British Rail Class 77

The British Rail Class 77, also known as Class EM2, is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Co-Co electric locomotive. They were built by Metropolitan-Vickers in 1953–1954 for use over the Woodhead Line between Manchester and Sheffield.

British Rail Class 77
Preserved locomotive no. 27000 in original black livery
Type and origin Power type Electric Builder BR Gorton Works Build date 1953–1954 Total produced 7
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Co′Co′  • Commonwealth Co-Co Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Wheel diameter 3 ft 7 in (1.092 m) Length 59 ft 0 in (17.98 m) Loco weight 102.5 long tons (104.1 t; 114.8 short tons) Electric system/s 1500V DC Catenary Current pickup(s) Pantograph, x 2 Traction motors Metropolitan-Vickers Train heating Steam generator Loco brake Air and electrical regenerative Train brakes Vacuum
Performance figures Maximum speed 90 mph (145 km/h) Power output 2,490 hp (1,857 kW) Tractive effort 45,000 lbf (200 kN) Brakeforce 85 long tons-force (847 kN)
Career Operators British Railways Numbers 27000–27006 Locale Manchester–Sheffield–Wath line Retired September 1968 Disposition All sold to Netherlands as NS 1500 Class

Description

Seven locomotives of this type were constructed. They represented the first Co-Co type of overhead electric locomotive built for use in the United Kingdom. The design was based on that of the smaller Class EM1, which dated from 1941. Initially, 27 locomotives of this type had been planned, but by the early 1950s, the benefits of using the 25 kV AC system had been demonstrated, which meant that the Woodhead Line would be an isolated electric system. Consequently, the order was cut to just seven locomotives.

A Class 77 hauled passenger train waiting at Manchester Piccadilly in 1967

The locomotives were initially numbered 27000-27006 and were painted in BR black livery. Construction took place at Gorton Works, Manchester with electrical equipment supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers. All seven were named after characters from Greek mythology in 1959–1960. They were primarily used for express passenger trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield Victoria. To heat the carriages, the locomotives were each fitted with a Bastian & Allen electrically-powered steam generator rated at 360 kW, which provided steam at a rate of 1,000 lb/h (450 kg/h) and a pressure of 61 to 65 lbf/sq in (420 to 450 kPa). This was supplied from a water tank holding 350 imp gal (1,600 L), sufficient for two hours operation. In 1957, the class was renumbered with the addition of an "E" prefix to the number. In the early 1960s, the class started to receive the standard BR green livery. At least one of the class, E27002, received the electric blue livery carried by the AC electric locomotives.

The class was withdrawn en masse in September 1968. They were stored at Bury by BR in the hope of sale to a foreign railway. The passenger service for which the Class 77s were built continued to be operated by Class 76s, until its withdrawal on 5 January 1970. The Woodhead Line was closed as a through route in 1981, leaving just stubs between Manchester Piccadilly and Hadfield in the West and Sheffield Victoria and Deepcar in the East.

Forty more powerful 46 class electric locomotives were built by Metropolitan-Vickers in the mid-1950s for the New South Wales Government Railways. The 46 class was based on the EM1 and EM2.

Further use

NS 1500 Class no. 1505 at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

In September 1969 the entire class was sold to the Dutch national railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen, where they became NS 1500 Class. They were renumbered in the 1500 series in the order they left their workshops, where they received various modifications, including new headlight clusters. The locomotives also retained their names. One locomotive, no. E27005 Minerva was broken up and used for spares. The remaining six locomotives were employed until final withdrawal in 1985. Their main work was on The Hague—Cologne express trains as far as the border at Venlo although they travelled to their home depot at Maastricht either with a train or light engine on Sunday for their weekly examination before returning to traffic the following day. They were sometimes to be found on freight trains bound for the German border originating in the Rotterdam area.

Fleet details

Key:	Preserved	Scrapped

BR number		NS number	Name	Disposal
1955	1957
27000	E27000	1502	Electra	Preserved at Midland Railway - Butterley
27001	E27001	1505	Ariadne	Preserved at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester
27002	E27002	1506	Aurora	Scrapped (02/1985)
27003	E27003	1501	Diana	Preserved in the Utrecht Railway Museum by Werkgroep 1501
27004	E27004	1503	Juno	Scrapped (10/1986)
27005	E27005	-	Minerva	Used for parts by NS. Scrapped (11/1969)
27006	E27006	1504	Pandora	Scrapped (02/1985)

Model railways

In 2013, Heljan was commissioned to produce OO gauge models of EM2 locomotives in several liveries.

Further reading

• Hooper, John (2014). EM1 & EM2: An Illustrated Historical Review of the Manchester, Sheffield, Wath, Electric Locomotives - 76s & 77s. Book Law Publications. ISBN 9781909625198. OCLC 922549032.
• McManus, Michael. Ultimate Allocations, British Railways Locomotives 1948 - 1968. Wirral. Michael McManus.
• Ward, David (January 1986). "EM2 Twilight". Rail Enthusiast. No. 52. EMAP National Publications. pp. 30–31. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• "The Tommies Rock-On into History". Rail Enthusiast. No. 59. EMAP National Publications. August 1986. pp. 12–13. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• Ward, David (December 1986). "Homeward Bound". Rail Enthusiast. No. 63. EMAP National Publications. pp. 70–73. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
• Ward, David (September 1988). "BR and NS EM2s on the move". RAIL. No. 84. EMAP National Publications. p. 17. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.

External links

• Description of the class
• Website of the EM2 Society
• Website of the Werkgroep Loc 1501
• EM2 Page on the LNER Encyclopedia