Scottish Traction

Scottish Traction

Following on from Ayrshire Traction and Strathclyde Traction and covering virtually the whole of Scotland and encompassing locations from Wick in the north to the southern border, Colin Howat looks at the Scottish rail scene from 1974 until the present day, covering diesel locos from humble Class 08s to the latest Class 70s, examining DMU classes 101–221 and EMU classes 303–390, as well as electric locos from classes 81–92. Although the AC electric loco fleets are not among the most popular to have operated over Scottish routes, like some of their contemporary diesel classes, they have played a major role in the modernisation of the rail system in Scotland. The 100-strong first generation of AC electric locomotives were originally classified as AL1–AL5, before later being reclassified as 81–85, forming the backbone of the modernised electric routes until AL6 (Class 86) locomotives emerged in the mid-1960s.