British Rail Class 86

Specifications
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
Wheel diameter	3 ft 9 in (1.143 m)
Minimum curve	6 chains (400 ft; 120 m)
Wheelbase	43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
• Bogie	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
Pivot centres	32 ft 9 in (9.98 m)
Length:;
• Over body	54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)
• Over buffers	58 ft 6 in (17.83 m)
Width	8 ft 8+1⁄4 in (2.648 m)
Height:;
• Pantograph	13 ft 0+9⁄16 in (3.977 m)
• Body height	12 ft 4+1⁄4 in (3.766 m)
Axle load	21 long tons 8 cwt (21.7 t)
Loco weight	81 long tons (82 t; 91 short tons)
Electric system/s	25 kV AC Catenary
Current pickups	Stone-Faiveley pantograph,; Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph
Traction motors	4 × AEI 282AZ 900 hp (671 kW),; 4 × AEI 282BZ 1,000 hp (746 kW),; 4 × GEC G412AZ 1,250 hp (932 kW);
Gear ratio	22:65
MU working	Some fitted within class and Class 87, later fitted with TDM system.
Train heating	Electric Train Heating (Index 66)
Train brakes	Westinghouse, dual vacuum & air

Type and origin
Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Builder	British Rail Doncaster Works (E3101-E3140),; English Electric at Vulcan Foundry (E3141-E3200);
Order number	E020 (E3101–E3110),; E024 (E3111–E3120),; E025 (E3121–E3130),; E026 (E3131–E3140),; E382–E401 (E3141–E3160),; E299–E338 (E3161–E3200);
Build date	1965–1966
Total produced	100

British Railways AL6,
British Rail Class 86
British Railways AL6,; British Rail Class 86
	86244 The Royal British Legion at Wolverhampton (1984)
Power type
Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Builder	British Rail Doncaster Works (E3101-E3140),; English Electric at Vulcan Foundry (E3141-E3200);
Order number	E020 (E3101–E3110),; E024 (E3111–E3120),; E025 (E3121–E3130),; E026 (E3131–E3140),; E382–E401 (E3141–E3160),; E299–E338 (E3161–E3200);
Build date	1965–1966
Total produced	100
Configuration:;
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
Wheel diameter	3 ft 9 in (1.143 m)
Minimum curve	6 chains (400 ft; 120 m)
Wheelbase	43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
• Bogie	10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
Pivot centres	32 ft 9 in (9.98 m)
Length:;
• Over body	54 ft 8 in (16.66 m)
• Over buffers	58 ft 6 in (17.83 m)
Width	8 ft 8+1⁄4 in (2.648 m)
Height:;
• Pantograph	13 ft 0+9⁄16 in (3.977 m)
• Body height	12 ft 4+1⁄4 in (3.766 m)
Axle load	21 long tons 8 cwt (21.7 t)
Loco weight	81 long tons (82 t; 91 short tons)
Electric system/s	25 kV AC Catenary
Current pickups	Stone-Faiveley pantograph,; Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph
Traction motors	4 × AEI 282AZ 900 hp (671 kW),; 4 × AEI 282BZ 1,000 hp (746 kW),; 4 × GEC G412AZ 1,250 hp (932 kW);
Gear ratio	22:65
MU working	Some fitted within class and Class 87, later fitted with TDM system.
Train heating	Electric Train Heating (Index 66)
Train brakes	Westinghouse, dual vacuum & air
Maximum speed
Performance figures
Maximum speed	100–110 mph (161–177 km/h)
Power output	3,600 hp (2,685 kW), 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)
Operators
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,; 65 scrapped in the UK;

The British Rail Class 86 is a type of electric locomotives built during the mid-1960s. Developed as a standard electric locomotive from earlier prototype models, one hundred were built in 1965-66 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 (BR) 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 BR introduced the TOPS classification system.

The class was built to haul passenger and freight trains alike on the WCML; 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 Great Britain 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, three Class 86s remain preserved in usable condition in the UK; all are in private ownership.