British Rail Class 87
The British Rail Class 87 is a type of electric locomotive designed and built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) between in 1973 and 1975. A total of thirty-six locomotives were constructed built to work passenger services over the West Coast Main Line (WCML).
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The type was developed in response to the need to add extra capacity to the electric traction fleet operated by British Rail (BR), in addition to the desire to introduce a higher performance electric locomotive than the existing Class 86, numerous aspects of which being incorporated into its design. The Class 87 fleet was operated as the flagships of British Rail's electric locomotive fleet until the late 1980s, at which point the Class 90, which was effectively an improved derivative of the type, started to come on stream. It was further superseded by the arrival of the higher performance Intercity 225 only a few years after that, but the fleet remained in widespread use through the 1990s.
As a consequence of the privatisation of British Rail during the mid 1990s, all but one of the Class 87s were transferred to Virgin Trains. Under this operator, the type continued their passenger duties until the advent of the new Class 390 Pendolinos, after which they were gradually transferred to other operators or withdrawn between 2002 and 2007. For a time, the type was a staple of electrified freight operations, before it was displaced by the Class 90 in this capacity as well. By the end of the 2010s, there was only one Class 87 that remained in an operational condition in Britain, 87002, which had been initially preserved by the AC Locomotive Group and is presently owned by Locomotive Services Limited. It was previously in use with Serco Caledonian Sleeper and is intended for use on charter services. A large proportion of the fleet have been exported to Bulgaria, where they have entered regular use once again.
History
Origins
A requirement for more electric locomotives came about after the electrification of the WCML was extended from Weaver Junction north of Crewe to Preston, Carlisle and Glasgow Central. Initially, three Class 86 locomotives (86101-3) were used as test-beds to trial equipment (mainly electrical equipment and suspension) that would be used in the new locomotives. Effectively, these locomotives were Class 87s in everything but their appearance.[7]
The external design of the Class 87 was clearly derived from that of the Class 86 the only major visual difference was that the 87 had two front cab windows, instead of the three of the 86 and also lacked a headcode indicator box by 1973, visual recognition of train reporting numbers by signallers was no longer deemed to be necessary.[8]
The power and speed of the Class 87 was also increased over that of the preceeding Class 86: power output was increased from 3,600 to 5,000 hp to deal with the more demanding gradients on the northern half of the WCML, such as Shap Fell and Beattock Summit. The top speed was raised from 100 mph (160 km/h) to 110 mph (180 km/h).[9] The Class 87s were also fitted with multiple working equipment,[8] which enabled locomotives to work with other members of the class, and some Class 86s, while controlled by one driver.[7]
During the 1980s, the original multiple working system was replaced with a newer system that was based on time-division multiplexing (TDM). The new apparatus enabled the Class 87 to work with various other classes of locomotives, including the majority of Class 86s, Class 90s and Class 91s. Perhaps even more importantly, the newer multiple working equipment had also enabled the type to work with the newly-introduced Driving Van Trailers (DVTs).
87101
Whilst the first 35 locomotives (numbered from 87001 to 87035, known as Class 87/0) were identical, the 36th and last member of the class, which was going to carry the number 87036 before entering traffic but was allocated 87101 instead, had major equipment differences from the rest of the class. While the 87/0s were fitted with a traditional tap changer transformer and rectifiers, 87101 had a new thyristor power control system,[10] and spent over a year on test before entering service in 1976.[11] The locomotive, named Stephenson after transfer of the name from 87001,[8] worked the same services as the standard locomotives for many years, until British Rail was sectorised in the 1980s.
As a freight locomotive, it was transferred to EWS and, after suffering a major failure, the locomotive was withdrawn in 1999. It was sold to the French train manufacturing company Alsthom, who used it as a source of spare parts for the remainder of the fleet before scrapping its remnants at Barrow Hill during January 2002. It was the first Class 87 to be withdrawn and scrapped. Some thyristor equipment has been preserved by AC Locomotive Group.
This locomotive was, in effect, the prototype for the later build of locomotives designated Class 90.
