Locomotives, Classes EM1 & EM2

All locomotives, with the exception of the prototype, which was built at Doncaster, were built at the railway company's workshops at Gorton, Manchester, better known as 'Gorton Tank'. Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company of Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester, and of Sheffield, supplied all the electrical equipment for both classes of electrical locomotives, that is, the Bo-Bo EM1s (later Class 76) and the Co-Co EM2s (later Class 77). The operating voltage was 1,500 V dc.

It is understood that following the withdrawal of EM1 26 000 'Tommy' and the seven EM2s that they were stored at the Bury Shed until the Netherlands State Railway (NSR) expressed an interest in purchasing the EM2s. 'Tommy' was subsequently cut up at Crewe in Oct 1972.

In December 1973, the Class EM1 freight locomotives became Class 76 and the EM2 passenger locomotives became Class 77 although this was a paper class only, never carried by the locomotives.

Class EM1 (Bo-Bo)
Prototype locomotive numbered 6701 in 1940, then renumbered as 6000 in 1947 and then renumbered again as 26 000 in 1953. All locomotives carried an 'E' prefix to their number until the new TOPS (Total Operations Processing Systems) numbering system applied from Dec 1973.

BR No. &
Name
When
built
Works
No.
1971
No.
1976
No.
WithdrawnComments
26 000 Tommy
(NoteThis LNER locomotive was the prototype of its class, which was completed in Aug 1940 and numbered 6701. Its first trials were on the east coast main line between Doncaster and Retford and after modifications it was added to the stock in Sep 1941. Further trials were then conducted on the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway where more modifications were made. On the 14 Oct 1941 the locomotive returned to Doncaster for storage until after the war. In 1947 it was brought out of storage and was renumbered 6000. After other modifications and cleaning it was again given trials on the east coast main line and then it was shipped to the Netherlands State Railway in Sep 1947. Some adjustments were made to it in the Netherlands and it returned to Britain in Feb 1952. On its return it was officially named Tommy, the nickname given to it by the Dutch in honour of the British liberation forces during the war.)
9/19413/1970Prototype locomotive
with boiler
26 0011950100876 00110/1980
26 0021950100976 0026/1978
26 0031950101076 00376 0368/1980Fitted for Multiple Working
(FfMW) (NoteThat is, two locomotives hauling one train.)
26 0041950101176 0046/1978
26 0051950101276 0055/1970
26 0061950101376 0067/1981FfMW
26 0071950101476 0077/1981FfMW
26 0081950101576 0086/1981FfMW
26 0091950101676 0096/1981FfMW
26 0101950101776 0107/1981FfMW
26 0111950101876 0117/1981FfMW
26 0121951101976 0127/1981FfMW
26 0131951102076 0136/1981FfMW
26 0141951102176 0147/1981FfMW
26 0151951102276 0155/1981FfMW
26 0161951102376 0167/1981FfMW
26 0171951102476 0174/1971
26 0181951102576 01876 0357/1981FfMW
26 0191951102676 01910/1971Withdrawn after
colliding with 031
26 020 (NoteThe only EM1 to have suvived and now preserved in the National Railway Museum, York.) 1951102776 0208/1977 Boiler.
26 0211951102876 0217/1981FfMW
26 0221951102976 0227/1981FfMW
26 0231951103076 0237/1981FfMW
26 0241951103176 0247/1981FfMW
26 0251951103276 0257/1981FfMW
26 026 1951103376 0267/1981FfMW
26 0271951103476 0277/1981FfMW
26 0281951103576 0287/1981FfMW
26 0291951103676 0293/1981FfMW
26 0301951103776 0303/1981FfMW
26 0311951103876 03110/1971Withdrawn after
colliding with 019
26 0321951103976 0327/1981FfMW
26 0331951104076 0337/1981FfMW
26 0341951104176 0347/1981FfMW
26 0351951104276 0354/1970
26 0361951104376 03676 031 (NotePaper number only. Never carried by locomotive.)
then 76 003
8/1980FfMW
26 0371951104476 0377/1981FfMW
26 0381951104576 03876 0502/1977
26 0391951104676 03976 0483/1981
26 0401952104776 0407/1981
26 0411952104876 0415/1981
26 0421952104976 0424/1970
26 0431952105076 0436/1978
26 0441952105176 04476 0317/1981
26 0451952105276 04511/1971
26 046 Archimedes8/1952105376 04611/1980Boiler
26 047 Diomedes8/1952105476 04711/1980Boiler
26 048 Hector
(NoteThe No. 1 cab of Hector is preserved in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.)
9/1952105576 04876 0397/1981FfMW. Boiler
26 049 Jason9/1952105676 04911/1980Boiler
26 050 Stentor
(NoteStentor was renumbered 76 050 in 1971 and then renumbered 76 038 in 1977. It was withdrawn from service in Jul 1981 and was stored at the Reddish Depot until Nov 1981. It was then moved to Guide Bridge where it remained until Apr 1983 when it was returned to the Reddish Depot. Shortly afterwards it was taken to Tinsley, Yorkshire, and from there it went to C F Booth Ltd at Rotherham where it was cut up for scrap.)
11/1952105776 05076 0387/1981Boiler
26 051 Mentor12/1952105876 0517/1981Boiler
26 052 Nestor1/1953105976 0526/1978Boiler
26 053 Perseus3/1953106076 05311/1980Boiler
26 054 Pluto4/1953106176 0547/1981Boiler
26 055 Prometheus6/1953106276 0552/1977Boiler
26 056 Triton7/1953106376 0566/1978Boiler
26 057 Ulysses8/1953106476 0572/1977Boiler

All nameplates were removed from Class EM1 locomotives between 1968 and 1970.

Class EM2 (Co-Co)

BR No. &
Name
When
Built
Works
No.
Paper No.
only
Withdrawn
by BR
Entered
NSR Service
NSR No.
27 000 Electra
(NotePreserved in the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, Derbyshire.)
12/1953106577 00110/196810/19701502
27 001 Ariadne
(NotePreserved in the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester.)
3/1954106677 00210/19684/19711505
27 002 Aurora5/1954106777 00310/19686/19711506
27 003 Diana
(NotePreserved in the Netherlands (Werkgroep loc 1501).)
8/1954106877 00410/19686/19711501
27 004 Juno9/1954106977 00510/196812/19701503
27 005 Minerva
(NoteStripped to provide spare parts for the other locomotives.)
12/1954107077 00610/1968
27 006 Pandora12/1954107177 00710/19682/19711504

BR Class Co-Co No. 27 000 Electra.

The locomotive is seen here in its NSR livery carrying the number 1502.

The six surviving EM2s were withdrawn from service in the Netherlands in 1986.

Additionally, there is a self-propelled inspection car, supplied by the Drewry Car Company, which is at the Middleton Railway, Leeds. This diesel-powered car was provided for overhead line inspection and maintenance purposes.