When the management of the Bulgarian Railway Company discovered that locomotive 87004 had performed Royal Train duties, a plan was formed to celebrate the Royal connection by returning the locomotive to its British Rail livery, with its original name “Britannia”.
The locomotive has been modified in line with the other locomotives in the fleet, but in place of the BRC green/yellow livery, Rail Blue and BR arrows now adorn the locomotive’s bodysides, together with specially made cast BRC emblems. Naming locomotives is virtually unheard of in Bulgaria, so the application of “Britannia” plates will be unusual for a locomotive operating in that country.
With two others, 87004 will journey to Crewe for acceptance before being shipped to Bulgaria in the near future.