977 | Scrapped at Birds, Long Marston |
| E3041 | 84006 | 1978 | Scrapped by J Cashmore John Cashmore Ltd John Cashmore Ltd was a company based at Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales... at Crewe Yard |
| E3042 | 84007 | 1977 | Scrapped by J Cashmore John Cashmore Ltd John Cashmore Ltd was a company based at Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales... at Crewe Yard |
| E3043 | 84008 | 1979 | Scrapped at Crewe Works |
| E3044 | 84009 | 1978 | To Research Department Scrapped at Gwent Demolition, Margam |
| E3045 | 84010 | 1980 | Scrapped at Texas Metals |