to have been 24 built at Darlington Works, but these were cancelled. Electrical equipment was supplied by Metropolitan-Vickers, who completed the final assembly of the locomotives at Dukinfield Works. They were later reclassified as Class 76, under the TOPS classification scheme introduced on 28 March 1968. The locomotives were fitted with twin diamond-shaped pantographs. At certain points on the Woodhead Line, notably in the vicinity of steam locomotive water-columns, the electric overhead lines were as high as 20 feet above the tracks. The pantographs had to stretch to almost their full height to reach the wires at some points, as BR practice utilised both raised in normal Woodhead operation in order to maximise current collection under any weather condition. Although mainly intended for freight working, the locomotives also regularly worked Woodhead Line passenger services – especially after the sale of the Class 77 locomotives to the Netherlands Railways in 1968. Fourteen locomotives (26020, 26046–26057) were fitted with steam heating apparatus. Thirteen of these gained classical Greek names. The names were removed in 1970, after the discontinuance of passenger services in January of that year. Brief stay in Essex The first section of the Manchester to Sheffield "Woodhead" route, between and Wath, was not electrified until 4 February 1952. The lines between London Liverpool Street and had already been electrified in September 1949, using the same 1500 V DC system. On 27 October 1950, the first two locomotives to be completed, nos. 26001 and 26002, were sent to Ilford depot in Essex for trials; these were joined in early 1951 by 26003–26010. The trials involved a variety of trains, passenger and freight, including tests of the regenerative braking system on Brentwood bank, which has a gradient of 1:103 (0.97%). In June 1951, the ten locomotives were sent north to Wath, where the overhead lines had recently been energised, for further trials. Brakes and controls The locomotives were fitted with air brakes and regenerative braking; the latter, which could only be used at speeds between , caused current to be fed back into the wires during the long descents on both sides of the Woodhead Tunnel and so assisting any train which was ascending at the time. Rheostatic braking was also fitted several years later as an additional safety precaution; this was effective below . Train brakes were operated by vacuum. From November 1968, thirty of the locomotives were modified for multiple