British Rail Class 89
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It has been suggested that this article be split into articles titled British Rail Class 89 and British Rail Class 89 (preserved), accessible from a disambiguation page. (February 2012) |
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| British Rail Class 89 | |
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| Class 89, no. 89001, at Doncaster Works open day on 27 July 2003 | |
| Power type | Electric |
| Builder | BREL Crewe Works |
| Build date | 1986 |
| Total produced | 1 |
| Configuration | Co-Co |
| UIC classification | Co'Co' |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge |
| Minimum curve | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Length | 19,800 mm (65 ft 0 in) |
| Locomotive weight | 105 tonnes (103 long tons; 116 short tons) |
| Electric system | 25 kV AC |
| Current collection method |
Pantograph |
| Traction motors | Brush TM 2201A |
| Top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
| Train heating | Electric Train Heating index: 95 |
| Locomotive brakes | Air & Rheostatic |
| Locomotive brakeforce |
50 LTf (500 kN) (Rheostatic) |
| Train brakes | Air |
| Career | preserved by AC Locomotive Group |
| Number | 89001 |
| Axle load class | Route availability 6 |
The Class 89 is a prototype design for an electric locomotive. Only one unit was built, no. 89001, which was officially named Avocet by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on 16 January 1989 at Sandy, Bedfordshire - the home of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (whose logo is an Avocet). It was built in 1986, by BREL at their Crewe Works, and was used on test-trains on both the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line. It was fitted with advanced power control systems and develops over 6,000 bhp (4,500 kW). It was given the nickname "Aardvark" although railfans used to call it "The Badger" owing to its sloping front ends.
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[edit] Design
The Class 89 locomotive was designed by Brush Traction of Loughborough to meet a specification issued by British Rail, which subsequently changed the requirements, but not before Brush had already committed to build the prototype locomotive. It was initially delivered in the old-style InterCity livery, with no British Rail double arrows, but these were added later when British Rail bought the locomotive from Brush. As the development of the ECML Electrification continued the engine was painted into the new style "InterCity Swallow" livery and named Avocet.
The locomotive uses six DC traction motors. The main armature current for all the motors is fed from a common thyristor drive, whilst each motor has an independent field current controller. The field current controllers comprised a two quadrant chopper inside a thyristor bridge. The bipolar transistor based choppers provides a fast fine control of motor torque for electric braking and slip control, whilst the thyristor bridge is used to invert the field current polarity.
During the early summer of 1988 the International Traffic and Transport Exhibition (IVA88) was held in Hamburg, Germany. British Rail was asked to participate and sent a representative train of rolling stock to the exhibition. On 22 May 1988, Avocet along with a Class 90, Class 91 and a two car Class 150/2 unit left England in a special train for Hamburg, returning on 17 June 1988.
After being used as a test bed, the locomotive was used on passenger trains from London Kings Cross to Leeds. This continued until Sunday 5 March 1989, a week before the Class 91s entered service on the diagrams.
It was hoped that the Class 89 design would be used for electric locomotives for the Channel Tunnel, and some investigation was undertaken. It was also hoped the Class 89 would be a viable Class 86 replacement, which ultimately went to the Class 90. All hope and opportunity ended, however, when 89001 suffered a serious failure and was withdrawn from traffic. It was saved for preservation at the Midland Railway Centre (now Midland Railway - Butterley) by a group of Brush Traction employees. During this time the locomotive appeared at every major British Rail depot open day, in a slowly deteriorating Intercity Swallow livery.
Ultimately only technology and ideas from 89001’s internal design were used in the Class 9 Eurotunnel locomotives and some similarity in electronics lives on today in the Class 92 locomotive design. When 89001 failed, it was still owned by British Rail, and Brush had no contractual obligation with regard to it. Additionally, having no orders from BR for their design investment, there was little incentive for Brush to construct spare parts for it. BR had written off the locomotive as part of the ECML development and thus it was seen as a surplus and nil value asset. As such the locomotive was sidelined.
Brush did eventually win the contracts to build Channel Tunnel locomotives, and the similarities between these and 89001 enabled suitable spares to be constructed.
[edit] GNER ownership
In 1996, the InterCity East Coast franchise was won by the Great North Eastern Railway (GNER). Suffering from a motive power shortage, it purchased 89001 and repaired it for use on London to Leeds and Bradford passenger trains, investing £100 000 in an overhaul. It was also re-painted in the GNER blue and red livery. The locomotive actually entered service in March 1997 (Railway Magazine May 1997 p61). However, in 2001, the locomotive again suffered a major failure and was withdrawn from traffic. Its future was again in doubt, and it was laid up for a period at Doncaster Works.
In December 2004, the locomotive was moved into the care of The AC Locomotive Group at Barrow Hill Engine Shed for secure storage. With the overhaul of the Class 91 fleet complete, plus the availability of Class 373 trains for lease, 89001 was seen as a one-off asset with little economic value.
[edit] After GNER ownership
In October 2006, GNER put 89001 up for sale with a six-week deadline for bids. The AC Locomotive Group launched an appeal and fundraising effort to save the locomotive which was ultimately successful, purchasing the locomotive in December 2006. The loco is mostly complete although a number of major components require expensive overhaul before the loco could run on the main line again. A thorough survey has been undertaken to establish exactly what is required, and costs drawn up. Cosmetic work in 2007 saw the loco return to its original InterCity Executive colour scheme. Electrical restoration work has focussed on repairing and/or refurbishing the items that led to the locomotive being withdrawn from service, namely the traction motors and their associated field converter electronics. The locomotive was lifted by HNRC at Barrow Hill in December 2010 and three traction motors were removed including the one known to be faulty. These are currently (February 2011) being examined at Bowers to allow repair cost estimates to be made. Two of the field converters have been removed, one is faulty and again repair estimates are being sought. Initially it is intended, as funds become available, to allow one power group (i.e. one bogie) to become fully operational.
After many months of waiting, 2nd September finally saw testing of the first field converter overhauled at Fletcher Moorland Ltd, Stoke. There will be several iterations of testing so that there is a full understanding of any remaining defects and ensure that all aged or failed components are changed. The overhauled converter was completely dismantled with each power component being checked and replaced where required. A number of components were found to be performing outside of their specification and have been changed. The three control PCBs, these run the height of the converter, totalling the best part of £1m! The largest of the three is 2/3 of that. All electrolytic capacitors have been changed, both on the control PCBs and in the power circuit. These deteriorate with age.
[edit] Principal data
- Weight: 105 tonnes
- Minimum radius curve negotiable: 80 metres
- Max. speed: 200 km/h (125 mph)
- Route availability: RA 6
- Brake force: 50
- ETH Index: 95
- Length over buffers: 19,800 mm (65 ft)
The Class 89 loco when it first arrived at Bounds Green (Inter City) had a set of hand controls which could be plugged into an external socket and the loco moved by an operator from the ground position.
[edit] Other uses of Class 89
The Class 89 series has also been used for preserved diesel and electric locomotives (excluding shunters) registered to run on the mainline. The numbers are allocated in the following way:
- Third digit: 1-5 representing Types 1-5 (see here for details). Electric locomotives have also been allocated numbers in the 89xxx series, in the appropriate series for their power rating.
- Fourth and fifth digits: The last two digits of the locomotive's original number. If this results in a duplication of an existing number, then the number was increased by 1.
So, as an example, the Type 4 locomotive number D1062 was allocated 89462.
Current List as of June 6, 2006
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[edit] External links
- AC Locomotive Group
- Information and pictures of the locomotive in UK and Germany
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