Caption:

It’s late one Sunday lunchtime and it’s warm and drowsy

in the summer of 1972. Even at Crewe there is little traffic about at this time, before the afternoon and evening Sunday rush-hours start. Three Class AL5, as they were originally designated by BR in 1960, but later Class 85 3300hp locomotives are lined up in echelon as if awaiting a Le Mans 24 Hours race style of start. They are parked up on the west side of the north end of Crewe station, presumably awaiting the call to take over northbound expresses which will arrive from the south diesel-hauled, due to engineering works. By coincidence, the example in the foreground, E3061, has since become the only member of the class to survive in preservation by the AC Locomotive Society and now resides at Barrow Hill roundhouse museum. Note that a member of staff has found the loco’s cab a great place to laze on a summer’s afternoon…..