Second batch
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, BR undertook numerous schemes, including the electrification of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and the ultimately-cancelled procurement of the Advanced Passenger Train (APT), (the latter being at one point intended to succeed the Class 87 as BR's next major intercity express train) that had led to a significant nationwide shortage of electric traction.[12] Various different efforts were launched during this era to alleviate this shortage, including an electrified version of the Intercity 125 (known as the HST-E), the Class 89 mixed-traffic locomotive, and what would become the Intercity 225.[13]
While BR's board had approved the ordering of a single Class 89 for demonstration purposes, the Strategy Committee queried why the locomotive had been favoured over a proposed 80-tonne Bo-Bo locomotive.[13] At this time, the Class 89 had been allegedly thought to be a low-risk option for multi-purpose operations, but offered little in the way of performance advantages over the existing Class 87. It was clear that additional electric locomotives were necessary no matter what, as both the 1950s era Class 81 and Class 85 electric locomotives were nearing the end of their viable service lives and had become quite unreliable.[13] The Intercity 225 was at one point intended to address this need for multipurpose traction, the prequalification document included a requirement for it to perform mixed-traffic duties, including day and night passenger duties, as well as handling parcel and mail traffic and overnight heavy freight services. Appraisals had also determined that the Class 89 was comparatively inferior in financial terms to the Intercity 225, which decreased the likelihood of the former ever attaining quantity production.[13]
While it was intended for the InterCity 225 to be extremely ubiquitous, even potentially having the capability built into it to operate over the southern third-rail network and within the Channel Tunnel, such fanciful ideas had been curtailed by mid 1984.[13] BR officials opted to deprioritise the freight haulage capabilities of the Intercity 225. Instead, they planned to meet the outstanding traction needs for the sector via other platforms. The Class 87 locomotive had proven itself to be relatively capable since its introduction roughly one decade earlier, thus there was considerable interest procuring additional units as a low-cost option with virtually no risk for the West Coast Main Line (WCML).[13] BREL issued its submission to produce an initial batch of 25 Class 87/2s, which quickly received a favourable reception.[13]
The BR board decided that it would curtail its plans to procure the Intercity 225 for the WCML, and instead procure the Class 87/2 to haul its intended traffic.[13] As result of this procurement, the freight business refused to finance a planned upgrade to InterCity 225’s traction equipment, which would have given the former an equal haulage capability to the Class 87/2. Further studies determined that, when hauling passenger consists, the Class 87/2 had no disadvantage against the InterCity 225 on the WCML, unless the latter was outfitted with tilting coaches, both the Class 87/2 and the Intercity 225's Class 91 locomotive had been specified to possess at least 5,000hp.[13] Accordingly, the procurement of the type, which was redesignated from Class 87/2 to Class 90, was assured. This move meant that no Intercity 225s would ever be procured for the WCML.[13]
A total of 50 Class 90 locomotives were manufactured by BREL at the Crewe Works during the late 1980s, these were numbered 90001-050.
British Rail service
The great majority of the Class 87s' workload came on express passenger services from London Euston to the North West and Glasgow. They did, however, see some use on freight, especially on heavy services that required two locomotives. In the late 1970s, British Rail assigned name to its entire Class 87 fleet, many receiving names that had been previously carried by the "Britannia" steam locomotives, while the remainder were named after towns, cities or counties along the WCML.
During the 1980s, British Rail locomotives were allocated to separate sectors, thus the 87/0s were transferred to InterCity, as a consequence of this organisational change, the type's use of freight trains was largely curtailed. However, the unique 87101 was instead assigned to Railfreight Distribution.
Post-privatisation service
Virgin Trains
As a consequence of the privatisation of British Rail, all 35 87/0s were passed to rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook and were leased to InterCity West Coast operator Virgin Trains in 1997. The locomotives continued to work the same services as before, the only outward indication of the change of ownership being the repainting of the locomotives in the red Virgin Trains livery. However, Virgin's policy of introducing a new fleet of trains to quickly replace the BR-era fleet that the firm had inherited inevitably meant that the writing was on the wall for the Class 87s.[14]
As Pendolino deliveries began to come on stream from 2002 onward, 87005 City of London was the first locomotive taken out of service. Although withdrawals were slower than expected, due to the unreliability of the Pendolinos, the final day in service was set for 10 June 2005, by which time many locomotives had been withdrawn and others transferred to other operators. On this day, four locomotives hauled special trains to Wolverhampton, Northampton and Manchester. However, this turned out not to be the final workings for Virgin, as further problems with the new trains meant sporadic appearances by Class 87s hired from other operators. The final working, which was between London and Birmingham, eventually occurred on 22 December 2006; 87002 performing the honours.
