Британские локомотивы класса 76: История и особенности эксплуатации на линии Вудхед

The British Rail Class 76, also known as Class EM1 (Electric Mixed Traffic 1), is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Bo+Bo electric locomotive designed for use on the now closed Woodhead Line in Northern England.

The prototype, LNER No. 6701, was completed at Doncaster Works in 1941 to a design by Sir Nigel Gresley, but electrification of the Woodhead Route, together with construction of 69 similar units, was delayed by the Second World War. It was tested on the few sections of 1500 V DC lines owned by the LNER, but had not worked any great distance by 1947 when it was loaned to Dutch Railways to help with their post war shortage of locomotives. In September 1945, the LNER assigned it the classification EM1; previously it had been unclassified. when passenger services were withdrawn over the Woodhead route and several locomotives became surplus to requirements. The time in the Netherlands had shown that the design did not ride well at high speed due to the bogie design. The buffers and couplings were mounted on the bogies which were then linked together by a drawbar, a feature intended to remove stress from the superstructure. It was also felt that the cabs were too small with poor visibility.

The first section of the Manchester to Sheffield "Woodhead" route, between Dunford Bridge and Wath, was not electrified until 4 February 1952. The lines between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield had already been electrified in September 1949, using the same 1500 V DC system. On 27 October 1950, the first two locomotives to be completed, nos. 26001 and 26002, were sent to Ilford depot in Essex for trials; these were joined in early 1951 by 26003–26010. The trials involved a variety of trains, passenger and freight, including tests of the regenerative braking system on Brentwood bank, which has a gradient of 1:103 (0.97%). In June 1951, the ten locomotives were sent north to Wath, where the overhead lines had recently been energised, for further trials.

The locomotives were fitted with air brakes and regenerative braking; the latter, which could only be used at speeds between , caused current to be fed back into the wires during the long descents on both sides of the Woodhead Tunnel and so assisting any train which was ascending at the time. Rheostatic braking was also fitted several years later as an additional safety precaution; this was effective below This became particularly important from January 1970 with the introduction of "Merry Go Round" coal trains from South Yorkshire to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station near Widnes, operated by two Class 76s (and banked by two extra locomotives up the Worsborough incline between Wombwell and Silkstone). Such trains became the mainstay of the Woodhead Line in the 1970s. Locomotives fitted with M. U. control were also given train air brakes; the last nine conversions had their train vacuum brakes removed at the same time. An early version of this system had been tried on six of the locomotives in the late 1950s, but had been abandoned as unsatisfactory following tests concluding 26 May 1960.

As delivered, the locomotives were painted black (as in the main photograph). From the late 1950s onwards, Brunswick green was adopted, with small yellow warning panels on the cab ends. From the late 1960s and until withdrawal, the Class 76s started to appear in British Rail monastral blue with yellow cab ends.

The fortunes of the Class 76s were inextricably tied to the fate of the Woodhead Line. The reduction of the freight traffic on the Woodhead Line, plus the ending of passenger services, resulted in the early withdrawal of several locomotives. By the late 1970s, the locomotives were amongst the oldest in service and yet one of the most reliable classes, on account of robust design on British Rail, and replacement would ultimately become necessary. However, in July 1981, the closure of the Woodhead Line, between Hadfield in the west and Penistone in the east, resulted in the withdrawal of the entire fleet. The final service was operated in the early hours of 18 July 1981 by 76006 and 76014, hauling freight to Manchester. Class 76 had served well, having been built to an evidently sound design and cared for well by the maintenance teams of Reddish and Wath. Most were still entirely serviceable when withdrawn. Apparently the Netherlands Railways were interested in their purchase for their heavy freight trains mainly from the North Sea Europoort inland following a good service record of the prototype 6000 (Tommy). But controversy regarding the closure of the Woodhead line, BR's policies and of the government of the day plus BR's intention to avoid embarrassment regarding a sale for further use thus discrediting their claims of expired working life from their traction policies as it happened back with the sale of the Class 77 as well the greater age of the Class 76s compared with the Class 77s back in 1968 didn't result in sale for further service. Accordingly, the remaining locomotives were scrapped, many at the yards of Booths of Rotherham, apart from a single preserved example now in the National Railway Museum, York.

One locomotive has been preserved by the National Railway Museum in York; 26020, later 76020, was specially chosen because it was built with stainless steel handrails and had been exhibited at the Festival of Britain. Later, it was the locomotive that pulled the opening day train through the Woodhead Tunnel. It retains the stainless steel handrails, although they are currently painted over. One cab from another locomotive, 76039 Hector, which was formerly displayed at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, is now at the South Yorkshire Transport Museum in Aldwarke, Rotherham. A complete cabside and a driver's door from 76051 Mentor are preserved, in their original condition, at Barrow Hill Roundhouse, near Chesterfield.

Trix Twin Railway produced an H0 scale model of E26010 in black livery in 1959 and in green livery in 1960. Heljan produce an 00 scale model of E26051 in BR Green with half yellow panels. Class 76 is being made as a kit and a ready to run model in OO gauge by Silver Fox Models.