85003_1978_03_Crewe
85003 pauses at Crewe in the early hours of the 4th March 1978 with an Anglo _Scottish overnight service. The first vehicle behind the engine appears to be a Two Tier Car Transporter Van (TCV) and is one of fourteen vehicles built by Newton Chambers in 1961 for East Coast duties. I am quite surprised to see it in a West Coast train as all fourteen vehicles were allocated to the Eastern Region for East Coast services.
Locomotive History
85003 was originally E3058 and is one of a class of forty new AC electric locomotives, classified AL5 built by Doncaster works with electrical equipment supplied by AEI. E3058 entered traffic in June 1961 although deliveries of AL5’s were spread over the three and a half years, with the last, E3095 not entering traffic until the last week of 1964. Not having been plagued by the problems of earlier types, the AL5s led a fairly uneventful existence and for the next twenty five years the class could be found on secondary passenger, parcels and freight duties through out the West Coast Main Line. In 1989, Railfreight Distribution identified the need for more AC electric traction, and with late delivery of Class 90 locomotives, the decision was made to convert ten Class 85s to dedicated freight locomotives. This entailed removal of their train heating, reducing their maximum speed, and reclassifying as Class 85/1 with 85003 becoming 85113. By the spring of 1991, however, the end was in sight for these locomotives with the new Class 90/1s entering traffic and 85113 was withdrawn in November 1991. Following withdrawal almost the entire class were dumped around Crewe Electric depot, where they remained for well over twelve months before disposal began. Eventually 85113 made the journey to MC Metals, Glasgow where it was broken up in December 1992.
85003_1978_03_Crewe
85003 pauses at Crewe in the early hours of the 4th March 1978 with an Anglo _Scottish overnight service. The first vehicle behind the engine appears to be a Two Tier Car Transporter Van (TCV) and is one of fourteen vehicles built by Newton Chambers in 1961 for East Coast duties. I am quite surprised to see it in a West Coast train as all fourteen vehicles were allocated to the Eastern Region for East Coast services.
Locomotive History
85003 was originally E3058 and is one of a class of forty new AC electric locomotives, classified AL5 built by Doncaster works with electrical equipment supplied by AEI. E3058 entered traffic in June 1961 although deliveries of AL5’s were spread over the three and a half years, with the last, E3095 not entering traffic until the last week of 1964. Not having been plagued by the problems of earlier types, the AL5s led a fairly uneventful existence and for the next twenty five years the class could be found on secondary passenger, parcels and freight duties through out the West Coast Main Line. In 1989, Railfreight Distribution identified the need for more AC electric traction, and with late delivery of Class 90 locomotives, the decision was made to convert ten Class 85s to dedicated freight locomotives. This entailed removal of their train heating, reducing their maximum speed, and reclassifying as Class 85/1 with 85003 becoming 85113. By the spring of 1991, however, the end was in sight for these locomotives with the new Class 90/1s entering traffic and 85113 was withdrawn in November 1991. Following withdrawal almost the entire class were dumped around Crewe Electric depot, where they remained for well over twelve months before disposal began. Eventually 85113 made the journey to MC Metals, Glasgow where it was broken up in December 1992.