"One's" Farewell to the Class 86
29th March 2020
Class 86 Farewell Tour - Saturday 30th October 2004
86246 at London Liverpool Street after arrival from Cambridge.
Between 1985 and 2004 express passenger trains on the Great Eastern Main Line were operated by BR Class 86 25kV AC electric locomotives, but having been introduced in 1965 for West Coast Main Line duties they were getting to the end of their useful lives, so a farewell tour was arranged to say goodbye.
Built 1965-66 at Doncaster Works there were 100 in the class, and eventually those dedicated for passenger duties were located the 86204-86261 TOPS number range. After electrification of the GEML in 1985 a small fleet of these locos were transferred to the route and delivered some very impressive performances on this fast route. Sadly I was not to experience much of their service on this line due to its awkwardness of access for me in the west country, and probably because my sights were always focused further north!
National Express (the bus company!) had the franchise for this line at the time and traded under the incomprehensible and meaningless name of "One". It might have been the clever creation of some city-based marketing outfit, but the name caused so much public confusion with train announcements - is that the 14.20 "One" service or the 14.21 service? - it was confusing enough that in the end the name of the company had to be dropped from announcements altogether, a rather embarrassing outcome for a company with a public profile to maintain.
86235 at the buffer stops and Clacton, ready for fish & chips!
Anyway, the farewell tour was on and I wanted to sample these locos before they bowed out so Alan and myself booked ourselves tickets and we were all set. To get to Liverpool Street for the 08.23 departure meant that the first train off Salisbury to Waterloo had to be taken, so the day started with a one and a half hour drive up to the cathedral city and a ride on a Class 159 DMU courtesy of South West Trains (another bus company, groan). Waiting at Liverpool Street were 86235 "Crown Point" and 86246 "Royal Anglian Regiment" and the train was top and tailed throughout, although the last trip of the day from Norwich to London was booked with just the one Class 86 non-stop - that’s one Class 86 and not “One” Class 86. Oh. Er. Yes, it could be either, couldn’t it? Anyway, both locos still wore the previous "Anglia Railways" livery of turquoise. They were spared the horrible rainbow flashes of "One"!
The low autumn sun catches the side of 86246 at Harwich International.
The train had an intensive route planned and it has to be said that everything ran to schedule. From Liverpool Street we headed to Cambridge (3 minute break - hello, goodbye!) via Seven Sisters, and back to Liverpool Street (32 minute break). Then Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria (34 minute break), then to Clacton (just over an hour here, time for fish & chips, ice cream and a kiss-me-quick hat!), then Colchester and to Harwich International (only 13 minutes here, thank goodness). From Harwich we then headed up to Norwich, where we had a 34 minute break before a fast run to London, arriving at 20.06, one hour and 22 minutes non-stop behind 86235 "Crown Point". This was 114 miles with at an average speed of 83mph, faster than the fastest train on this route today. After all that fun it was a hop across London and the train back to Salisbury.
Harwich International and 86235 having arrived from Clacton.
Here's the itinerary:
1G72 08.23 London Liverpool Street to Cambridge
1G73 09.50 Cambridge to London Liverpool Street
1G74 11.33 London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria
1G75 12.57 Southend Victoria to Clacton
1G76 15.52 Clacton to Harwich International
1G78 17.04 Harwich International to Norwich
1G77 18.44 Norwich to London Liverpool Street
Another view of 86235 at Harwich International.
86235 "Crown Point" was exported to Bulgaria in 2016 and has been renamed "Novelty", its original name. 86246 "Royal Anglian Regiment" was stored after withdrawal and after languishing around for spare parts was eventually scrapped in 2017. It received the "Royal Anglian Regiment" nameplates in 1985 to mark the electrification of the GE Main Line. It was therefore appropriate that it worked on this last train, but sad that it was eventually disposed of.
86246 at London Liverpool Street after arrival from Cambridge.
Between 1985 and 2004 express passenger trains on the Great Eastern Main Line were operated by BR Class 86 25kV AC electric locomotives, but having been introduced in 1965 for West Coast Main Line duties they were getting to the end of their useful lives, so a farewell tour was arranged to say goodbye.
Built 1965-66 at Doncaster Works there were 100 in the class, and eventually those dedicated for passenger duties were located the 86204-86261 TOPS number range. After electrification of the GEML in 1985 a small fleet of these locos were transferred to the route and delivered some very impressive performances on this fast route. Sadly I was not to experience much of their service on this line due to its awkwardness of access for me in the west country, and probably because my sights were always focused further north!
National Express (the bus company!) had the franchise for this line at the time and traded under the incomprehensible and meaningless name of "One". It might have been the clever creation of some city-based marketing outfit, but the name caused so much public confusion with train announcements - is that the 14.20 "One" service or the 14.21 service? - it was confusing enough that in the end the name of the company had to be dropped from announcements altogether, a rather embarrassing outcome for a company with a public profile to maintain.
86235 at the buffer stops and Clacton, ready for fish & chips!
Anyway, the farewell tour was on and I wanted to sample these locos before they bowed out so Alan and myself booked ourselves tickets and we were all set. To get to Liverpool Street for the 08.23 departure meant that the first train off Salisbury to Waterloo had to be taken, so the day started with a one and a half hour drive up to the cathedral city and a ride on a Class 159 DMU courtesy of South West Trains (another bus company, groan). Waiting at Liverpool Street were 86235 "Crown Point" and 86246 "Royal Anglian Regiment" and the train was top and tailed throughout, although the last trip of the day from Norwich to London was booked with just the one Class 86 non-stop - that’s one Class 86 and not “One” Class 86. Oh. Er. Yes, it could be either, couldn’t it? Anyway, both locos still wore the previous "Anglia Railways" livery of turquoise. They were spared the horrible rainbow flashes of "One"!
The low autumn sun catches the side of 86246 at Harwich International.
The train had an intensive route planned and it has to be said that everything ran to schedule. From Liverpool Street we headed to Cambridge (3 minute break - hello, goodbye!) via Seven Sisters, and back to Liverpool Street (32 minute break). Then Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria (34 minute break), then to Clacton (just over an hour here, time for fish & chips, ice cream and a kiss-me-quick hat!), then Colchester and to Harwich International (only 13 minutes here, thank goodness). From Harwich we then headed up to Norwich, where we had a 34 minute break before a fast run to London, arriving at 20.06, one hour and 22 minutes non-stop behind 86235 "Crown Point". This was 114 miles with at an average speed of 83mph, faster than the fastest train on this route today. After all that fun it was a hop across London and the train back to Salisbury.
Harwich International and 86235 having arrived from Clacton.
Here's the itinerary:
1G72 08.23 London Liverpool Street to Cambridge
1G73 09.50 Cambridge to London Liverpool Street
1G74 11.33 London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria
1G75 12.57 Southend Victoria to Clacton
1G76 15.52 Clacton to Harwich International
1G78 17.04 Harwich International to Norwich
1G77 18.44 Norwich to London Liverpool Street
Another view of 86235 at Harwich International.
86235 "Crown Point" was exported to Bulgaria in 2016 and has been renamed "Novelty", its original name. 86246 "Royal Anglian Regiment" was stored after withdrawal and after languishing around for spare parts was eventually scrapped in 2017. It received the "Royal Anglian Regiment" nameplates in 1985 to mark the electrification of the GE Main Line. It was therefore appropriate that it worked on this last train, but sad that it was eventually disposed of.