English Welsh & Scottish Railway
English Welsh & Scottish inherited the unique 87101 from Railfreight Distribution. The locomotive was used infrequently on freight and charter trains, but suffered a major failure in 1999 and was withdrawn due to its non-standard nature. It was eventually sold to Alstom for spare parts and finally scrapped at Barrow Hill by Harry Needle Railroad Company in 2002.
Cotswold Rail
In April 2005, Cotswold Rail acquired five locomotives, all of which had been out of service for a number of months.[15] A fleet of ten locomotives was planned for by the company, which were intended for duties such as spot-hire work, charter operations and a new intermodal freight flow. They were based at Oxley depot in Wolverhampton. However, the fleet saw very little use only two ever worked a train (87007 and 87008), both having been repainted into Cotswold Rail livery and in July 2006 the locomotives went off-lease.
Direct Rail Services
In November 2004, Direct Rail Services (DRS) acquired four locomotives. They were used on Anglo-Scottish intermodal services, but never on a regular basis. In June 2005, the four locomotives were stored. The main reason for their lack of use was the need for a diesel to shunt the train in non-electrified sidings.[16][17]
First GBRf/GB Railfreight
In November 2004, First GBRf acquired two locomotives which had recently been retired from Virgin passenger service. They were used as standby locomotives to rescue failed Class 325 units working GB Railfreight parcels trains. The fleet increased to four at one point, but finally consisted of two locomotives, 87022 Cock O' The North and 87028 Lord President, which were both withdrawn at the end of 2007. Their final working of a charter train was conducted on 29 December 2007.
On 31 March 2015, Serco took over the Caledonian Sleeper franchise from FirstGroup, and contracted GB Railfreight to provide haulage, who took over from DB Schenker. In February 2015 87002 was repainted into the new Caledonian Blue livery, and from 31 March 2015 was used to convey the empty sleeper coaching stock between London Euston and Wembley Intercity Depot, as well as between Glasgow Central and Polmadie TRSMD, along with 86101. After a lengthy refurbishment, 86401 joined the Caledonian Sleeper fleet on 8 August 2015. In October 2019, the 87 and 86s were withdrawn, primarily due to coupler incompatibility, and returned to the AC Locomotive Group.[18]
Export to Bulgaria
In 2006, Singapore trading company Romic-Ace International PTE Ltd approached Porterbrook to discuss the potential export of the Class 87 locomotives to a customer in eastern Europe. Nos 87012 and 87019 were purchased and sold to BRC, an open access operator in Bulgaria by Romic-Ace after preparation for export by Electric Traction Services Limited (ETS).[19] The transfer did not take place until after Bulgaria's accession to the European Union the following year to minimise customs formalities.
