British Rail Class 76
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 76, also known as Class EM1 (Electric Mixed-Traffic 1), is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Bo-Bo
electric locomotive
designed for use on the now-closed Woodhead Line
in Northern England.
in 1941 to a design by Sir Nigel Gresley, but electrification of the Woodhead Route
was delayed by the Second World War. It was tested on the few sections of 1500 V DC lines owned by the LNER but had not worked any great distance by 1947 when it was loaned to Dutch Railways
to help with their post war shortage of locomotives. In September 1945 the LNER assigned it the classification EM1; previously it had been unclassified.
The prototype locomotive, renumbered 6000 in June 1946, remained on Dutch Railways until 1952 when the Woodhead electrification was complete. While in the Netherlands it gained the name Tommy after the nickname given to British soldiers
and ran for the rest of its working life with a name plate which included an explanation of the origin - "So named by drivers of the Netherlands State Railway to whom this locomotive was loaned 1947-1952". It was renumbered to 26000 following the formation of British Railways.
It is not clear what, if any, modifications were required for the locomotive to operate in the Netherlands. Four valves on the front of the cabs carried various combinations of pipes, but these were fitted when the locomotive was built.
26000 Tommy was used alongside the other EM1 locomotives equipped with train heating boilers, in everyday service. It was withdrawn and scrapped in 1971 when passenger services were withdrawn over the Woodhead route and several locomotives became surplus to requirements.
The time in the Netherlands had shown that the design did not ride well at high speed due to the bogie design. The buffers and couplings were mounted on the bogies which were then linked together by a drawbar, a feature intended to remove stress from the superstructure. It was also felt that the cabs were too small with poor visibility.
, Manchester
, to a modified design; these were also classified EM1. There were also to have been 24 built at Darlington Works
, but these were cancelled. Electrical equipment was supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers
, who completed the final assembly of the locomotives at Dukinfield
Works. They were later reclassified as Class 76 under the TOPS
classification scheme introduced on 28 March 1968.
The locomotives were fitted with twin diamond-shaped pantographs
. At certain points on the Woodhead Line, notably in the vicinity of steam locomotive water-columns, the electric overhead lines
were as high as 20 feet above the tracks. The pantographs had to stretch to almost their full height to reach the wires at such points.
Although mainly intended for freight working, the locomotives also regularly worked Woodhead Line passenger services – especially after the sale of the Class 77
locomotivess to the Netherlands Railways in 1968. Fourteen locomotives (26020, 26046–26057) being fitted with steam heating apparatus
. Thirteen of these gained classical Greek names. The names were removed in 1970 after the discontinuance of passenger services in January of that year.
, was not electrified until 4 February 1952. The lines between London Liverpool Street and had already been electrified in September 1949 using the same 1500 V DC system, and on 27 October 1950, the first two locomotives to be completed, nos. 26001 and 26002, were sent to Ilford
depot in Essex
for trials; these were joined in early 1951 by 26003–26010. The trials involved a variety of trains, passenger and freight, and included tests of the regenerative braking system on Brentwood bank
, which has a gradient of 1:103 (0.97%). In June 1951, the ten locomotives were sent north to Wath, where the overhead lines had recently been energised, for further trials.
, and so assisting any train which was ascending at the time. Rheostatic braking was also fitted several years later as an additional safety precaution; this was effective below 20 mph (8.9 m/s). Train brakes were operated by vacuum.
From November 1968, thirty of the locomotives were later modified for multiple unit (M.U.) control. This became particularly important from January 1970 with the introduction of "Merry-Go-Round" coal trains from South Yorkshire to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station near Widnes
, operated by two Class 76s (and banked by two extra locomotives up the Worsborough incline between Wombwell
and Silkstone
). Such trains became the mainstay of the Woodhead Line in the 1970s. Locomotives fitted with M.U. control were also given train air brakes; the last nine conversions had their train vacuum brakes removed at the same time. A "Clearcall" intercom system was fitted, allowing communication between the drivers of the leading pair and the banking pair of locomotives via the overhead line. An early version of this system had been tried on six of the locomotives in the late 1950s, but had been abandoned as unsatisfactory following tests concluding 26 May 1960. Beyond the Woodhead Line, the trains to Fiddlers Ferry were diesel-hauled west of Manchester.
