Rails of Sheffield and Accurascale Exclusive

BR Class 89 ‘Badger’ prototype electric locomotive in OO/4mm scale.

Mar-97 to Jan-99
Reinstated for service 3-Mar-97 and repainted into GNER blue with white logo (loco had been purchased in 1996 by Sea Containers)

SPECIFICATION
The Class 89 model will be based on Accurascale’s ground-breaking Class 92 platform, with all-wheel powered six-axle bogies and a pantograph that can be raised or lowered almost silently under DCC control.

• Highly-detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2 scale
  
• Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track)
  
• Die-cast metal chassis
  
• RP25-110 profile OO wheels
  
• Separately-applied etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, wipers, etc.
  
• Scale width wire handrails
  
• Full underframe tank detail with brackets and pipework
  
• Fully sprung metal buffers and bufferplate, factory-fitted pipework and screw couplings (for display)
  
• Dummy knuckle coupler provided in polybag
  
• Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height and mini-tension-lock couplers

Deluxe Features

• Scale-sized Brecknall-Willis High Speed pantograph raised and lowered by DCC control
• PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power
• Customised Dual-Speaker Technology with large ‘Accurathrash’ Style Bass Speaker and smaller 'iphone' style cube for higher frequencies (on DCC Sound-fitted models only)
• Hall sensor for flange squeal effect (on DCC Sound-fitted models only)

DCC Features

• DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power
• DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket] or Factory-Fitted DCC Sound options

High Performance Traction features

• Five-Pole motor with two flywheels
  
• Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running
  
• Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve minimum scale top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h)
  
• All wheel drive (sprung centre axle) and all wheel pickup
  

Fully detailed Lighting Pack features:

• Directional lighting, DC and DCC
  
• Switchable Red and white marker lights with day/night options
  
• Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk, auto/off on movement

History

Designed by Brush Traction and constructed by British Rail Engineering Ltd at Crewe Works in 1986, the unique Class 89 was the prototype for a planned fleet of locomotives that would take over from the HSTs on the electrified ECML and supplement existing motive power on the WCML. Unfortunately, British Rail changed its requirements before the locomotive was even completed, eventually ordering Class 90s and 91s instead. The Class 89 design was later considered for Channel Tunnel use, but was superseded by what eventually became the Brush Class 92.

Used as a test bed between 1986 and 1988 on both the East and West Coast routes, it eventually settled into service working between Kings Cross and Leeds. Delivered in the InterCity Executive scheme, it was repainted in the new Swallow livery in December 1988 and named ‘Avocet’ by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher the following month. It continued in this duty until July 1992 when it was side-lined following a failure. 

It was subsequently purchased for preservation and wore de-named Swallow livery until, in a shock move, it was acquired by privatised ECML operator GNER in 1997 to help with a drastic motive power shortage. Repainted into GNER dark blue, it returned to operation on Kings Cross to Leeds and Bradford trains. Withdrawn for a second time in 2001 it joined the AC Locomotive Group’s preserved fleet at the end of 2006 and repainted back into its original InterCity livery the following year.

The Class 89 story does not end there. The ACLG is currently restoring this locomotive back to operational condition with plans to fit it with the necessary equipment for a return to the national network. In December 2021 it announced a partnership with Locomotive Services Ltd to fund the final stages of 89001’s rebuild that will also see the unique machine join LSL’s stunning fleet of main line certified electric locomotives for a period of five years.