Incredible machine. Some of these 87s when in good condition could regularly put out well over 7000 hp. A very simple locomotive, no computers just a tap changer transformer and four traction motors, and enough power to pull the top off a mountain.
Oooh, I love that satisfying clunk as the breakers open/close through the neutral section and the fans powering up again. Also the electrical hum when the handle is held in 'run up' - she's definitely drawing some amps! This is the perfect '87 video. You get just about every sound they make. I miss them so much.
Great video,i used to drive 81's 85,86 and the 87's and this brought a lot of great memories flooding back.by far the 87's were the best even better than the 90's which i drove
Hellfire tapchanger action! Love the neutral section breaker noise with the 'engine' room door kept open. No simple pull on power controller and let it all happen; drivers really needed to 'drive' these AC locos.
@@theblacktrainboy373 The tapchanger draws current from (or indeed 'taps into') the main transformer for the traction motors. It's basically a widget consisting of electrical contacts of differing voltages operated by a camshaft mechanism. On these locos there are 38 taps. The tapchanger is manually controlled directly from the driver's desk where, by to-and-fro of the master controller, he does all the 'notching' to increase/ decrease/cut voltage in steps as required. Tapchangers are ancient history now. All locos built since the 1980s have automatic 'stepless' control using new-fangled stuff called electronics(!)
@@ChangesOneTim also the traction motor sound since 2007 I was 3 at the time I'm mainly around Tottenham hale and the class 317 have the same traction motor sound as the 87 and many other trains like class 321 and 319 I don't get it but i wish I could see these trains in real life down in North London there are no exiting trains besides alexandra Palace
@@theblacktrainboy373 All recent trains have 3-phase AC instead of the traditional DC traction motors. DCs have the good old rising note sing-song compared to the AC's pyschedelic-style random whining
Fantastic.....I was lucky enough to have been a secondman at Stonebridge Park on the WCML in the old BR days in the mid 80's...got to drive a few of these under supervision ...awasome...the whine noise from the rheostatic breaks takes me back there lol !...brilliant vid, thanks.
The throttle has six notches: off, run down, step down, hold, step up, run up. The majority of the throttle movement shown is hold/step up/hold/step up etc. where the driver is probably keeping the ammeters just on the green/yellow threshold to obtain maximum safe acceleration. When slowing for the power section gap and speed restrictions he uses the run down position to let the system automatically and quickly reduce power to the traction motors to nil.
The only time I rode in an 87, was 87 019 from Euston to Wolverhampton. I regularly ride 86s and 90s on Anglia. I have also done a 91 from Kings Cross to York, and a 73 from Victoria to Gatwick. Plus driven a V63 / 630 "Gigant" in Hungary !!
The driver runs down the power to the traction motors from his main power handle in anticipation of the 'neutral section' ahead. This is a short section of the overhead electrical contact wire which is made up of glass beads. It is necessary to keep the power supplies separate either side of the neutral section because the electrical current probably comes from different feeder stations, and thus could be at different phases. Otherwise, the transformer/tap changer will be severely damaged.
At neutrals it's the auto power control magnets on the track that open the loco's breaker thereby avoiding the risk of the pantograph drawing along the earthed (i.e. dead) piece of wire. Running all taps down prior to each neutral is as much to do with quickly regaining traction power afterwards as it is to do with avoiding snatching/ jerking through sudden power loss. If you hadn't completed run-down you'd waste time after power is restored before being able to run up again.🤪
Hi there, fascinating, I only drive diesel electrics, so nice to see how different an electric loco is to drive!! Keep up the hreat work, and thanks for posting, worthy of 5 stars!!
I get to thinking that the driver must spend alot of time watching those ampmeters but i spose it must come with experiance on how much and how often to knotch up! Great vid.
@MrHaynestrainvideos I used to drive these back in the 80's. You had a bank of ampmeters that showed the power going to the motors so you just kept the needles out of the red, but with the 87 you would have wheel slip before hitting the red LOL
The Driver had to on his mettle 100% of the time whist driving these locos. These locos had to be "driven" and required constant attention from the driver.