. The reduction of the freight traffic on the Woodhead Line, plus the ending of passenger services, resulted in the early withdrawal of several locomotives.
By the late 1970s the locomotives were amongst the oldest in service on British Rail and replacement would ultimately become necessary. However, the closure of the Woodhead Line between Hadfield
in the West and Penistone in the East (July 1981) resulted in the withdrawal of the entire fleet.
Class 76 had served well, having been built to an evidently sound design and cared-for well by the maintenance teams of Reddish
and Wath
. Many were still entirely serviceable when withdrawn and British Rail sought to sell the fleet to the Netherlands Railways, but neither they nor any other operator of 1500 V dc railways wished to purchase the Class 76s - many of which were already over 30 years old. Accordingly the remaining locomotives were scrapped (many at the yards of Booths of Rotherham), apart from a single preserved example now in the National Railway Museum
, York
.
along with at least one cab from another locomotive; 76039 at the Manchester MOSI.
The preserved locomotive, No. 26020 (later 76 020) was specially chosen because it was built with stainless steel
handrails and had been exhibited at the Festival of Britain
. Later, it was the locomotive that pulled the opening day train through the Woodhead Tunnel
. It retains the stainless steel handrails, although they are currently painted over.
A complete cabside from No. 76039 Hector and a door from No. 76051 are preserved in original condition at Barrow Hill roundhouse.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 76, also known as Class EM1 (Electric Mixed-Traffic 1), is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Bo-Bo
Bo-Bo
A Bo-Bo or Bo′Bo′ is a locomotive with two independent four-wheeled bogies with all axles powered by individual traction motors...
electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
designed for use on the now-closed Woodhead Line
Woodhead Line
The Woodhead Line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels...
in Northern England.
Tommy — the prototype
The prototype, LNER No. 6701 was completed at Doncaster WorksDoncaster Works
Doncaster railway works is in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.Always referred to as "the Plant", it was established by the Great Northern Railway in 1853, replacing the previous works in Boston and Peterborough...
in 1941 to a design by Sir Nigel Gresley, but electrification of the Woodhead Route
Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway
The Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway was an early electrification scheme on British railways. The route featured long ascents on both sides of the Pennines with the long Woodhead Tunnel at its central summit close to the Woodhead pass...
was delayed by the Second World War. It was tested on the few sections of 1500 V DC lines owned by the LNER but had not worked any great distance by 1947 when it was loaned to Dutch Railways
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
to help with their post war shortage of locomotives. In September 1945 the LNER assigned it the classification EM1; previously it had been unclassified.
The prototype locomotive, renumbered 6000 in June 1946, remained on Dutch Railways until 1952 when the Woodhead electrification was complete. While in the Netherlands it gained the name Tommy after the nickname given to British soldiers
Tommy Atkins
Tommy Atkins is a term for a common soldier in the British Army that was already well established in the 19th century, but is particularly associated with World War I. It can be used as a term of reference, or as a form of address. German soldiers would call out to "Tommy" across no man's land if...
and ran for the rest of its working life with a name plate which included an explanation of the origin - "So named by drivers of the Netherlands State Railway to whom this locomotive was loaned 1947-1952". It was renumbered to 26000 following the formation of British Railways.
It is not clear what, if any, modifications were required for the locomotive to operate in the Netherlands. Four valves on the front of the cabs carried various combinations of pipes, but these were fitted when the locomotive was built.
26000 Tommy was used alongside the other EM1 locomotives equipped with train heating boilers, in everyday service. It was withdrawn and scrapped in 1971 when passenger services were withdrawn over the Woodhead route and several locomotives became surplus to requirements.
The time in the Netherlands had shown that the design did not ride well at high speed due to the bogie design. The buffers and couplings were mounted on the bogies which were then linked together by a drawbar, a feature intended to remove stress from the superstructure. It was also felt that the cabs were too small with poor visibility.
Production locomotives
In 1950–1953, a further 57 locomotives were built at Gorton locomotive worksGorton locomotive works
Gorton Locomotive Works, known locally as Gorton Tank was located in Openshaw near Manchester, England and was completed in 1848 by the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway.- History :...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, to a modified design; these were also classified EM1. There were also to have been 24 built at Darlington Works
Darlington Works
Darlington railway works, known in the town as North Road Shops, was built in 1863 by the Stockton and Darlington Railway in the town of Darlington in the north east of England.-NER History:The first new locomotive was built at the works in 1864...