Following successful trials and homologation by the state railways, a further 25 locomotives (the entire fleet, minus four (+ 87101) that had been scrapped, two already in Bulgaria and the four locomotives preserved or staying in the UK) were purchased from Porterbrook by Romic-Ace and sold to the Bulgarian Railway Company (БЖК/BRC) in seven batches with the refurbishment being carried out by ETS at Long Marston. The locomotives were then moved to Crewe for 25 kV testing and sign off. The project involved the supply of the locomotives, spares, drawings, overhaul documents and the provision of driver/staff training, which was provided by ETS in the UK and Bulgaria on behalf of Romic-Ace.[19]
The locomotive batches were scheduled to be exported in stages over 2008 and 2009. The first batch, locos 87007, 87008 and 87026, were prepared by ETS, and left the UK in June 2008 after testing and sign off by Romic-Ace and BRC at Crewe.[20] The locomotives were delivered by rail via the Channel Tunnel. Subsequent batches of locomotives have been delivered by road to Hull, then ferry and barge to the port of Ruse in Bulgaria. Seventeen locomotives are in service with Bulgarian Railway Company.[21] A downturn in traffic in Bulgaria meant that the export deal was terminated in 2009, leaving 11 locos "in limbo".[19]
While those locomotives deemed to be in the worst condition (87011, 87018, 87021, 87027, 87030, 87031 and 87032) were sent for scrapping in 2010 and 2011, the four remaining Class 87s—87009, 87017, 87023 and 87025—were the property of operator Europhoenix.[19] The firm made preparations for the possible use of both 87017 and 87023 in the UK, but the only interest that emerged from demonstrations was from Bulgaria in the form of the open access freight operator Bulmarket. 87017 and 87023 (in working order) and 87009 and 87025 (not in working order) were exported by ship from Immingham in October 2012.[19]
Bulgarian Railway Company's fleet of Class 87s is based at Pirdop. The locomotives have been operated extensively throughout Bulgaria at locations such as Burgas, Ruse, Dimitrovgrad, Ilyantsi, and Blagoevgrad. They have reportedly found heavy use on hauling sulphuric acid trains between Pirdop and Razdelna.[19]
Accidents
- On 16 February 1980, at Bushey, a broken welded rail caused a train hauled by 87007 to derail at 96 mph, injuring 19 passengers.[22]
- 1999 Winsford rail accident: On 23 June 1999, an express hauled by 87027 collided with an empty Class 142 Pacer railbus which had passed a signal at danger in Cheshire. 31 people were injured.[23]
Fleet details
Pre-tops numbers E3201–34 were allocated to the first 34 locomotives, but these were never carried.[24]
| Key: | Preserved | Scrapped | Exported |
|---|
| TOPS Number | Export Number | Date into traffic[25] | Status | Notes | Name[25][nb 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87001 | – | June 1973 | Preserved 2005 | Preserved at the National Railway Museum, York | Stephenson (14 January 1976 – July 1977)[26][nb 2] |
| Royal Scot (14 July 1977–1998)[nb 3] | |||||
| Royal Scot (1999–2003) | |||||
| Stephenson (2003–present) | |||||
| Royal Scot (2005–present) | |||||
| 87002 | – | June 1973 | Preserved 2008 | Owned by Locomotive Services Limited. Purchased by LSL in November 2019 post Serco Caledonian Sleeper duties. It was previously owned by AC Locomotive Group. Last Class 87 withdrawn by Virgin Trains. |
Royal Sovereign (4 July 1978 – 2003) |
| The AC Locomotive Group (2005–2008) | |||||
| Royal Sovereign (2008–present) | |||||
| 87003 | 87003-0 | July 1973 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Patriot (13 June 1978 – 2005) |
| 87004 | 87004-8 | July 1973 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Britannia (3 April 1978 – 2005)[nb 4] (2009–present) |
| 87005 | – | August 1973 | Scrapped 2005 | Scrapped at JT Landscapes, MoD Caerwent First Class 87 withdrawn by Virgin Trains. |
City of London (22 November 1977 – 2003) |
| 87006 | 87006-3 | November 1973 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | City of Glasgow (8 December 1977–1987) |
| Glasgow Garden Festival (April 1987 – January 1989)[26] | |||||
| City of Glasgow (1989–1997) | |||||
| George Reynolds (1997–2004) | |||||
| 87007 | 87007-1 | October 1973 | Exported 2008 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | City of Manchester (1 November 1977 – 2004) |
| 87008 | 87008-9 | November 1973 | Exported 2008 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | City of Liverpool (29 November 1977 – 1998) |
| Royal Scot (1998–1999) | |||||
| City of Liverpool (1999–2004) | |||||