It's in England on the West Coast Main line North: Departure from Royal Mail supply on direction by Carluke (first station on movie) at Carstair and Carlisle.
Superb video... great to hear that superb sound again and yes what a steady ride it was too at speed, one the best pieces of such video I have seen. Surprised Turner wasnt in the cab with the 87 working M44.... Nice one though, many thanks.
I had been watching the farewell Class 87 clip where the train was eventually cancelled. I could not believe what I was watching. When I posted the comment, for some reason my browser flipped out and took me back here, the previous clip I had watched.
This handle controls the power setting of the loco. I think Class87 loco's have 38 setttings, called "taps". Pulling the handle back from the center, "on" position, selects the next higher setting, pushing it forward the next lower one.
86/1, 86/2, 86/4, 86/6 87 & 90 all ride pretty well due to the "flexicoil" springs between the bogie and the loco body. 86/0 & 86/3 were pretty bad but nothing by comparison to an 81 or 85! I have heard that 83's were pretty smooth but have never been on one.
83's were nice, 82's and 84's rode lovely even at 100mph. 86/1's 86/2's and 87's rode beautifully, a pleasure to work on, clean,warm and all the AC locomotives cabs had, to my mind, this great smell..warm oil, ozone....can't explain? I wish someone had bottled it... Eau d'AC, I would buy by the pint!
@55022RSG Ah of course, it would be the cooling fans for the resistor grids then. I'd forgotten the 87s had that, as I'm so used to the diesels *not* having it in the UK.
Class 87s are absolutely awesome locomotives I would rather have haulage behind them rather than the pendelinoes and the plastic unit's such as the class 801/803/proper locomotives
I noticed some fairly loud equipment spooling up when the brakes are used - or possibly when they are released. Would that be the compressors by any chance?
@@Bendover-tq2qf You didn't say anything at all, if its a possibility you've changed accounts then Branson had to get new trains as it was in the franchise agreement. As much as I'm not a fan of him its more to UK train franchises than you think. Rail franchises are there to make a profit, Branson obviously doesn't share your love for class 87s but neither would I if I knew revolutionising the route would earn myself and my shareholders more money.
Hi, love all the different noises going on here. (I remember being fascinated by the 87's & 86's for the first time in 1980 Euston Station on route to Preston Lancs) -- Q? = were all transformer cooling fans switched on/off automatically???
Yes.There are 6 positions. OFF, RUN down, NOTCH down, HOLD, NOTCH up and RUN up. At low speed you would use the individual notch up to add power then at higher speed use RUN up (or down) to control the power.
As a former UK railwayman with noise induced hearing loss I'm curious to understand what noise levels a driver would be exposed to in an 87. Listening even in this video gives the impression that it is loud and a driver has no hiding place to get away from it. The AC locos sounded great when those fans whirred up but at what price?
It's the power controller. Used to run up or down the tapchanger, a device that varies the power output from the main transformer to the traction motors.
+Celtic Saint Some trains have them for communication, so if a car stalled on the track they would call the phone and warn the train o tell them to stop
Incredible machine. Some of these 87s when in good condition could regularly put out well over 7000 hp. A very simple locomotive, no computers just a tap changer transformer and four traction motors, and enough power to pull the top off a mountain.
A delight to drive
Ah, so is it the tap changer that the driver is controlling when he moves that big lever back and forth?
@@jess.hawkins in a word, yes. It's basically a rheostat
@@arthurrytis6010 Except without using resistance to vary the output, but by selectively enabling different tx windings?
@@jess.hawkins No idea. All I did was drive them. In the later years they made an improvement whereby you could not overload them.. They were good !
Oooh, I love that satisfying clunk as the breakers open/close through the neutral section and the fans powering up again. Also the electrical hum when the handle is held in 'run up' - she's definitely drawing some amps!
This is the perfect '87 video.
You get just about every sound they make. I miss them so much.
87's are simply magnificent!
Great video,i used to drive 81's 85,86 and the 87's and this brought a lot of great memories flooding back.by far the 87's were the best even better than the 90's which i drove
I just love this video hearing the the hum of the Class 87's, really do miss the old girls on the WCML.
me likewisereally powerful sound.