, but these were cancelled. Electrical equipment was supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
, who completed the final assembly of the locomotives at Dukinfield
Dukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...
Works. They were later reclassified as Class 76 under the TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
classification scheme introduced on 28 March 1968.
The locomotives were fitted with twin diamond-shaped pantographs
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. At certain points on the Woodhead Line, notably in the vicinity of steam locomotive water-columns, the electric overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
were as high as 20 feet above the tracks. The pantographs had to stretch to almost their full height to reach the wires at such points.
Although mainly intended for freight working, the locomotives also regularly worked Woodhead Line passenger services – especially after the sale of the Class 77
British Rail Class 77
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.-Description:...
locomotivess to the Netherlands Railways in 1968. Fourteen locomotives (26020, 26046–26057) being fitted with steam heating apparatus
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
. Thirteen of these gained classical Greek names. The names were removed in 1970 after the discontinuance of passenger services in January of that year.
| 26046 | Archimedes Archimedes Archimedes of Syracuse was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. Although few details of his life are known, he is regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. Among his advances in physics are the foundations of hydrostatics, statics and an... |
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| 26047 | Diomedes Diomedes Diomedes or Diomed is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan War.He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus. In Homer's Iliad Diomedes is regarded alongside Ajax as one of the best warriors of all... |
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| 26048 | Hector Hector In Greek mythology, Hectōr , or Hektōr, is a Trojan prince and the greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War. As the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, a descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy, he was a prince of the royal house and the... |
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| 26049 | Jason Jason Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus... |
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| 26050 | Stentor Stentor In Greek mythology, Stentor was a herald of the Greek forces during the Trojan War. Although he is mentioned only briefly in Homer's Iliad, in which Hera takes Stentor's character to encourage the Greeks to fight, his name has been living in the term "stentorian" voice, meaning loud-voiced, for... |
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| 26051 | Mentor Mentor In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she... |
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| 26052 | Nestor Nestor (mythology) In Greek mythology, Nestor of Gerenia was the son of Neleus and Chloris and the King of Pylos. He became king after Heracles killed Neleus and all of Nestor's siblings... |
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| 26053 | Perseus Perseus Perseus ,Perseos and Perseas are not used in English. the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of Danaans there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians... |
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| 26054 | Pluto Pluto (mythology) In ancient Greek religion and myth, Pluto was a name for the ruler of the underworld; the god was also known as Hades, a name for the underworld itself... |
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| 26055 | Prometheus Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals... |
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| 26056 | Triton Triton (mythology) Triton is a mythological Greek god, the messenger of the big sea. He is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and Amphitrite, goddess of the sea, whose herald he is... |
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| 26057 | Ulysses Ulysses Ulysses is derived from Ulixes, the Latin name for Odysseus, a character in ancient Greek literature. For more on the name Ulysses, see Ulysses .Ulysses may also refer to:- Literature and film :... |
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Brief stay in Essex
The first section of the Manchester to Sheffield "Woodhead" route, that between and WathWath marshalling yard
Wath marshalling yard, also known as Wath concentration yard, was a large railway marshalling yard specifically designed for the concentration of coal traffic. It was set at the heart of the South Yorkshire Coalfield, at Wath-upon-Dearne, approximately halfway between Barnsley and Doncaster, in...
, was not electrified until 4 February 1952. The lines between London Liverpool Street and had already been electrified in September 1949 using the same 1500 V DC system, and on 27 October 1950, the first two locomotives to be completed, nos. 26001 and 26002, were sent to Ilford
Ilford
Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
depot in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
for trials; these were joined in early 1951 by 26003–26010. The trials involved a variety of trains, passenger and freight, and included tests of the regenerative braking system on Brentwood bank
Brentwood railway station
Brentwood railway station is a railway station in Brentwood, Essex. It is on the electric line between between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street....
, which has a gradient of 1:103 (0.97%). In June 1951, the ten locomotives were sent north to Wath, where the overhead lines had recently been energised, for further trials.
