ALL 16 examples of the Class 86/6 sub-class were deregistered from TOPS during August, reflecting the export of the final member of the stalwart Freightliner electric fleet for a new life in Bulgaria, either as active locomotives or as spares donors.
With the first seven, Nos. 86608-610/622/632/638/639, departing during July (RE328), Nos. 86604/605/607/627 were the next to leave, leaving Basford Hall depot, Crewe, in the first week of August for the first stage of journey, negotiating the cross-country road network to Immingham Docks, ready to make the North Sea crossing to Rotterdam.
It was the turn of Nos. 86612/637 to leave on the back of a Reid Freight low-loader on August 7, both being recorded arriving at the North Lincolnshire port two days later. They were followed by No. 86613 on August 11, while the final pair, Nos. 86614/628, were evicted from their former home on August 14. All had left Immingham by August 18.
By the end of the month, the first eight locomotives had made it to along the Danube River from Germany. Those that survive will be renumbered in the ‘85 Series’ and will join six Bulmarket machines, previously Nos. 86213/231/234/325, 86701/702. No. 86233 also made the same journey but was only for component recovery and was scrapped in 2019.
