What is this train, and where'd it go?

petermakosch · Post by **petermakosch** » Fri May 30, 2003 8:44 pm

What train is this?::

Where did they go? Did they come after the Class 91's?

kyle14uk · Post by **kyle14uk** » Fri May 30, 2003 8:50 pm

Class 89, a prototype that never was produced, only one exists. BR decided to wait for the 91s rather than develop these. Runs (well did run) along the ECML.

Deltic9000 · Post by **Deltic9000** » Fri May 30, 2003 8:56 pm

It's the slug...

AKA Class 89, it was a BR one-off, intended as a prototype for the locos to be used on the ECML electrification.

Instead, ECML ended up with Class 91.

After retirement and preservation it was bought by GNER as a supplemental loco. Well-liked by crews when healthy, the fact it was a one-off meant that parts were hard to find and expensive (for example the replacement cost for a single blown choke was over Â£5,000), and led to it's second 'retirement'. I believe it's still at Bounds Green Depot, used as a shore supply for the Mk4 rakes on depot.

petermakosch · Post by **petermakosch** » Fri May 30, 2003 8:57 pm

LOL, i love this forum. I posted that, then replied to another post and then i got the answer.

They look a little weird though, a bit like HST w buffers i think, LOL.
Any date to this shot?

mattvince · Post by **mattvince** » Fri May 30, 2003 9:44 pm

The Class 89

Built by Brush, Loughborough, c. 1985

A 6000hp Co-Co 25kV Electric capable of 125mph (thereby, IMO, making it the fastest electric locomotive in the UK*)

Designed for the East Coast Main Line, as a rival to the BREL/GEC Class 91 (then known as the 'Electra'). Ultimately, the 91 won, probably due to a number of factors:
1) Reliability - the 89 was not as reliable as the 91
2) Politics - Notice Brush Class 89 v BREL Class 91
3) Appearance - need I say more?

* The 89 is the fastest electric locomotive in the UK because it could do 125mph in either direction, the 91 can only do 110 when using the inner cab. The 91 was designed to be part of the IC225 train, the 89 was stand-alone. And I refer to design speeds.

Post by **martinhodgson** » Fri May 30, 2003 9:52 pm

mattvince wrote:2) Politics - Notice Brush Class 89 v BREL Class 91

Erm, I don't notice. could you explain please

ThinLizzy · Post by **ThinLizzy** » Fri May 30, 2003 10:02 pm

Model rail used the loco for one of its detailed articles a while ago. Explained the locos history etc.

southcoasttrains · Post by **southcoasttrains** » Fri May 30, 2003 10:06 pm

Wasn't it nicknamed the Aardvark and did it have problems with the choke? Thus always failing?

ianmacmillan · Post by **ianmacmillan** » Fri May 30, 2003 11:00 pm

It was named by Maggie Thatcher.

Doomed from then on.

Deltic9000 · Post by **Deltic9000** » Sat May 31, 2003 6:23 am

southcoasttrains wrote:Wasn't it nicknamed the Aardvark and did it have problems with the choke? Thus always failing?

I think enthusiasts referred to it as either 'Aardvark' or 'Badger', but the GNER men I know always called it the 'slug' - because it was so fast and strong...

It was the chokes that were it's downfall. They were a unique design, so after each failure they had to be put on order as there was no inventory - and there wasn't always the budget to purchase the parts straight away.

Stooopidperson · Post by **Stooopidperson** » Sat May 31, 2003 11:17 am

That train, in IC livery looks so much better!

delticbob · Post by **delticbob** » Sat May 31, 2003 1:21 pm

martinhodgson wrote:
mattvince wrote:2) Politics - Notice Brush Class 89 v BREL Class 91
Erm, I don't notice. could you explain please

Why line someone else's pockets when you can line your own!

I notice Deltic2002 calls it the slug. I used to know it as the Badger, and I personally think it looked better in the older InterCity "Swallow" livery than the later GNER one.

It MAY be one of the exhibits at the forthcoming WacTec 'do' at Doncaster in July.

Bob

nwallace · Post by **nwallace** » Sat May 31, 2003 3:54 pm

Ok so BREL is British Rail Engineering
GEC i assume is General Electric Company (Merrycan?)

I thoguht Brush was british as well. or was BREL part of BR

petermakosch · Post by **petermakosch** » Sat May 31, 2003 4:23 pm

Deltic9000 wrote:but the GNER men I know always called it the 'slug' - because it was so fast and strong...

Slugs, fast?

Stooopidperson wrote:That train, in IC livery looks so much better!

You mean like this:

delticbob · Post by **delticbob** » Sat May 31, 2003 4:43 pm

nwallace wrote:Ok so BREL is British Rail Engineering
GEC i assume is General Electric Company (Merrycan?)

I thoguht Brush was british as well. or was BREL part of BR

You don't want to go there

It would take weeks to try & explain,

but yes, BREL "British Rail Engineering Limited" (formally known as British Railways Workshops Division - which explaind what it was & who owned it) was a wholey owned subsidiary of the BRB (British Railways Board), undertaking all major planned (classified) & unplanned (unclassified) repairs - such as crash/collision damage - to the BRB's fleet of ancient & no so ancient diesels/electrics/dmus/emus/coaches/wagons/freightliner cranes/on track maintemence machinery.

I could go on, but I can hear snoring at the back

Bob