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    UK: Electric Loco: 89

    Electric Loco

    Brush designed prototype express passenger loco

    The British Rail Class 89 is a prototype electric locomotive. Only one was built, in 1986, by British Rail Engineering Limited's Crewe Works. It was used on test-trains on both the West Coast and East Coast Main Lines. The locomotive was fitted with advanced power control systems and developed more than 6,000 bhp (4,500 kW). After being withdrawn in 1992, it was returned to service in 1996, before being again withdrawn in 2000.

    The Class 89 locomotive was designed by Brush Traction, Loughborough to meet a specification issued by British Rail. BR subsequently changed the requirements of this specification, but not before Brush had committed to building the prototype locomotive.

    The locomotive had six DC traction motors. The main armature current for all the motors was fed from a common thyristor drive, with each motor having an independent field current controller. The field current controllers comprised a two quadrant chopper inside a thyristor bridge. The bipolar transistor based choppers provided a fast fine control of motor torque for electric braking and slip control, while the thyristor bridge was used to invert the field current polarity.

    Gauge 1435mm
    Builder BREL Crewe
    Max Speed 125mph
    System 25kV AC overhead
    Introduced 1986
    Withdrawn 2006
    Length 19800mm
    Weight 103t
    Power 4286 kW
    Wheel Arrangement Co-Co
    Width 27310mm
    Height 38100mm
    TE 205kN
    Driving Wheel Dia 1.15m
    Wheelbase 15.1m

    Photo: John J Cordrey

    Number Altnumber Name Status Note Livery Depot Pool Base Owner
    89001 89501   Avocet** O for restoration by HNRL ICS LB ACAC UKRL Loughborough ETL UK70/89 UKP/89