Hellfire tapchanger action! Love the neutral section breaker noise with the 'engine' room door kept open.
No simple pull on power controller and let it all happen; drivers really needed to 'drive' these AC locos.
What's a tap changer?
@@theblacktrainboy373
The tapchanger draws current from (or indeed 'taps into') the main transformer for the traction motors. It's basically a widget consisting of electrical contacts of differing voltages operated by a camshaft mechanism. On these locos there are 38 taps. The tapchanger is manually controlled directly from the driver's desk where, by to-and-fro of the master controller, he does all the 'notching' to increase/ decrease/cut voltage in steps as required.
Tapchangers are ancient history now. All locos built since the 1980s have automatic 'stepless' control using new-fangled stuff called electronics(!)
@@ChangesOneTim also the traction motor sound since 2007 I was 3 at the time I'm mainly around Tottenham hale and the class 317 have the same traction motor sound as the 87 and many other trains like class 321 and 319 I don't get it but i wish I could see these trains in real life down in North London there are no exiting trains besides alexandra Palace
@@theblacktrainboy373
All recent trains have 3-phase AC instead of the traditional DC traction motors. DCs have the good old rising note sing-song compared to the AC's pyschedelic-style random whining
@@ChangesOneTim yes I've heard them on the 2009 tube victoria line stock 3 phase ac powerd traction motor
Oh my days, the acceleration, that is amazing. Love the Class 87.
Omg she sounds awesome! 2:40...that demonic wail!! What a machine..miss them. Thanks for this upload.
Fantastic.....I was lucky enough to have been a secondman at Stonebridge Park on the WCML in the old BR days in the mid 80's...got to drive a few of these under supervision ...awasome...the whine noise from the rheostatic breaks takes me back there lol !...brilliant vid, thanks.
The throttle has six notches: off, run down, step down, hold, step up, run up. The majority of the throttle movement shown is hold/step up/hold/step up etc. where the driver is probably keeping the ammeters just on the green/yellow threshold to obtain maximum safe acceleration. When slowing for the power section gap and speed restrictions he uses the run down position to let the system automatically and quickly reduce power to the traction motors to nil.
Well smart. Proper loco! It must be the ultimate power trip driving that, would love to have a do!
That sound. Pure perfection.
“Ye canny whack it!” - more understandable as you can’t beat it 😆👍🏻
0:03 with Richard O'Brian saying "Will you start the fans please!" 😂😂
Excellent video, many thanks.
Never cabbed an 87, as they were harder to scam a ride on! Shame that these machines aren't running any more.
We used to "cab" class 86/87 locos regularly at Preston station (platform 4 was best) in the mid to late 70's. Those were the days..............
The needles were being kept at the very top of the yellow section and just below the RED section to achieve maximum safe acceleration!
The only time I rode in an 87, was 87 019 from Euston to Wolverhampton. I regularly ride 86s and 90s on Anglia. I have also done a 91 from Kings Cross to York, and a 73 from Victoria to Gatwick. Plus driven a V63 / 630 "Gigant" in Hungary !!
The driver runs down the power to the traction motors from his main power handle in anticipation of the 'neutral section' ahead. This is a short section of the overhead electrical contact wire which is made up of glass beads. It is necessary to keep the power supplies separate either side of the neutral section because the electrical current probably comes from different feeder stations, and thus could be at different phases. Otherwise, the transformer/tap changer will be severely damaged.
At neutrals it's the auto power control magnets on the track that open the loco's breaker thereby avoiding the risk of the pantograph drawing along the earthed (i.e. dead) piece of wire. Running all taps down prior to each neutral is as much to do with quickly regaining traction power afterwards as it is to do with avoiding snatching/ jerking through sudden power loss. If you hadn't completed run-down you'd waste time after power is restored before being able to run up again.🤪
With 5000 hp under the bonnet and a top speed of over 110 mph... Lovely Jubbly...
