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Class 80 In Service


Edge
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Afternoon all,

 

With the announcement of the Rails/Heljan class 80 loco (better known as the converted Gas Turbine 18100), I was wondering if anyone had any information on the service that this loco performed on the west coast main line during its tenure there, both as E1000 and E2001. 

 

One of the many layouts I have planned in my head is one based upon carnforth and I was wondering if it could be seen in the area  and what trains it was pulling. I know that pictures of it are fairly rare but if anyone has a snap or two in service I’d appreciate that too

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It languished in at the old GCR works in Dukinfield from 1953 to 1957 where it was plucked out and sent for conversion to be an AC electric at MetroVick in Stockton.

 

After conversion she was the sole AC electric for the WCML and went to the Styal line where she was used for testing and driver training because the AL1s were a year away.

 

Once the proper electrics were available she was no longer needed and went to Crewe electric depot, next appeared at the GEC Rugby test plant to do tests on wheel creep and spin before ending up in Aylesbury for pantograph testing (obs not under any actual live wires).  Scrapped in 1968.

 

Not believed she ever hauled a service train

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49 minutes ago, Edge said:

One of the many layouts I have planned in my head is one based upon carnforth and I was wondering if it could be seen in the area  and what trains it was pulling. I know that pictures of it are fairly rare but if anyone has a snap or two in service I’d appreciate that too

 

I think a Union Pacific BigBoy would have been more likely...

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21 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

It languished in at the old GCR works in Dukinfield from 1953 to 1957 where it was plucked out and sent for conversion to be an AC electric at MetroVick in Stockton.

 

After conversion she was the sole AC electric for the WCML and went to the Styal line where she was used for testing and driver training because the AL1s were a year away.

 

Once the proper electrics were available she was no longer needed and went to Crewe electric depot, next appeared at the GEC Rugby test plant to do tests on wheel creep and spin before ending up in Aylesbury for pantograph testing (obs not under any actual live wires).  Scrapped in 1968.

 

Not believed she ever hauled a service train

Officially withdrawn in 1968 after many years of disuse.  That was when it moved to the site just west of the A41 at Wescott north of Aylesbury were it stayed for some time on an embankment for tests on cross winds on pantographs.  I saw it there early in 1971 and, being a cocky youngster, wrote to BR to enquire what it was and got a very helpful reply.  It was cut up by Cashmores at Great Bridge in November 1972.

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9 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

........ but then operation through Carnforth on service trains was an everyday occurrence ........................................................... according to Rule 1. 

BR would have been scraping the barrel if by 1974 with a fleet of 81-87 available that it needed the class 80 even by Rule 1 standards

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2 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

You're obviously reading a different version of Rule 1 ! ............... in the version I have to hand, the Styal Line was considered too easy a test bed for 25kV traction and BR opted for Preston to Carlisle.:punish:

You must have picked up the wrong version of Rule 1 in the bulletins,  my copy saw electrification north of Crewe cancelled, they used gas turbine APTs instead with just London to Liverpool/Manchester soldiering on with 86s.  The HST was scrapped as a waste of money and the East Coast north of Newcastle closed as the GT APT was such a success on the West Coast.  Swindon also managed to fit out the Westerns for ETH and Aircon so they kept them (and the Warships).  The SR stayed exactly as it did, because it was the SR and slam door 3rd rail was the only game in town.

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1 minute ago, Edge said:

so what im getting here is that its not really on as a loco in the crewe area then? :) at least not if I plan to be accurate to real life :)

 

 

You could run it with a Hornby rocket as I believe locos of this type were retained for steam heating until 1967 :)

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2 minutes ago, Edge said:

so what im getting here is that its not really on as a loco in the crewe area then? :) at least not if I plan to be accurate to real life :)

 

In actual life it was a loco that skulked around the Wilmslow area.

 

But in our toy train scenario, the world is your oyster and if you want one, get one.

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Hmm. Im definitely getting 18100 for my imaginary preserved railway :) but presumably E1000/2001 had to be towed to the wires somehow? :) i may just throw an 8F and a couple of brake vans at the problem :)

 

Edited by Edge
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3 minutes ago, Edge said:

so what im getting here is that its not really on as a loco in the crewe area then? :) at least not if I plan to be accurate to real life :)

 

No - it was a trials loco for the inital electrification of the Styal Loop and a training loco.  But its use as moving training loco wouldn't have lasted very long as new ac electrics were available by 1959 and theyre were very quickly more than enough of them knocking around looking for work.  I suspect the former gas turbine very rapidly got itself relegated to mainly static training as it just wasn't needed for anything else.

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I've had a rummage through Kevin Robertson's book and he gives a run down of it's career as an electric loco.  It emerged from MV's Bowsfield works in October 1958 as E1000 and was put to use on driver training on the Styal Line (the cabs were equipped with the desks proposed for the AL series) although officially allocated to Longsight.  Renumbered E2001 in October 1959 and reallocated  to Allerton shortly afterwards again for training.  It was used at Crewe but in April 1961 was transferred to Glasgow presumably for test purposes ahead of the launch of the Blue Train suburban network.

 

After this it saw little or no use and spent long periods in open storage at Crewe, Goostrey, Market Harborough and Rugby where it spent some time on trials connected with the test centre followed by four years storage in Rugby EMU sidings.  It was withdrawn in 1968 and then sent to Wescott - the book has a picture of it there on 30/10/71 - and was sold for scrap in September 1972 and broken up two months later.

 

So, back to the original question, yes it could have passed through Carnforth, twice, but being towed - a slight lack of knitting until 1974!

 

For those who want to know everything about both the WR turbines that book is invaluable.

 

Edited by Mike_Walker
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1 hour ago, woodenhead said:

BR would have been scraping the barrel if by 1974 with a fleet of 81-87 available that it needed the class 80 even by Rule 1 standards

 

Not beyond the realms of possibility though as after all the Class 89 was brought out of retirement at least once in more recent times to supplement 91s on the East Coast.

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1 hour ago, woodenhead said:

In actual life it was a loco that skulked around the Wilmslow area.

 

But in our toy train scenario, the world is your oyster and if you want one, get one.

I used to run a mock Cheltenham Flyer, with a Hornby 5934 "Kneller Hall" and 5 Hornby GWR pseudo-Collets. Not "accurate" in any sense of the word, but it was real to me, and that's all that matters. That's the beauty of it.

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thank you all.

 

I am by my nature a bit of a freelance guy - my preserved railway will incorporate green A4s, a railfreight class 17, a 'west country' with a stanier tender, an original condition merchant navy, a W1 and a 'Leader' :). As well as a few other bits.

 

So for once I wanted to actually try and have a pop at a moderately realistic set of trains for the area in my carnforth scheme. I'll happily take a plausible excuse to run the loco being towed :)

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20 minutes ago, Edge said:

thank you all.

 

I am by my nature a bit of a freelance guy - my preserved railway will incorporate green A4s, a railfreight class 17, a 'west country' with a stanier tender, an original condition merchant navy, a W1 and a 'Leader' :). As well as a few other bits.

 

So for once I wanted to actually try and have a pop at a moderately realistic set of trains for the area in my carnforth scheme. I'll happily take a plausible excuse to run the loco being towed :)

Thing is, real life is boring by comparison, so don't feel guilty for using your imagination!

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Aww heck - we have GT3, DHP1, a Clayton Class 17 and a few others besides coming in non-authentic liveries, running any of these will automatically invoke Rule 1 so I wouldn't worry about it!

DHP1 in its actual livery didn't exactly roam the rails either!!

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