British Rail Class 86

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British Railways AL6 British Rail Class 86
A Class 86 at Wolverhampton in 1984.
Type and origin Power type Electric Builder British Rail Doncaster Works (E3101-E3140) English Electric at Vulcan Foundry (E3141-E3200)[1] Order number E020 (E3101–E3110) E024 (E3111–E3120) E025 (E3121–E3130) E026 (E3131–E3140) E382–E401 (E3141–E3160) E299–E338 (E3161–E3200)[1] Build date 1965–1966 Total produced 100
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR B-B  • UIC Bo′Bo′  • Commonwealth Bo-Bo Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Bogies Alsthom suspension[2] Wheel diameter 3 ft 9 in (1.143 m)[3] Minimum curve 6 chains (400 ft; 120 m)[4] Wheelbase 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)[5] ​  • Bogie 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)[5] Pivot centres 32 ft 9 in (9.98 m)[5] Length: ​  • Over body 54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)[3]  • Over buffers 58 ft 6 in (17.83 m)[5] Width 8 ft 8+1⁄4 in (2.648 m)[5] Height: ​  • Pantograph 13 ft 0+9⁄16 in (3.977 m)[5]  • Body height 12 ft 4+1⁄4 in (3.766 m)[5] Axle load 21 long tons 8 cwt (21.7 t)[5] Loco weight 81 long tons (82 t; 91 short tons)[3] Electric system/s 25 kV AC Catenary Current pickup(s) Stone-Faiveley Pantograph[6] Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph Traction motors 4 × AEI 282AZ[7] 900 hp (671 kW) 4 × AEI 282BZ[7] 1,000 hp (746 kW) 4 × GEC G412AZ[6] 1,250 hp (932 kW) Gear ratio 22:65[3] MU working Some fitted within class and Class 87, later fitted with TDM system.[8] Train heating Electric Train Heating (Index 66) Train brakes Westinghouse[6] dual vacuum & air
Performance figures Maximum speed 100–110 mph (161–177 km/h) Power output 3,600 hp (2,685 kW),[3] 4,040 hp (3,013 kW), or 5,000 hp (3,728 kW) Tractive effort 60,000 lbf (267 kN) Brakeforce 66.5 long tons-force (663 kN)
Career Operators British Rail Anglia Railways Europhoenix Freightliner Bulmarket Bulgaria EWS Floyd Zrt Hungary One Network Rail Virgin CrossCountry Virgin Trains Class 86 Number in class 100 Numbers E3101–E3200 later 86001–86048, 86201–86252 Axle load class Route availability 6 Locale West Coast Main Line Withdrawn 1986 (2); 1995–2021 Preserved 86101, 86259, 86401 Disposition 3 preserved 31 exported 1 scrapped in Bulgaria Remainder scrapped in UK

The British Rail Class 86 is a class of electric locomotives built during the 1960s. Developed as a 'standard' electric locomotive from earlier prototype models, one hundred of these locomotives were built from 1965 to 1966 to haul trains on the then newly electrified West Coast Main Line (WCML) from London Euston to Birmingham, Crewe, Liverpool, Manchester and later Glasgow and Preston. Introduction of the class enabled the replacement of many steam locomotives, which were finally withdrawn by British Rail in 1968.

Under the earlier BR classification system, the type was given the designation AL6 (meaning the sixth design of AC locomotive) and locomotives were numbered E3101–E3200. In 1968, this was changed to Class 86 when British Rail introduced the TOPS classification system.

The class was built to haul passenger and freight trains alike on the West Coast Main Line; however, some members of the class also saw use on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, after the remainder of the line north of Colchester was electrified in the mid-1980s. The type has had a generally long and successful career, with some members of the class seeing main line service lives in the UK of up to 55 years. Most regular passenger duties of the class came to end on both the WCML and the GEML in the early-to-mid-2000s, after a career of up to 40 years. Some members of the class remained in use for charter work and for freight work with Freightliner until 2021. A number of the class were exported to Bulgaria and Hungary and remain in use. As of 2022^[update], three Class 86s remain preserved in usable condition in the UK; all are in private ownership.