RAILFREIGHT ODDITIES #2: 87101

The 36th Class 87 to be built was fitted with thyristor technology instead of the tap-changer transformer and rectifiers used in the previous 35 machines. It became 87101 Stephenson in 1977. Class 87s were used on both passenger and steel trains, but at sectorisation, Intercity gained 87001-35 and only 87101 passed to Railfreight. It gained Distribution livery and was scrapped by EWS in 1998. The ex-lima model remains respectable after 30-odd years, but some finer detail to the front ends and bufferbeams would be welcome. You could make jumper cables out of black-coated copper jewellery wire. Hornby is currently working on an all-new ‘87’.