| 87009 | – | November 1973 | Exported 2012 | Exported to Bulmarket, Bulgaria | City of Birmingham (29 November 1977 – 2003) |
| 87010 | 87010-5 | December 1973 | Exported 2008 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | King Arthur (6 June 1978 – 2005) |
| Driver Tommy Farr (2005–2005) | |||||
| 87011 | – | January 1974 | Scrapped 2011 | Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury | The Black Prince (15 May 1978 – 1998) |
| City of Wolverhampton (2001–2004) | |||||
| 87012 | 87012-1 | January 1974 | Exported 2007 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Coeur de Lion (25 May 1978 – November 1984)[26] |
| The Royal Bank of Scotland (1988–1998) | |||||
| Coeur de Lion (2001–2005) | |||||
| The Olympian (2005–2006) | |||||
| 87013 | 87013-6 | February 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | John o' Gaunt (14 March 1978 – 1998)[nb 5] (2000–2004) |
| 87014 | 87014-7 | January 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Knight of the Thistle (16 May 1978 – 2004) |
| 87015 | – | February 1974 | Scrapped 2005 | Scrapped at JT Landscapes, MoD Caerwent | Howard of Effingham (12 May 1978 – 2005) |
| 87016 | – | March 1974 | Scrapped 2004 | Scrapped at JT Landscapes, MoD Caerwent First class 87/0 to be scrapped. |
Sir Francis Drake (28 April 1978 – 1988) |
| Willesden Intercity Depot (1992–2004) | |||||
| 87017 | – | March 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulmarket, Bulgaria. | Iron Duke (30 May 1978 – 2004) (2011–present) |
| 87018 | – | May 1974 | Scrapped 2010 | Scrapped at JT Landscapes, MoD Caerwent | Lord Nelson (9 March 1978 – 2004)[nb 6] |
| 87019 | 87019-6 | March 1974 | Exported 2007 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Sir Winston Churchill (3 May 1978 – 2005) |
| ACoRP Association of Community Rail Partnerships (2005–2006) | |||||
| 87020 | 87020-4 | March 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | North Briton (19 May 1978 – 2004) |
| 87021 | – | April 1974 | Scrapped 2010 | Scrapped at JT Landscapes, MoD Caerwent | Robert the Bruce (12 June 1978 – 2005) |
| 87022 | 87022-0 | April 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Cock o' the North (30 June 1978 – 1998) |
| Lew Adams The Black Prince (1998–2004) | |||||
| Cock o' the North (2006–2007) | |||||
| 87023 | – | April 1974 | Exported 2012 | Exported to Bulmarket, Bulgaria | Highland Chieftain (3 July 1978 – November 1982) |
| Velocity (1985–2000) | |||||
| Polmadie (2000–2005) | |||||
| Velocity (2011–present) | |||||
| 87024 | – | April 1974 | Scrapped 2005 | Scrapped at JT Landscapes, MoD Caerwent | Lord of the Isles (24 May 1978 – 2004) |
| 87025 | – | April 1974 | Exported 2012 | Exported to Bulmarket, Bulgaria | Borderer (6 June 1978 – November 1982)[26] |
| County of Cheshire (1982–2004)[nb 7] | |||||
| 87026 | 87026-1 | May 1974 | Exported 2008 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Redgauntlet (19 May 1978 – October 1982)[26] |
| Sir Richard Arkwright (1982–2004)[nb 8] | |||||
| 87027 | – | May 1974 | Scrapped 2010 | Used as a source of spare parts for the export program. Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury | Wolf of Badenoch (18 May 1978 – 2003) |
| 87028 | 87028-7 | May 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Lord President (9 May 1978 – 2003) (2006–2007) |
| 87029 | 87029-5 | June 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Earl Marischal (26 June 1978 – 2004) |
| 87030 | – | June 1974 | Scrapped 2010 | Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury | Black Douglas (10 July 1978 – 2005) |
| 87031 | – | July 1974 | Scrapped 2010 | Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury | Hal o' the Wynd (8 June 1978 – 2004) |
| Keith Harper (2004–2005) | |||||
| 87032 | – | July 1974 | Scrapped 2010 | Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury | Kenilworth (9 May 1978 – 2003) |
| Richard Fearn (2003–2004) | |||||
| 87033 | 87033-7 | August 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | Thane of Fife (30 May 1978 – 2005) |
| 87034 | 87034-5 | September 1974 | Exported 2009 | Exported to Bulgarian Railway Company, Bulgaria. | William Shakespeare (16 May 1978 – 2003)[nb 9] |
| 87035 | – | October 1974 | Preserved 2005 | Preserved at Crewe Heritage Centre | Robert Burns (13 April 1978 – present)[nb 10] |
| 87101 | – | January 1977[nb 11] | Scrapped 2002 | Originally allocated number 87036. Entered revenue-earning service 08/1976.[26] Scrapped at HNRC Barrow Hill, some equipment preserved by The AC Loco Group. |
Stephenson (12 October 1977-2002)[nb 12] |
Preservation
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Three Class 87 electric locomotives are currently preserved in Britain.
