#3599· Class 85
British Rail Class 85
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by British Rail· from 1961· class of 40 Bo′Bo′ 3200hp 25kV AC electric locomotives
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 85007 Carlisle: Phil Sangwell· CC BY 2.0
- 2. 85018 at Birmingham New Street - 5138902021: Tutenkhamun Sleeping· CC BY 2.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 85 (also known by the designation AL5) is an electric locomotive that was designed and produced at British Rail’s (BR) Doncaster Works during the early 1960s. While largely developed by BR, much of its systems can be attributed to the British manufacturing interest Associated Electrical Industries (AEI). The locomotive was developed as a part of the programme of works to electrify the West Coast Main Line during the late 1950s and early 1960s.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 65 years ago, in 1961.
- Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
- Weighs about as much as 13 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 17.1 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 31 years (1961–1992).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1961–1964
- in service from
- 1961
- retired
- 1992
- status
- retired
- number built
- 40
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- British Rail, Doncaster Works
- operators
- London Midland Region of British Railways
- top speed
- 161 km/h
- power
- —
- electric system
- overhead
- wheel arrangement
- Bo′Bo′
- length
- 17.1 m
- weight
- 80 t
- Dutch name
- Class 85
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4970858, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 85 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.