So, well, there couldnt be a worse time for thinking about, hang about, not thinking about, actually... doing the deed ... buying another damn loco, yes, ok, so im between jobs at the moment ... not good i know... but well, it was there for the taking... it had to be done... early Christmas present and in the wider sense, well, the Heljan Class 86 is a loco for which I have had two already, a freightliner one and also an Anglia blue one also, now, the one which makes the most sense, comes purring along... well, Johnson Street IEMD is a DB yard, but DB do look after other TOC locos under seperate maintenance contracts when such work comes along, soooo... the Alstom Heritage Class 86, Running number Class 86233 and its pre-TOPS number E3172 - well, it will need to be maintained somewhere if not at Crewe or Carlisle.

This one is DCC fitted also, so she will be good to go... question is, if DB are taking it under their wing, are they just maintaining it, or have they secured the long term wet lease of it, hence should it gain a DB logo or three? answers on a postcard, im thinking nose and cab like 90034, 90037, 60065, or any of the Ex-EWS 66s, or maybe just a white DB logo on the body sides which on the dark blue will look quite nice  - think about how GBRf have taken the 50s under their colourful wing, this is more subtle. Soooo... a Heljan Class 86 and two Bachmann Class 90s to start the electric age off at Johnson Street... wooohooo....

It was always my intention to have several Heljan Class 86s being based at Johnson Street - i was toying with the idea of a pair being operated by DB, one in EWS (which may have been found amongst the stored locos at Long Marston) and one from freightliner reliveried into DB red - the freightliner ones live in pairs these days, then it turned out that Serco were actually operating 86101 and 86401 as part of the sleeper ops, its a shame this is coming to an end, but not in the modelling world... 86101, 86401, 87002 and 92018 are set to be maintained at Johnson Street so the 86 will live on.