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RAILWAY
OPERATING DEPARTMENT
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THE
CLASS 47 CONNECTION
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1962 was a year of change and
innovation. November saw the withdrawal of Britain's
final express steam locomotive design - 71000 "Duke of Gloucester" but while the October crisis over Cuba
brought the world to the edge of thermonuclear war, it
did lead to a hotline being set up between the two
superpowers to try and avoid such a predicament happening
again. On an even more
positive note the potentially hypersonic Bristol 188 research aircraft flew for the first time and the governments
of France and Britain agreed to build a supersonic
airliner. John Glenn also became the first American to orbit the
Earth; "Dr No", the first James Bond film, was
released; Liverpool offered the World a television police
show called Z Cars and a pop group called The Beatles who
released their first single - "Love Me Do". And
on a November day in Loughborough, a British railway icon
first rolled out of the Falcon Works of Brush.
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Brush
Type 4 Co-Co 47 002 waits at Chester with excursion stock
from Gloucester and Cheltenham on 12 May 1979
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It carried the number D1500 and
was a Type 4 diesel electric locomotive with a Co-Co
wheel arrangement and flat ends with two panel
windscreens. It was not the first locomotive of this
specification built by Brush. The unique D 0280 "Falcon" had been outshopped in September 1961. Nor was it the first production diesel
electric locomotive in British Railway's Type 4 ( 2 000 -
2 750 bhp ) power range. English Electric's D 200 series
( later Class 40 ) had entered service as far back as
1958 and British Railway's own Derby Workshops had
completed its first "Peak" a year later. Like
the English Electric 16 SVT prime mover inside the D200s,
the 12 cylinder twin bank Sulzer 12LDA28A power plant of
the original ten Peaks also had a long history of
reliable work abroad.
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Bulleid designed 10202 -
built at Ashford in 1951 - rests at Stewarts Lane depot,
London, on 5 September 1952 |
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Indeed, both the Class 40s and the
Peaks shared the same heavy, robust construction and
1Co-Co1 wheel arrangement of three English Electric
engined locomotives designed by O.V.S. Bulleid of the
Southern Railway. In stylistic terms too, the three
Bulleid locomotives of the early British Railways (
10201, 10202 and 10203 ), the Class 40s and the Peaks all
assumed that cab corridor connections would be essential
to allow train crew to move from one locomotive to
another whilst two or more were running in multiple unit
- a feature that was rarely used in practice. Both the
Peaks and Class 40s - like all the English Electric dual
cab bogie diesel designs built for British Railways up to
1967 - also featured nose ends derived from 1940s
American practice. |
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English
Electric Type 4 D305 acclerates the seven carriage 15.55
Manchester service from Platform 6 of Birmingham New
Street station on 17 May 1961
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.But D1500 - with its stressed
skin construction, uncluttered by bodyside grilles and
single Sulzer powerplant - did mark the first of 512
locomotives built both by Brush and British Railways
workshops in Crewe. In a career of over four decades,they
would look smart carrying a rainbow of liveries to every
part of the British Railways network and be as useful at
the head of a named express as at the front end of a
humble ballast train. |
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INVENTING AN ICON |
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By 1960, five years after the
publication of British Railways Modernisation Plan that
called for the replacement of steam traction, none of the
pilot classes of diesel electric locomotive in the Type 4
power band already built were considered powerful enough
for future express passenger traffic needs. Or as Mr G.F. Fiennes of British Railway's
Eastern Region Board put it: "The policy of building
diesels of 2 000 hp lies in ruins around us. Nothing less
than well over 3 000 hp under the bonnet will do."
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English
Electric 3 300 bhp Type 5 Co-Cos D9000 "Royal Scots
Grey", D9016 "Gordon Highlander" and 55
015 "Tulyar" at Horton Road for Gloucester Rail
Day 1991
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Possible avenues of development
included the Napier Deltic engine as fitted to the blue
and white English Electric "Deltic" Co-Co.
