This is a recent memory of this photo taken some years ago and may be of interest as it was a conversion of the original Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Co. gas turbine electric British Rail no. 18100 (Co-Co) built 1952 that was converted about 1958 to an a.c. locomotive prototype (A1A-A1A) for the 1960s a.c. electrification of the West Coast Main Line. The loco. was known as "Black Bess" due to the way it was painted - black all over apart from a white line around at bottom door entry level. It was numbered originally E1000 when converted, but renumbered E2001 soon after.
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Photo and scan by Ron Jones (thejones@regentclose.fsnet.co.uk)