87019

Following fast on the heels of yesterday's post, this 10th June 2010 equivalent is focused on a single, fully operational class 87 locomotive. To date, Alan Rigby is the blog's most regular contributor and following receipt of his photograph of 87019, ACoRP Association of Community Rail Partnerships I realised that this was one of the first pair of class 87s exported to Bulgaria in 2006 (see the 26th May post for more details).

The locomotive was part of a class of 36 built between 1973 and 1975 by BREL (British Rail Engineering Ltd) for use on the newly electrified WCML. From 1978-2005 the locomotive was named Sir Winston Churchill before acquiring the above ACoRP name until 2006. The locomotive was exported as 87019-6 to Bulgaria (with 87012 as 87012-1) in December 2006. In Alan's pic the locomotive is heading three, class 325 Royal Mail units, each of 4-cars. The first unit is 325 002, Royal Mail North West. The sixteen, class 325 emu's were built in 1995-96 and numbered 325 001 - 325 017.

Alan's pic is dated 29th April 2006, therefore this working must have been one of the last for 87019 in the UK.