Although a pair of Deltic prime movers - first installed
in naval patrol boats - had made "Deltic" the
most powerful single bodied diesel electric locomotive in
the World in 1955 - and would later be fitted to Class 55
on Eastern Region - the quick running Napier powerplants
were complicated and expensive to build and maintain. Pairs of lightweight, quick running Maybach
engines were also being lowered into Western Region
diesel hydraulics as Swindon works adapted German
designs. Built under licence by Bristol Siddeley, these
could produce 2 200 bhp inside the stressed skin D800 series "Warship" locomotives
which only weighed 79 tons. In contrast a Peak of what
would become Class 45 produced 2 500 bhp from its single
Sulzer 12LDA 28B engine but tipped the scales at 138
tons. However, not only were the D800s to prove top heavy
- and in need of a complete redesign of their B-B bogies
as a result - but most of British industry was orientated
toward diesel electric traction.
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W.G. Drewett took this
August 1962 shot of D856 "Trojan" at Swindon,
about to leave for London Paddington. The diamond shaped
North British Locomotive plate is visible below the BR
emblem and nameplate and just to the right of the 20 mph
sign. Only outshopped from Glasgow in November 1961 with
works number 27985, it was originally allocated to
Plymouth Laira depot. It was to be withdrawn from Newton
Abbot in May 1971 and cut up at Swindon works the
following January. |
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Indeed, both the D800
Warships - and later C-C
bogied D1000 Westerns - were later to prove that the
compact lightweight construction offered by stressed skin
techniques could be a double edged sword. Unlike the
Peaks - with all loads carried by a heavy chassis and
enough wheels on each bogie to successfully brake long
trains of unfitted goods wagons - the Swindon built
diesel hydraulics anticipated an era when all trains
would have continuous brakes. They could therefore be
built using monocoque principles in which the side walls
and roof of the locomotive could carry deadweight,
buffing and drawing loads as well as the floor above the
bogies. However, the "Warships" began to be
withdrawn after 1968 and were never fitted with the air
brakes that were replacing the older vacuum system on the
most modern rolling stock. Similarly, although the larger
- and flat rather than curved fronted - Westerns were
fitted with air brakes and survived into the late 1970s
they were unable to supply electric rather than steam
heat for train carriages. The Bristol Siddelely Maybach
engines were already at full stretch with traction
demands and there was no room inside the body shell to
fit a separate diesel motor to generate the necessary
current. Although able to
limp home on one engine in the event of another failing
in traffic, using two prime movers in one body -as was
the case with Deltics, Warships and Westerns - also added
to the cost and complexity of maintenance. Although
incorporating stressed skin construction to combine
lightness with strength, the more common electric rather
than hydraulic transmission and visionary cab styling,
Brush's D0280 "Falcon" of 1961 was also to be
limited to one example by the inclusion of two Western
type Bristol Siddelely Maybach
engines.
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D0280 Falcon newly outshopped by Brush at Finsbury Park
on 13 October 1961 |
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However, an single engine in such
a locomotive carapace had possibilities for development
and Brush, English Electric and the Birmingham Railway
Carriage and Wagon Company were to respond to British
Railways requirements for a large fleet of 2 700 bhp
Co-Co diesel electrics with an axle loading of 19 tons. |
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DP2 was captured on an
overcast day in 1965 at Marylebone by Andy Peckham. The 105 ton 2 700 bhp diesel
electric was powered by an English Electric 16 cylinder
16CSVT prime mover, offering 50 000 of tractive effort
through 3' 6" diameter wheels. Following the Thirst
accident of 31 July 1967 it was returned to its makers. |
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Unfortunately for English
Electric, who had created their prototype DP2 with a
Class 55 Deltic style body around a 16 cylinder V type
engine in 1962, Mr J.F. Harrison, the Chief Mechanical
and Electrical Engineer of British Railways Board ( which
replaced the British transport Commission in 1962 )
favoured slow speed engines and flat fronts without
corridor connections for all new Type 4 diesel
locomotives. However, DP2 was to become the basis for the
later Class 50 flat fronted diesel electrics and itself
would prove a very useful performer on British Railways
until being written off in a collision with some derailed
Gloucester built Cemflo wagons at Thirsk in 1967. This left Brush and the Birmingham Railway
Carriage and Wagon Company in competition with two very
similar concepts based around the12 cylinder Sulzer twin
bank engine. In both cases the British Railways Design
Panel requested that the industrial designers Wilkes and
Ashmore prepare an initial idea of how the new machines
would look.