Fantastic video! Good to see you speeding through Carluke too! ;-)
Mark
Thank you Driver for delivering your passenger's safety.
Hi there, fascinating, I only drive diesel electrics, so nice to see how different an electric loco is to drive!! Keep up the hreat work, and thanks for posting, worthy of 5 stars!!
This is my "go to" video to remind me how it used to be
Great video love these class 87s.
I get to thinking that the driver must spend alot of time watching those ampmeters but i spose it must come with experiance on how much and how often to knotch up! Great vid.
I thought I had seen it all during my years with B.R. What happened here is beyond belief.
@MrHaynestrainvideos I used to drive these back in the 80's. You had a bank of ampmeters that showed the power going to the motors so you just kept the needles out of the red, but with the 87 you would have wheel slip before hitting the red LOL
bobatporty Would it ever cause a power problem if you kept the needle in the amber?
@@bluemooninn after a while they would overheat so it's only for short periods
The Driver had to on his mettle 100% of the time whist driving these locos. These locos had to be "driven" and required constant attention from the driver.
It's in England on the West Coast Main line North: Departure from Royal Mail supply on direction by Carluke (first station on movie) at Carstair and Carlisle.
+Bioxyde37
It's not in England!!! It's in SCOTLAND.
David Griffiths Carlisle is not in Scotland!
SupaHotFire he is saying this clip is filmed in Scotland 🏴
I enjoyed the ride, cheers!
SING MY BEAUTY!
Superb video... great to hear that superb sound again and yes what a steady ride it was too at speed, one the best pieces of such video I have seen. Surprised Turner wasnt in the cab with the 87 working M44.... Nice one though, many thanks.
Excellent vid JT 5* Keep them comming!!
I had been watching the farewell Class 87 clip where the train was eventually cancelled. I could not believe what I was watching. When I posted the comment, for some reason my browser flipped out and took me back here, the previous clip I had watched.
That was fantastic, cabbed a few 86's but not an 87
This handle controls the power setting of the loco. I think Class87 loco's have 38 setttings, called "taps". Pulling the handle back from the center, "on" position, selects the next higher setting, pushing it forward the next lower one.
Wanna go faster? = Big Handle
Wanna go slower? = Big Handle
Wanna make a noise like a hoover? = Big Handle
truly beautiful to hear
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I am very sorry, I seem to have posted the above remark on the wromng clip. This is an excellent piece of history. Thanks for opsting.
Its how to control the amps to the traction motors. Alsoat about 1m20s power has to come off for a neutral section
86/1, 86/2, 86/4, 86/6 87 & 90 all ride pretty well due to the "flexicoil" springs between the bogie and the loco body.
86/0 & 86/3 were pretty bad but nothing by comparison to an 81 or 85! I have heard that 83's were pretty smooth but have never been on one.
83's were nice, 82's and 84's rode lovely even at 100mph. 86/1's 86/2's and 87's rode beautifully, a pleasure to work on, clean,warm and all the AC locomotives cabs had, to my mind, this great smell..warm oil, ozone....can't explain? I wish someone had bottled it... Eau d'AC, I would buy by the pint!
The rheostatic brake fans sound kind of spooky. 90s make a similar noise when slowing too, I wish someone would do a good 90 cab ride as well!
Let's have some 87 action over Beattock and Shap! Top vid :-)
The plunger being pressed is the brake pipe overcharge. I had a brake continuity test shortly before.
If my memory serves me right 1M44 was the TPO Glasgow Central to Euston. I may have that wrong.
bring back memories ..... sounds like an old class 85 did from the outside !!!!!! lol
Great video 5 stars.cheers
@55022RSG Ah of course, it would be the cooling fans for the resistor grids then. I'd forgotten the 87s had that, as I'm so used to the diesels *not* having it in the UK.
Class 87s are absolutely awesome locomotives I would rather have haulage behind them rather than the pendelinoes and the plastic unit's such as the class 801/803/proper locomotives
Lovely sound
Fantastic video, some great sounds too! Where was the video shot?
this looks like it's going past wishaw, pather then upto carluke and Carstairs junction.
