#3101· Class 77
British Rail Class 77
🇳🇱 Netherlands ·built by Gorton Works· from 1953· class of 7 Co+Co 2490hp DC electric locomotives
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8 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 27000 at Crewe Works: No machine-readable author provided. Our Phellap~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims).· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. BR Class 77: David Frankal· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. NS 1505, ex-British Rail Class 77 Ariadne 18th July 1986: Shaddicta at en.wikipedia· Public domain
- 4. 150 jaar spoorwegen te Utrecht 1989 13: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. 1950s electric locomotive 27000 Electra in the exhibition hall: johnkell· CC BY 2.0
- 6. D1062, D7018 & 1502 (9893303044): Jim· CC BY 2.0
- 7. Midland Railway Centre (9331223935): Jim· CC BY 2.0
- 8. 27000 "Electra" Class EM2 at Kings Lynn 140991: kitmasterbloke· CC BY 2.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 77, also known as Class EM2, is a class of 1.5 kV DC, Co-Co electric locomotive. They were built by Gorton Works in 1953 and 1954 for use over the Woodhead Line, between Manchester and Sheffield.
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 73 years ago, in 1953.
- Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- 1.9 MW is about 22 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- 18 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 15 years (1953–1968).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1953–1954
- in service from
- 1953
- retired
- 1968
- status
- retired
- number built
- 7
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- builders
- Gorton Works
- operators
- British Rail, Eastern Region of British Railways
- top speed
- 145 km/h
- power
- 1.9 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 1500V DC Catenary
- wheel arrangement
- Co′Co′
- length
- 18 m
- Dutch name
- Class 77
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q3284349, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 77 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.