This Class EM2 was used on the now closed Woodhead line, and was on display at the Midland Railway. This locomotive was in the Matthew Kirtley Exhibition Hall.

The Class EM2 or British Rail class 77 was built for use on the now closed Great Central Woodhead railway line between Manchester and Sheffield for the passenger trains.   Seven were built  by Metropolitan-Vickers between 1953 and 1954. They were 1.5 kV DC Co-Co electric locomotives.

After the passenger services were withdrawn in September 1969, the entire class was sold to the Dutch national railway operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen.

The now closed Woodhead line between Manchester and Sheffield was used for freight the most, and a Class 76, also known as Class EM1 was used often in pairs, for the freight trains most of which were coal trains.

The Woodhead line is now closed as though line between Manchester and Sheffield. The line between Penistone and Dinting being lifted. Most if not all of the Coal mines that were its life blood are now also history.

The LNER had started to plan for the electrification of this line, but the Second World War intervened. Even so in 1941 which was during the second world war No.6701 and later 6000 were completed. This loco was then loaned to Netherlands Railway in 1947 while the electrification was completed.

In 1953 the new tunnel at Woodhead was opened. Then in 1954 the electrification of the line was finished. The line was electrified at 1,500V d.c. This was to be its down fall. AC was made the main standard for BR lines. The WCML and ECML being electrified at 25,000 a.c. The ex Southern lines are still d.c third rail and so also is the Underground.

After only 26 years in 1970, the last scheduled passenger train was withdrawn between Sheffield and Manchester over this line. Though trains then being sent over the Hope valley line instead often by  a slow DMU.

During 1981 The line between Penistone and Hadfield, including the Woodhead Tunnel was closed. The class 76 electric locomotives were all then scrapped bar one

The class 506 Multiple units were withdrawn in 1984, when the Manchester to Glossop line was then converted to 25,000 volt a.c. Class 303 EMUs then took these over the trains.

This was the one of the biggest lines to close in BR days. Just 26 years for all that expensive overhead wiring, is a little silly.

This website is Ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk it is on railways but it is not just on trains but all things railways, with photos, which I have taken from the 1970s till now. I take photos of all things railways, steam diesel and electric trains, signal boxes, wagons any thing that is on the National Rail network, which was BR when I started taken photos.