- 87001 Stephenson/Royal Scot was donated to the National Railway Museum in November 2005.[29]
- 87002 Royal Sovereign is owned by Locomotive Services Limited. It was preserved by the AC Locomotive Group and was returned to main line running condition. When the new contract for the Caledonian Sleeper was won by the Serco in 2014, 87002 was hired to work empty coaching stock movements in and out of London Euston. It was painted into Caledonian blue for the new contract in February 2015. From March 2015 until October 2019, 87002 shunted the empty sleeper coaching stock into London Euston, alongside 86101, as part of the Serco Caledonian Sleeper contract. Upon the end of the Caledonian Sleeper contract, 87002 was sold to Locomotive Services Ltd. for use on mainline charter services.[30][31] Sold to Locomotive Services Limited in November 2019.[32]
- 87035 Robert Burns was the first locomotive to be preserved. It is based at Crewe Heritage Centre and was handed over for preservation by owners Porterbrook at Crewe Works Open Day on 10 September 2005.
| Numbers | Name | Livery | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87001 | Stephenson Royal Scot |
British Rail Blue | National Railway Museum | Static display |
| 87002 | Royal Sovereign | Inter-City Swallow | Crewe Diesel TMD | Operational |
| 87035 | Robert Burns | British Rail Blue | Crewe Heritage Centre | Static display (Under restoration) |
In addition, the two banks of thyristors and transformer from 87101 were preserved by the AC Locomotive Group.[33]
Model railways
Italian model railway manufacturer Lima launched the first OO gauge model of the class 87. This was discontinued in 2004 with the bankruptcy of the company. In 2008, using the tooling acquired from its earlier purchase of Lima’s assets, Hornby launched its first version of the BR Class 87 in OO gauge in BR Blue.[34] In 2017, Hornby launched a super-detailed new tooled BR Class 87 in OO gauge in a variety of liveries, including InterCity Swallow and Virgin Trains.[35]
Notes
- Unless otherwise stated, prior to 1979, locomotives were named at Willesden depot, without a ceremony.[25]
- 87001 named Stephenson at Euston in 1976.
- 87001 named Royal Scot at Manchester Piccadilly in 1977.
- 87004 named Britannia at Crewe in 1978.
- 87013 named John o' Gaunt at Lancaster in 1978.
- 87018 named Lord Nelson at Liverpool in 1978.
- 87025 was named County of Cheshire on 29 November 1982 at Crewe, by Councillor Roy Hinks, the chairman of Cheshire County Council.[27]
- 87026 was named Sir Richard Arkwright on 12 October 1982 by the Duke of Devonshire at Preston.[28]
- 87034 named William Shakespeare at Birmingham International in 1978.
- 87004 named Robert Burns at Glasgow in 1978.
- 87101 was delivered for research in March 1975, and officially in traffic in January 1977.[25]
- 87101 named Stephenson at Manchester in 1977.
References
Citations
- "87002: Technical Details". The AC Locomotive Group. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- Marsden & Fenn 2001, p. 103
- Vehicle Diagram Book No. 110 for Electric Locomotives (PDF). Barrowmore MRG. Derby: British Railways Board. May 1987. 87-0a, 87-1a.