Wilkes and Ashmore had already
worked with Brush to restyle their Type 2 design ( later
Class 31 ) from a locomotive exported to Ceylon ( now Sri
Lanka ) and also on D0280 "Falcon". The industrial designers had also advisd
Birmingham RCW on the distinctive bow-fronted look of
what would become British Rail Classes 26, 27 and 33.
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Class
35 Hymek D7017 at Gloucester Rail Day 1991
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The inspiration for this Type 4
brief however came from the work that they had done with
Beyer Peacock of Gorton, Manchester, on the D7000 series
( later Class 35 ) diesel hydraulics built for Western
Region. These "Hymeks", introduced in 1961,
featured cabs slightly lower in height than the engine
room of the locomotive and, more importantly, with two
rectangular windscreens above a central four digit route
indicator. Although flat at first glance, the cab profile
of Hymeks D7000 - D7100 also had a very slight
"shark nose" positive and negative camber. Birmingham RCW followed the British Railways
Design Panel thinking almost to the letter with their
prototype D0260 "Lion", which also featured
dual steam and electric train heating, an Alsthom rubber
bogie / superstructure suspension and a lightweight steel
stressed skin construction. Like the Hymeks,
"Lion" had a slightly hump backed appearance
with its low cabs but unlike the Beyer Peacock products
had all its grilles above cantrail height. Its white
paintwork was even accentuated by silver flutes along the
bodyside to prevent the stressed skin rippling but by
1962 Birmingham RCW was in financial trouble. Like the Gloucester
Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, it had first lost its traditional wooden
coal wagon market and Colonial markets and had then run
out of smaller, simpler self propelled vehicles to build
for British Railways.
As a result, no more locomotives
like D0260 "Lion" were built in Smethwick but
several hundred very similar locomotives - starting with
D1500 - were built in Loughborough and Crewe.
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D1500 ONWARDS |
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In comparison with
"Lion", D1500 featured cabs the same height as
the main engine room ( surmounted by air intakes ), two
glazed bodyside windows instead of four and bodysides
devoid of any fluting. As initially outshopped however,
this lack of bodyside strengthening and decoration was
made up for by a horizontal two tone green livery - even
if the subsequent Hornby 00 gauge model really did have a
moulded rib to stop the two shades of green running in to
each other! This moulding was to continue into the era of
modelling plain BR blue, although thankfully retooling
now gives both the Hornby model - as well as its
prototype - the ability to take on just about any livery
and still look smartly busineslike. For me this is the
mark of good industrial design but cannot be said for all
the diesel locomotives of the era. Who, for instance, can
put their hands on their hearts and say that a D800
Warship looks better with overall yellow ends than small,
neat warning panels? That
Brush were able to build such an uncluttered monocoque
shell for D1500 however owed much to a fellow firm in the
Hawker Siddeley Group - Gloster Aircraft. Mr J.F. Cuss, Chief Designer of
the Gloster Aircraft Company at the time that the last
delta winged Javelins were being completed, was asked to
look at the strength calculations of the new Type 4 and
suggested that the side metal sheeting formed part of a
full depth beam. This allowed any buffer bending movement
to be transferred to the top of the beam by a member
visible at the rear of each cab - effectively turning the
engine compartment between the two cabs into a torsion
box.
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A
British Railways Derby built 1Co-Co1 Class 45
"Peak" rests at Washwood Heath
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Within the strong but
light girder framework, the engine for D1500 had evolved
from the twin bank Sulzer powerplant of the Peaks and -
delivering 2 750 bhp - was now known as the 12LDA 28C. In
fact Peaks numbered D138-193 were later distinguished as
Class 46 from their identically engined classmates
numbered D11-137 ( Class 45 ) by the installation of
Brush rather than Crompton Parkinson main generators and
D1500-D1519 received similar generators that had
originally been intended for a final batch of twenty
Class 46 locomotives. D1702-1706 would also later be distinguished
by the initial fitment of French built Sulzer 12 cylinder
V type engines ( officially known as Class 48 under the
Total Operations Processing System of the 1970s )
although these prime movers yielded a mere 2 650 bhp and
were replaced with regular twin bank engines in 1969.
