86259 prepared for another main line operating season

line-registered 86259 Les Ross/peter Pan moved from its base at Rugby to Nemesis Rail at Burton upon Trent in December to allow some work to be carried out on the locomotive before it returns to the main line for another season. The electric locomotive, which is owned by broadcaster Les Ross MBE, is now entering its 14th year on the main line. Mr Ross told Railways Illustrated that the locomotive had moved to Burton to allow a B exam to be carried out on the Class 86.

It is also to have work carried out on its OTMR (On Train Monitoring Recorder) and GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications-railway) systems, along with the replacement of worn windscreen wipers.

For the past decade, 86259 has predominantly been used for hauling ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ charters, organised by the Railway

Touring Company and operated by West Coast Railways.

The Class 86 generally operates the tours from London Euston, hauling the train on the West Coast Main Line as far as either Preston, or Carnforth, where it is replaced by one of WCRC’S fleet of steam locomotives which takes the tour through to Carlisle, with the electric locomotive taking charge again on the return working to London later in the day.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of 86259 being associated with the man who now owns it. 86259 was named Les Ross by Virgin Trains in September 2002 at Birmingham International to commemorate Mr Ross leaving his Birmingham-based BRMB radio breakfast show, which he had presented for 26 years. His final BRMB show was presented from the railway station. The Class 86 was withdrawn by Virgin a year later and was subsequently bought by Mr Ross in 2005.

It returned to the main line in May 2008 after being reactivated at Tyseley Locomotive Works in a project managed by then-tlw chief engineer Bob Meanley.

Since Freightliner stored its Class 86s in 2020, 86259 is now one of only three 86s to still operate on the main line in the UK, with 86101 Sir William Stanier FRS operated by Locomotive Services Ltd and 86401 Mons Meg recently returned to main line use by WCRC.

A number of Class 86s have also been reactivated for use overseas in Bulgaria and Hungary.

Paul Hadfield 86259 Les Ross/peter Pan stands alongside 31128 at Nemesis Rail on January 7, 2022. The locomotive is at Burton receiving a B exam and some other minor works before returning to main line use.