Class 84 Profile and Models

The British Rail Class 84 was a 25 kV AC electric locomotive that operated on the West Coast Main Line of the London Midland Region. As part of the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line, which included electrification, 100 locomotives of five types were acquired from different manufacturers. Locomotive E3040 worked the inaugural AC electric-hauled train from Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe on 12 September 1960. Problems with the mercury-arc rectifiers plagued this class and in 1962 E3036 was returned to GEC, the builder of the electrical equipment, in an attempt to find a solution. Within a year, all ten were out of service for repair. The persistent problems could have been the end of the ten locomotives of Class 84, but the extension of the West Coast Main Line electrification to Glasgow meant that more electric locomotives would be needed. The second rebuild failed to overcome some of the more persistent problems and British Rail decided in 1976 to withdraw them from service.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)

Type of Locomotive

Builder

Build Dates

Total Built

Tractive Effort

Power Output

Top Speed

Wheel Configuration

Operated By

Main Duties

In Service Until

Surviving Examples