A blind date with an electric...

[Chops]

British electric locomotive.jpg

Always an electric fan, or fan of electrics, however, this arrived in the mail, after a long journey out of the UK.
Not what I had expected, I had expected the more generic, rounded nose version, and this boxy thing came.
It appears to be trying to represent something, what is it? Seems exceptionally light and I fear it will
pull nought. If it does anything at all. I hope I haven't purchased a new door stop. Any info, at all, about this
thing?

[hunslet]

That is a Triang EM" "Electra" part no R351.
The central long bar on the roof slides and selects track or overhead power collection.
They are fitted with "Magnadehsion" which only works on steel track and they only drive on two wheels.
I think the centre bogie wheels are dummy !
They were used on the Manchester to Sheffield Pennine route for mainly passenger haulage.
The rounded nose version that you mentioned is part of the Triang Transcontinental range R257.

This site wil help in identifying triang locos and may be useful and/or interesting.

http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/

Regards, Colin.

[Chops]

Thank you for the info. It was the Transcontinental I was after. We’ll see how this works.
Light as a feather and shows much use. Think I got snookered.

[hunslet]

The Transcontinental double ended electric locos are fairly rare in the UK so be prepared for a shock at the prices !
The Green/Orange version is more common than the 2-tone Green version.
There are none on a certain auction website today but typical prices run to £80 to £100 for the Green/Orange version and
£180 to £240 for the green one. These are prices for boxed locos.
Beware there are some fakes or "Bodges" out there. I have seen double ended Diesels fitted with pantographs but the roof is wrong !
The roof should be depressed around the pantographs which should be mounted on "insulators" and there should be a changeover switch in a partly circular slot.
The loco you have got (Electra) is also fairly rare and auction examples are asking anything from £80 to an unbelievable £1,200 !
I had one many years ago and it pulled fairly well on steel track but was useless on anything else.

Here's another useful site. Type into search "Electra" and it will give you all the info plus service sheets.

http://www.hornbyguide.com/default.asp

Hope this helps. Colin.

[IanS]

I think the auction price of £1,234.56 is simply a holding price to get the item listed. Looking at the seller there are a number of items at this price including a standard coach, showing a price ticket of £18.00

I've seen this happen in the past where something is put online at a massive price such that no-one will purchase it (sensibly). Again, my guess, is that it is connected to something illegal - I won't go into my detailed thoughts in order to avoid legal complications for the forum - or is a holding price.

The other prices are high, but not sky high like that one.

[Chops]

Thank you for the info. I purchased what I thought was a NOS Transcontinental, and it remained unopened for months as I pursued other interruptions such as work and sleep. So only just yesterday I opened it up and SURPRISE it was this rather well used article. Too late to do much about it now. Will make the best of it. Will try to give it a dab of lube and switch it on later this week.

Thanks for the advice on spotting fakes.

[Chops]

Finally switched her on, and she runs quietly, smoothly, beautiful! I am having some difficulty locating the prototype
image under "EM," "Electra," or both. Are the Blood and Custard coaches generally appropriate?

[hunslet]

The loco is actually an EM2. or British Railways class 77.
There was also an EM1 which was a Bo-Bo wheel arrangemant or as described in the US B-B.
( In europe the Bo or Co indicates a locomotive with separate motors to each axle where "B" indicates coupled axles which is uncommon in the US)

This site may help with some info.

https://www.lner.info/locos/Electric/em2.php

Regards, Colin.

[Chops]

Thank you for that, Hunslet, most interesting link.

Henley joins the electric network, with this 77, in this video shot today. Try to catch the
visual pun at the last scene, if you have not fallen asleep.

https://youtu.be/er1jJ5N7hrQ

[hunslet]

No pun intended !

Two from my collection.
The rocket ( Kitmaster ) was found in a mug in the kitchen of my late father's house when we were clearing it.
Presumably it was mine or my brother's from years ago.

Regards, Colin.