Brakes and controls
The locomotives were fitted with air brakes and regenerative braking; the latter, which could only be used at speeds between 16 mile per hour, caused current to be fed back into the wires during the long descents on both sides of the Woodhead TunnelWoodhead Tunnel
The Woodhead Tunnels are three parallel trans-Pennine 3-mile long railway tunnels on the Woodhead Line, a former major rail link from Manchester to Sheffield in northern England...
, and so assisting any train which was ascending at the time. Rheostatic braking was also fitted several years later as an additional safety precaution; this was effective below 20 mph (8.9 m/s). Train brakes were operated by vacuum.
From November 1968, thirty of the locomotives were later modified for multiple unit (M.U.) control. This became particularly important from January 1970 with the introduction of "Merry-Go-Round" coal trains from South Yorkshire to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station near Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
, operated by two Class 76s (and banked by two extra locomotives up the Worsborough incline between Wombwell
Wombwell
Wombwell is a small town near Barnsley, located in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 15,180.Its name's origin may mean "Womba's Well", or "well in a hollow"....
and Silkstone
Silkstone
Silkstone is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, between the towns of Barnsley and Penistone, and includes the village of Silkstone Common...
). Such trains became the mainstay of the Woodhead Line in the 1970s. Locomotives fitted with M.U. control were also given train air brakes; the last nine conversions had their train vacuum brakes removed at the same time. A "Clearcall" intercom system was fitted, allowing communication between the drivers of the leading pair and the banking pair of locomotives via the overhead line. An early version of this system had been tried on six of the locomotives in the late 1950s, but had been abandoned as unsatisfactory following tests concluding 26 May 1960. Beyond the Woodhead Line, the trains to Fiddlers Ferry were diesel-hauled west of Manchester.
Liveries
As delivered, the locomotives were painted black (as in the main photograph). From the late 1950s onwards Brunswick green was adopted, with small yellow warning panels on the cab ends. From the late 1960s until withdrawal, the Class 76s started to appear in British Rail monastral blue with yellow cab ends.Withdrawal
The fortunes of the Class 76s were inextricably tied to the fate of the Woodhead LineWoodhead Line
The Woodhead Line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels...
. The reduction of the freight traffic on the Woodhead Line, plus the ending of passenger services, resulted in the early withdrawal of several locomotives.
By the late 1970s the locomotives were amongst the oldest in service on British Rail and replacement would ultimately become necessary. However, the closure of the Woodhead Line between Hadfield
Hadfield railway station
Hadfield railway station serves the village of Hadfield in Derbyshire, England. The station is one of the twin termini at the Derbyshire end of the Manchester-Glossop Line, the other being Glossop. It was opened by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway in 1844.The line formerly...
in the West and Penistone in the East (July 1981) resulted in the withdrawal of the entire fleet.
Class 76 had served well, having been built to an evidently sound design and cared-for well by the maintenance teams of Reddish
Reddish
Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Stockport and southeast of Manchester...
and Wath
Wath marshalling yard
Wath marshalling yard, also known as Wath concentration yard, was a large railway marshalling yard specifically designed for the concentration of coal traffic. It was set at the heart of the South Yorkshire Coalfield, at Wath-upon-Dearne, approximately halfway between Barnsley and Doncaster, in...
. Many were still entirely serviceable when withdrawn and British Rail sought to sell the fleet to the Netherlands Railways, but neither they nor any other operator of 1500 V dc railways wished to purchase the Class 76s - many of which were already over 30 years old. Accordingly the remaining locomotives were scrapped (many at the yards of Booths of Rotherham), apart from a single preserved example now in the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
.
Preservation
One locomotive has been preserved by the National Railway MuseumNational Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
along with at least one cab from another locomotive; 76039 at the Manchester MOSI.
The preserved locomotive, No. 26020 (later 76 020) was specially chosen because it was built with stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
handrails and had been exhibited at the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
. Later, it was the locomotive that pulled the opening day train through the Woodhead Tunnel
Woodhead Tunnel
The Woodhead Tunnels are three parallel trans-Pennine 3-mile long railway tunnels on the Woodhead Line, a former major rail link from Manchester to Sheffield in northern England...
. It retains the stainless steel handrails, although they are currently painted over.
A complete cabside from No. 76039 Hector and a door from No. 76051 are preserved in original condition at Barrow Hill roundhouse.
External links
- http://www.thewoodheadsite.org.uk/MotivePower/Em1bobo.htm
- EM1 Page on the LNER Encyclopedia