British Rail Class 77

British Rail Class 77

Preserved locomotive no. 27000 in original black livery

Type and origin Power type Electric Builder BR Gorton Works Build date 1953–1954 Total produced 7

Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte Co-Co  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co+Co Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 3 ft 7 in (1.092 m) Length 59 ft 0 in (17.98 m) Loco weight 102.5 long tons (104.1 t; 114.8 short tons) Electric system(s) 1500V DC Catenary Current source Pantograph, 2 off Traction motors Metropolitan-Vickers Train heating Steam generator Loco brake Air and electrical regenerative Train brakes Vacuum

Performance figures Maximum speed 90 mph (145 km/h) Power output 2,490 hp (1,857 kW) Tractive effort 45,000 lbf (200 kN) Brakeforce 85 long tons-force (847 kN)

Career Operators British Railways Numbers 27000–27006 Retired September 1968 Disposition All sold to Netherlands as NS 1500 Class

The British Rail Class 77, also known as Class EM2, is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Co-Co electric locomotive. They were built by Metropolitan-Vickers in 1953–1954 for use over the Woodhead Line between Manchester and Sheffield.

Seven locomotives of this type were constructed. They represented the first Co-Co type of overhead electric locomotive built for use in the United Kingdom. The design was based on that of the smaller Class EM1, which dated from 1941. Initially, 27 locomotives of this type had been planned, but by the early 1950s, the benefits of using the 25 kV AC system had been demonstrated, which meant that the Woodhead Line would be an isolated electric system. Consequently, the order was cut to just seven locomotives.

The locomotives were initially numbered 27000-27006 and were painted in BR black livery. Construction took place at Gorton Works, Manchester with electrical equipment supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers. All seven were named after characters from Greek mythology in 1959-1960. They were primarily used for express passenger trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield Victoria. In 1957, the class was renumbered with the addition of an "E" prefix to the number. In the early 1960s, the class started to receive the standard BR green livery. At least one of the class, E27002, received the electric blue livery carried by the AC electric locomotives.

The class was withdrawn en masse in September 1968. They were stored at Bury by BR in the hope of sale to a foreign railway. The passenger service for which the Class 77s were built continued to be operated by Class 76s, until its withdrawal on 5 January 1970. The Woodhead Line was closed as a through route in 1981, leaving just stubs between Manchester Piccadilly and Hadfield in the West and Sheffield Victoria and Deepcar in the East.