@ML66B The 87s were AC (Alternating Current) electrics
I noticed some fairly loud equipment spooling up when the brakes are used - or possibly when they are released. Would that be the compressors by any chance?
Lovely
Is 1M44 same Code as Royal Mail Train from 1963..? Thank You.
Not really, they had plenty of life left in them. A refurb would of been a more sensible option!
RIP 87022 :(
Just play it loud in your car..
Miss them beasts
Yeah that's correct. The driver runs down the taps before the neutral section, hence him pushing the power lever forward.
and Branson is a prick for getting rid of them!
He didn't own any 87s
Not only that. But he doesn’t run a heritage railway. He ran a business
@@Bendover-tq2qf You didn't say anything at all, if its a possibility you've changed accounts then Branson had to get new trains as it was in the franchise agreement. As much as I'm not a fan of him its more to UK train franchises than you think. Rail franchises are there to make a profit, Branson obviously doesn't share your love for class 87s but neither would I if I knew revolutionising the route would earn myself and my shareholders more money.
Hi, love all the different noises going on here. (I remember being fascinated by the 87's & 86's for the first time in 1980 Euston Station on route to Preston Lancs) -- Q? = were all transformer cooling fans switched on/off automatically???
Yes, selecting a direction (forward/reverse) started the fans and pumps.
The "engine room" door was jammed open just for effect.
Easier to hear the circuit breakers through the neutral!!
Can someone explain the throttle lever positions and how it’s used to accelerate smoothly please.
Yes.There are 6 positions. OFF, RUN down, NOTCH down, HOLD, NOTCH up and RUN up. At low speed you would use the individual notch up to add power then at higher speed use RUN up (or down) to control the power.
NICE!!
Is this shot in australia or england?
Glen Brown Scotland😎
Increase in speed????? A whole 15mph... I think there was some serious money that didn't go through the books!
As a former UK railwayman with noise induced hearing loss I'm curious to understand what noise levels a driver would be exposed to in an 87. Listening even in this video gives the impression that it is loud and a driver has no hiding place to get away from it.
The AC locos sounded great when those fans whirred up but at what price?
The equipment room door was open for this video Andy but they were quite loud even with wind noise.
Excellent video JT :)
What's the little bell that keeps ringing?
InterCity82 aws i think but not sure
super!
Between Shieldmuir Royal Mail terminal and just south of Carluke WCML.
@steve7395 I don´t suppose you drove a class 81??
what a beast! gone too soon... Railways are just a glorified tramway now.
fantastic
@ML66B was it pulling the royal mail train m8?
Hello John!
@clocktwibright AWS indicating green signal ahead.
I take it its the brakes on his left hand but why was moving the right stork rapidly.... I'm being careful what I'm saying!
That's the tap changer, which changes the amount of power coming out of the transformer
The main power handle - but I'm not sure what that siren-like revving sound was, could it have been the rheostatic brakes?
EverTrainz Yes, these were indeed the rheostatic brakes
Great video. What does the lever that is pulled back and forth control, is it the speed controller and why is it feathered back and forth?
It's the power controller. Used to run up or down the tapchanger, a device that varies the power output from the main transformer to the traction motors.
its made of ceramic bars
Is this shot in australia or england? Answer - it is Scotland
Can I ask, what was the telephone used for?
+Celtic Saint Some trains have them for communication, so if a car stalled on the track they would call the phone and warn the train o tell them to stop
Many thanks.
Celtic Saint yup
Or to order a meal at the local takeaway! xD
WaiHon Lam Would be great idea. Could pick it up at the station. Fish and chips would probably be the least messy whilst going around the bends!!
DEUSVULT?? STOPPING DRIVER GETTING WET?????
Neither. Motherwell - Scotland.
I may have pressed the Flag button by mistake on my IPod Touch - extremely sorry if this has triggered a problem,
Can you do weelsparks driver and a hand brake turn
Whats IM44?
It's the train headcode. Until the mid to late 70's they were displayed on the front of most trains.
5*
Shieldmuir
Fantastic video! Good to see you speeding through Carluke too! ;-)
Mark