British Rail Class 81
81017 at Manchester Piccadilly
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Electric |
| Builder | Associated Electrical Industries at Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company |
| Build date | 1959–1964 |
| Total produced | 25 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration: |
|
| • Whyte | Bo-Bo |
| • AAR | B-B |
| • UIC | Bo'Bo' |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Bogies | Fabricated steel, Alsthom suspension |
| Wheel diameter | 4 ft 0 in (1.219 m) |
| Wheelbase | 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m) |
| • Bogie | 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) |
| Pivot centres | 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m) |
| Length: |
|
| • Over beams | 56 ft 6 in (17.22 m) |
| Width | 8 ft 8 1⁄2 in (2.65 m) |
| Height: |
|
| • Pantograph | 13 ft 0 9⁄16 in (3.977 m) |
| • Body height | 12 ft 4 1⁄4 in (3.77 m) |
| Axle load | 20 long tons 4 cwt (20.5 t) |
| Loco weight | 79.60 long tons (80.9 t; 89.2 short tons) |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV AC Catenary |
| Current source | Stone-Faiveley ‘V’-type pantograph, 2 off (later 1 off) |
| Traction motors | 4 × AEI 189 6-pole Alsthom Quill drive 847 hp (632 kW) |
| • Rating 1 hour | 760A |
| • Continuous | 700A |
| Gear ratio |
|
| Train heating | Electric Train Heating |
| Loco brake | |
| Train brakes | Vacuum; Dual from 1972–1973 |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed |
|
| Power output: |
|
| • 1 hour | 4 × 920 hp (690 kW) |
| • Continuous | 4 × 847 hp (632 kW) |
| Tractive effort | 50,000 lbf (222 kN) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | British Rail |
| Numbers | E3001–E3023, E3096, E3097; later 81001–81022 |
| Axle load class | Route availability 6 |
| Retired | 1968 (2), 1971 (1), 1983–1991 |
| Preserved | 81002 |
| Disposition | Non-operational |
The British Rail Class 81 is an AC electric locomotive that formerly operated on the West Coast Main Line of the London Midland Region of British Rail. Originally designated AL1, it was the first type of AC electric locomotive to be delivered to British Railways.
As part of the modernization of the West Coast Main Line which included electrification, 100 locomotives of five types were acquired, each type from a different manufacturer.
The first locomotives to be delivered were of type AL1 designed by British Thomson-Houston (BTH), an order being placed for 25 examples. Of these, 23 were for use on passenger trains with a top speed on 100 mph and were designated Type A. The two remaining locomotives were to be for use on freight trains with a top speed of 80 mph, and were designated Type B.
Before the work was completed, BTH amalgamated with Metropolitan Vickers to form AEI (Associated Electrical Industries) traction division, and it was under this name that the locomotives were built in 1959 under subcontract by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon in Smethwick. The first engine, number E3001, was handed over to British Railways on 27 November 1959. The type was initially used for crew training on the Styal Line between Manchester and Crewe.
The AL1 were numbered E3001 - E3023 and E3096 / E3097; The first twenty-three were Type A, while the last two were to have been the Type Bs and numbered E3301 and E3302. However the last two were instead geared for passenger service, being delivered in February 1964 as E3096 and E3097.
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