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47 901
at Gloucester Rail Day 1989
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While the ex Class 48 12
cylinder V engine blocks went on to serve in SNCF diesel
electrics for many years, mention should also be given
when discussing Class 47 engines to the Brush Type 4 that
started life as D1628. After becoming 47 046 under TOPS,
it suffered severe damage in an accident at Peterborough
in September 1974 - only to emerge from Crewe works in
1978 as 47 601 fitted with a 16 cylinder 3250 bhp GEC
engine as a test bed for the then new Class 56 Brush Type
5 design. In
September 1978 however this engine was replaced with a
twin-turbocharged 3 300 bhp 12 cylinder Ruston diesel
that had to be proved before the introduction of the
British Rail built Class 58 in 1982. In this guise,and
wearing the leaping goat badge of Cardiff Canton depot
against three tone Railfreight grey, the renumbered 47
901 was exhibited at Gloucester Rail Day in 1989 before
being condemned in mid February 1990. Its engine was then
cannibalised for spares and its bogies given to 47 107, a
close relative of 47 105 now preserved on the
Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway.
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SUB CLASSES |
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When first introduced the
Brush Sulzer Type 4 class was designated as class 27/2 by
British Railways although most railwaymen and enthusiasts
alike simply referred to them as "Brush Type
4s". From D1500 the numbers ran to D1999 and, as the
D2000 series of numbers had already been allocated to the
Class 03 diesel mechanical shunters, a further twelve
locomotives were numbered D1100 to D1111. However, the D
- for diesel - prefix was dropped after the end of
standard gauge BR steam in 1968. Unlike some BR classes which were renumbered
into TOPS serially, the renumbering of Class 47s was
performed in an almost random fashion.
The original 27/2
classification made no distinction between locomotives
having different equipment installed, but when the Total
Operations Processing System (TOPS) was introduced in the
early 1970s the Brush Type 4s became Class 47 and were
divided into machines fitted with steam heat, no heat and
electric (or dual) heat; and allocated sub-classes 47/0,
47/3 and 47/4 respectively. Further sub classes included
the push-pull fitted 47/7 and the long range equipped
47/8 and once more added a layer of renumbering to many
individual locomotives.
Train air brakes also
became an addition to or sometimes a replacement for
traditional vacuum brake systems as Mark II passenger
carriages and new types of freight wagons were
introduced. However, fitting air compressors into the
already crowded bodyshell of the Class 47 meant that
other original equipment had to be either moved or
modified. The most noticeable example of this was the
deletion of engine radiator drain tanks, which were
replaced by radiator intake shutters at cantrail height.
These moved hydrostatically to prevent freezing in cold
weather.
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47 218
"United Transport Europe" in Railfreight
Distribution markings at Gloucester Rail Day 1991
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Brush also developed a
slow speed control which allowed locomotives to
automatically haul colliery - to - power station merry go
round coal trains through loading and unloading
facilities at half a mile an hour. All 81 Brush Type 4s
built as non train heat 47/3 variants had this equipment
by the end of the 1970s although as Classes 56 and 58
took over these duties in the 1980s many 47/3s became
Railfreight Distribution assets, many bringing Speedlink
wagons for remarshalling at Gloucester. |
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47 500
"Great Western" on the public house sign in
Alfred Street, Gloucester
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The Class 47/4 upgrade
programme was completed in early 1987 when 47 665 emerged
from Crewe works. The later 47/4s had alternator powered
electric heat systems and high mileage examples of the
original D1500-19 group with DC generator driven systems
were thus withdrawn as non standard. Among those eventually fitted with
a bright orange cylindrical plug and socket above the
right buffer was 47 500 "Great Western". In
1985 this locomotive also became "Gloucester
Famous" when its likeness appeared on the sign of a
public house in Alfred Street that had been known as
"The Plough" up until the GWR 150th Anniversary
celebrations of that year. Having started out as D1943 on
Midland Region in July 1966, it joined 47 484
"Isambard Kingdom Brunel" and 47 628 "Sir
Daniel Gooch" in being painted Great Western green
for the occasion.
