First for hybrid trains

May I take issue with the Hitachi Rail Europe spokesman ( RAIL 847)?

Hitachi was not the first to introduce hybrid trains in the UK. That honour belongs to British Railways, which introduced the E6000 locomotives (later Class 73) in 1962.

I cannot recall whether these could switch between modes ‘on the run’, and strictly speaking they were locomotives and not complete trains, but the principle was established and was to be developed later into the larger Class 74s and (more recently) the Class 88s.

In 1962, no one had heard of the expressions ‘bi-mode’ or ‘hybrid’, but that is surely what these versatile little locomotives were, cropping up all over the former Southern Region on a wide variety of duties.

The big difference between these and the various Hitachi Class 800s is that the Class 73/74 and ‘88s’ were designed to use primarily electric power, with the diesel option used to give the so-called ‘last mile’ flexibility on nonelectrified branches and sidings.

In contrast, the ‘800s’ - designed originally as basically an electric train but with bi-mode capability - are now being expected to run to HST timings on diesel power over long distances and (in places) severe gradients.

Time will tell whether they will be as successful as the Class 73. I have my doubts!

David Wallace, Taunton