The Class 87 was built for the extension of the electrification of the West Coast Main Line into Scotland and was Britain's first 5, 000hp locomotive [1]. The Class 87 was a development of the then standard AC electric locomotive, the
Class 86. It shared the same body shell though had redesigned bogies with Flexicoil suspension to reduce track wear [2] and frame mounted traction motors. The Class 87s were cleared to travel at up to 110 mp/h (177 kp/h).
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| 87 035 in the process of being repainted into Virgin livery |
| Information |
| Number built: |
36 |
| Built: |
1973-75 |
| Builder: |
BREL Crewe / GEC Traction |
| Engine: |
4 GEC G412AZ traction motors |
| Power: |
5, 000 hp (3, 728 kW) |
| Wheel arrangement: |
Bo-Bo |
Thirty five
Class 87/0s were built with a 36th locomotive built as the solo
Class 87/1, this locomotive tested a thyristor control system. The later
Class 90 was a development of the 87 and indeed was at one stage to have been the
Class 87/2.
One one is now still in operation on the main line and two have been preserved. Quite a few have been exported to the continent and continue to operate in Bulgaria [3].
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| Preserved 87 001 in original BR blue at NRM York |
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| Inside the cab |
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| Front view of 87 035 |
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| Another view of 87 001 |
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| 87 035 in BR Intercity livery at Crewe Heritage Centre |
[1] Chris Heaps, BR Diary 1968-1977 (Ian Allan, 1988), p. 70
[2] Brian Haresnape, Electric Locomotives (Ian Allan, 1983), p. 69
[3] Colin J. Marsden, Traction Recognition (Ian Allan, 2008), p. 88