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47 702
"Saint Cuthbert" joined Network South East from
ScotRail when Class 158 dhmus took over the fast
Edinburgh-Glasgow workings at the start of the 1990s
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Meanwhile in June 1966
D1938 - later 47 258 - was fitted from new with push pull
equipment and jumper cables for a proposed high speed
Paddington to Birmingham service. This did not
materialise but in 1979 twelve Class 47s were similarly
equipped for a Glasgow to Edinburgh service and
reclassified as 47/7s. On this route they would either
haul or propel Mark II Driving Brake Second Open (DBSO)
vehicles and such trains replaced the use of Birmingham
RCW Class 27s working at either end of an inter-city
rake. A further four locomotives were brought up to 47/7
standard in 1984/5. Sub
class 47/8 first appeared in 1989 from a need by British
Rail's Inter-City business sector for a long range
locomotive. The basic Brush Type 4 had a pair of fuel
tanks with a combined capacity of 720 gallons. This was
adequate for mixed traffic working when when short
distance diagrams usually followed longer journeys.
However, by the late 1980s Inter City allocated 47/4s
were required to haul consecutive trains to and from such
places as Newcatle and Penzance. Class 47/7s with 1 220
gallon fuel capacities were already at work in Scotland
from 1979 and the final 16 conversions from 47/0 to 47/7
had similarly been fitted with extra 500 gallon tanks.
This latter group of locomotives - 47 650 to 47 665 -
were to form the foundation of the 47/8 sub class.
In all 53 machines were
upgraded at Doncaster, either by RFS Industries or
British Rail Maintenance Ltd. In each instance the space
formerly occupied by a boiler water vessel was filled by
a 500 gallon H shaped fuel tank. This configuration
avoided moving the starter motor batteries. The two
existing tanks fed into the new receptacle via balance
pipes and from there fuel was pumped into the engine. The
last 47/4 to be converted - 47 556 - thus became 47 884
in May 1990.
However, the working life
of the Class 47/8s meant that their tyres, wheel sets,
brake blocks and traction motors needed attention more
frequently than their Railfreight cousins, compounding
the already high running costs of what by then were
nearly 30 year old locomotives. In 1991 the
electrification of the East Coast Main Line allowed more
cross country services to be worked by now-surplus
InterCity 125 units and since 2001 these have been
replaced in turn by Virgin Voyager trains.
Despite this, Class 47/8s
such as One-liveried 47 818 and silver Cotswold Rail
marked 813 and 828 ( named "John Peel" and
"Joe Strummer" respectively ) are still welcome
reminders of the "good old days" of locomotive
haulage, being based behind Platform 4 of Gloucester
station.
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Former
Virgin but now One liveried 47 818 parked behind Platform
4 of Gloucester station next to Anglia marked 47 714 in
2006. Both are owned by Cotswold Rail.
Click on
picture for more about the presence of Cotswold Rail in
Gloucester.
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THE CLASS 47 LIMA
MODELS |
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Inevitably the Class 47s became a
part of Gloucestershire railway life and it was no
surprise that they hauled all three of the Churchdown School railtours of the 1970s. By
the end of the 1980s though, things were beginning to
change. In the real world the new business sectors of
British Rail ( which replaced the historic Regions in
1982 ) were both establishing their new identities
through new train liveries and also turning their
attention to new forms of traction as the first and
second waves of diesel locomotives were clocking up
between two and three decades of service. Passenger
trains were increasingly likely to be hauled by InterCity
125s or newer diesel hydraulic multiple units and freight
was in the hands of either home grown Type 5 diesel
electrics or, in the case of the heaviest roadstone
traffic, by locomotives from America. The 1980s also saw
the 150th anniversaries of the Great Western and Midland
Counties Railway, organisations at the root of
Gloucester's Battle of the Gauges.