- Webb & Duncan 1979, p. 81
- Webb & Duncan 1979, p. 79
- "Driving Cabs". Dawlish Trains. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- "Class 87". AC Locomotive Group. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- Longhurst 1979, Class 87
- Devereux, Nigel (17 April 2017). "50 Years of West Coast Electrics". railexpress.co.uk.
- Longhurst 1979, The changing pattern of electric service
- "Class 87 history". AC Locomotive Group. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
- "First impressions of ATP-P". Modern Railways. Vol. 35 no. 359. Ian Allan. August 1978. pp. 354–358. ISSN 0026-8356.
- "FROM THE ARCHIVES: Class 91s...promise unfulfilled". railmagazine.com. 27 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- "Full tilt: Virgin's 140mph Pendolino trains". Mathieson, SA. March 2002. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- "Cotswold takes on five Class 87s". The Railway Magazine. No. 1250. June 2005. p. 77.
- Milner, Chris (December 2004). "DRS to use Class 87s on freight". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 150 no. 1, 244. p. 65. ISSN 0033-8923.
- Milner, Chris (August 2005). "DRS hands back Class 87s". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 151 no. 1, 252. p. 74. ISSN 0033-8923.
- Clinnick, Richard (20 November 2019). "Future secure for final main line Class 87". railmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- Devereux, Nigel (3 July 2018). "Brits Abroad". The Railway Magazine. Mortons Media Group.
- "First three 87s almost ready". Electric Traction Services Limited. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
- "BZK locomotives". Railfaneurope.net. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- Dept of Transport (1981). Report on the Derailment that occurred on 16th February 1980 at Bushey in the London Midland Region British Railways. London: HMSO.
- "REPORT BY THE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE'" (PDF). Health and Safety Executive. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- Williams, Alan; Percival, David (1972). British Railways Locomotives and Other Motive Power: Combined Volume. London: Ian Allan. p. 127. ISBN 0-7110-0325-4.
- Webb & Duncan 1979, p. 82
- Marsden 1991, pp. 206–207
- "Loco namings". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. February 1983. p. 53. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
- "Readers' round-up: Class 87". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. January 1983. p. 51. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
- "British Rail Bo-Bo Class 87 electric locomotive, No 87001, 1974". National Railway Museum. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- "87002". The AC Locomotive Group. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- 86101 and 87002 on Caledonian Sleeper duties Archived 13 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Electric Traction Ltd 1 April 2015
- Locomotive Services Ltd purchases electric locomotives - RailAdvent. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
- "The Locomotives – Introduction". AC Locomotive Group.
- "Hornby BR Class 87". Hornby Railways Collector Guide. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- "Hornby BR Class 87". Hornby. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
Sources
- Longhurst, Roly (1979). Electric Locomotives of the West Coast Main Line. Truro: D. Bradford Barton Ltd. ISBN 0851533558. OCLC 16491712.
- Marsden, Colin J. (1991). The Complete BR Diesel & Electric Locomotive Directory. Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 9780860934868. OCLC 59814977.
- Marsden, Colin J.; Fenn, Graham B. (2001). British Rail Main Line Electric Locomotives (2nd ed.). Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 9780860935599. OCLC 48532553.
- Webb, Brian; Duncan, John (1979). AC Electric Locomotives of British Rail. David & Charles. ISBN 9780715376638. OCLC 6916046.
Further reading
- Derrick, Kevin (2014). Looking back at AC Electric Locomotives. Strathwood. ISBN 9781905276516. OCLC 931820979.
- Marsden, Colin J. (2007). The AC Electrics. OPC. ISBN 9780860936145. OCLC 148304137.
- Morrison, Brian (1988). The Power of the AC Electrics. OPC. ISBN 9780860932468. OCLC 59814839.
- Morrison, Gavin (2013). AC Electric Locomotives in Colour. Ian Allan. ISBN 9780711035058. OCLC 812686430.
- Shaw, Chris (1991). Rail Portfolios 13: The AC Electrics. Ian Allan. ISBN 9780711019386. OCLC 59968422.
- Cooper, Basil (February 1983). "What's in a class 87?". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 10–11, 13. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
- Allen, Geoffrey Freeman (June 1984). "110 mph for Class 87s". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 6–10. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
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