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Vintage Trains Home Page 86259 86 259 Les Ross E3137 BR lion & wheel
updated 10/03/08
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You are in: Tyseley Locomotive Works >Locomotives >Diesel & Electric Traction >86 259 Les Ross

86 259 is a member of the 100 strong Class AL6 AC electric locomotives that were built for the original West Coast Main Line electrification scheme from Euston to Birmingham, Crewe, Liverpool & Manchester. These locomotives were used on both express passenger work and freight duties. In later years, locomotives were allocated to BR sub-sectors and were modified from "mixed traffic" locomotives pricipally re-gearing. With the advent of "tdm control" and push-pull working it was possible to utilise the locomotives more effectively and this enabled a number to be released from WCML duties for use on the East Anglia services from Liverpool Street.


86259 at Winwick 01/03/08
Winwick 01/03/08
Neville Wellings

  

86259 passing Pekridge
Penkrdige 01/03/08
Jeff Cogan/Ken Bull

86259 passing Winsford
Winsford 01/03/08
Approached Winsford station on the outward journey
Joy Beresford

 86259 at Liverpool
Liverpool Lime Street 01/03/08
Awaiting to return with it first excursion in private ownership
Brian Wilson

86259 cab view while on mainline test run
Back on the mainline 08/02/08 Under the wires
VTL

86259 at Oxley
86259 lives once again!
The pantograph goes up
A small crack is heard
at Oxley Depot : VTL

 86259 at Crewe
Crewe 08/02/08
Preparing to retutn to Nuneaton
VTL

86259 at Tyseley Maintrain with VT Explorer set in July 2007
Tyseley Maintrain July 2007
In Electric Blue livery with VT Explorer set
Brian Wilson

86259 at Tyseley Maintrain  June 2007
Tyseley Maintrain June 2007
In Electric Blue livery
Brian Wilson

 86259 at Tyseley May 2007
Tyseley
May 2007
In Electric Blue livery
Clive Hanley

86259 at Tyseley December 2006
Tyseley December 2006
In Electric Blue livery
Michael Reyner

86259 at Tyseley in 2006
Tyseley 2006
In Virgin livery
Brian Wilson

86259 at Birmingham International receiving the name 'Les Ross'
Birmingham International 2002.
In Virgin livery receiving name 'Les Ross'
Jim Sheldon

86259 receiving name 'Greater Manchester The Life & Soul of Britain'
Manchester Picadilly
1995
In Intercity livery receiving name 'Greater Manchester The Life & Soul Of Britain'

86 259 'Peter Pan' at Euston
Euston
In Intercity livery named 'Peter Pan'
John Morris

 86 259 'Peter Pan' at Euston
Euston

In Intercity livery named 'Peter Pan'
John Morris

This 25kV AC electric locomotive was built at Doncaster in 1966 and entered service with the number E3137. It was renumbered into the TOPS scheme as 86 045. It was later rebuilt with flexicoil suspension and fitted with resilient wheels and became part of the Class 86/2 when it was renumbered 86 259.

It received the name 'Peter Pan' in 1979 when BR recommenced naming locomotives. However, it was renamed in 1995 to 'Greater Manchester The Life & Soul Of Britain'. In 2002 it was further renamed by Virgin Trains to 'Les Ross' a Birmingham based DJ. The locomotive was a regular performer on the Birmingham New Street to London Euston trains at that time. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in October 2003.

86 259 arriv
ed at Tyseley, devoid of nameplates following a period in store in Virgin livery, and has since been repainted into BR Electric Blue livery. The locomotive completed its main line test run successfully on 8th February 2008 and became a main line registered locomotive. It headed its first excursion 'The Les Ross Daytripper' in private ownership from Birmingham New Steet to Liverpool Lime Street and return on 1st March 2008, with an additional 'mid day' run from Preston to Crewe on that day to turn the complete train.

For more information and the latest news about this locomotive visit www.E3137.co.uk>>

We would be grateful to receive pictures of the engine as it was in its various liveries and identities (see below).


Photographs:We welcome photographs of our trains and engines.  If you want to send photographs to us to use, then these can be digital images, prints, transparencies or negatives. By sending them you are agreeing to them being published on the Shakespeare Express web site, the Vintage Trains web site or in 'Steam In Trust' (the magazine of Vintage Trains Society), or occasionally for our publicity. See notes to photographers>>
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