I grew up next to the WCML in Coventry with the Class 81+ locos and always cursed them because other regions still had steam (although I did see one steam loco at Coventry Station back in 1964 after my mum took me across to see it. Frightened the life out of me). Bit nostalgic looking at them now. The Western had the Westerns, Warships, Hymeks and Blue Pullmans which I was lucky enough to see a few times visiting relatives in Reading. Went to Minehead by train in 1966 but strangely I have no memory of the engines or stock, just the gaslights on the station.
The electrification of tbe WCML followed the pattern set out in the Modernisation Plan to build small batches of locomotives and test them to find the best equipment. Classes 81 to 85 shared many technologies that led to Classes 86 and 87.
The Class 87 was built to take trains all the way to Glasgow. The Class 86 was the synthesis of all the most successful technologies from tbe first 5 production classes.
I grew up next to the WCML in Coventry with the Class 81+ locos and always cursed them because other regions still had steam (although I did see one steam loco at Coventry Station back in 1964 after my mum took me across to see it. Frightened the life out of me). Bit nostalgic looking at them now.
The Western had the Westerns, Warships, Hymeks and Blue Pullmans which I was lucky enough to see a few times visiting relatives in Reading. Went to Minehead by train in 1966 but strangely I have no memory of the engines or stock, just the gaslights on the station.
The electrification of tbe WCML followed the pattern set out in the Modernisation Plan to build small batches of locomotives and test them to find the best equipment. Classes 81 to 85 shared many technologies that led to Classes 86 and 87.
The Class 87 was built to take trains all the way to Glasgow. The Class 86 was the synthesis of all the most successful technologies from tbe first 5 production classes.
I think that there's a 99 now which is still undergoing testing and is dual mode like the 88.
Yup, Class 99. And there’s the Class 93 too, also from Stadler.