At the same time
hobby manufacturer Lima was producing a new model of the
Class 47 that not only surpassed the Hornby product that
had been around since the 1960s in terms of quality and
affordability but was also keeping up with all the new
liveries. Thinking - rightly as it turned out - that this
era could not last I invested in some of these models.
After the best part of two decades in store, I now
present their histories on these web pages and look
forward to sharing them with a wider audience at the Cheltenham GWR Modellers Exhibition of 14
and 15 April 2007.
The date ranges
underneath the names and numbers refer to the periods in
which the locomotive was actually in the same markings as
the relevant Lima model.
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47 006 |
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JANUARY
- SEPTEMBER 1990
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Originally due to
carry the Brush Falcon Works number 421, D1528 -
part of a Production Order dated 1 January 1962 -
eventually entered traffic at Finsbury Park (
34G) depot on 5 July 1963 with the number 422 on
its worksplate. Still carrying its ex works two tone
green livery with yellow warning panels, D1528
was moved further north on British Railways
Eastern Region in October 1966 when the Sulzer
powered Type 4 was reallocated to Immingham
(40B), then also mother shed to Grimsby and New
Holland.
Thirteen months
later though, November 1967 was to see another
change of shedplates to 30A - indicating a move
south to Stratford in London. The East End depot
was itself to apply SF stickers to its stud of
engines after May 1973, by which time D1528 had
been repainted in both early and standard
versions of British Rail blue livery. More
alarmingly though, D1628 also gained a reputation
as Stratford's most unreliable 47 and broke down
daily - even at Shenfield on its one and only
Royal train duty! D1528 was eventually confined
to freight trains, including the Southminster
sand duty where it ran away down Wickford bank
and caught fire as the brakes burned away.
During
refurbishment at Crewe in January 1974 D1528 was
renumbered as 47 006 and spent the next eleven
months at Gateshead (GD) before returning to
Stratford for nearly a decade and gaining the
depot's signature silver-grey roof.
May 1984 however
saw a move north of the Border to the general
freight pool at Glasgow Eastfield (ED) while the
start of 1989 saw 47 006 more specifically
allocated to the aggregates pool (FAME) at the
Scottish depot with the dog mascot, and equipped
with cab to shore radio telephony as well as dual
air and vacuum brakes. At the start of 1990
meanwhile, the previously isolated steam heating
apparatus had been removed and 47 006 was
resplendent in the three tone grey Railfreight
Construction livery modelled by Lima.
September 1990
though saw a return to England and shed
reallocation for the final time. Retaining its
Railfreight Construction livery, 47 006 joined
the FDAT Railfreight Distribution Pool of Class
47s at Tinsley (TI). By April 1991 though, it had
slipped into the sub pool of Class 47s overdue
for heavy Class F examinations (FDBT) at the
Sheffield depot and by June was stored prior to
official withdrawal in October.
47 006 was finally
cut up by C.F. Booth of Rotherham in February
1993.
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47 283 "JOHNNIE WALKER" |
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11
AUGUST 1988 - 26 SEPTEMBER 1995
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D1985 was built
at British Railways workshops in Crewe as part of
Order Lot 400 and entered traffic at Gateshead
(52A) depot, on 17 January 1966. Still carrying its ex works
two tone green livery with yellow warning panels,
D1985 was moved south on British Railways Eastern
Region in March 1970 when the Sulzer powered Type
4 was reallocated to Tinsley (41A). Staying in
Sheffield for both Tinsley's adoption of vinyl TI
stickers in May 1973 and its own renumbering as
47 283 in April 1974 ( complete with addition of
full yellow ends but no immediate blue repaint ),
the Brush Co-Co would only become a Cardiff
Canton (CF) machine in June 1977 before crossing
the Severn to Bristol Bath Road (BR) in August
1979. Then, in July 1987, 47 283 moved back to
Tinsley!
Joining the FGWA
Speedlink traffic pool, the one driver capable,
dual braked but not train heat fitted 47 283 was
named "Johnnie Walker" at Kilmarnock
station on 11 August 1988 by David Adam, Director
of whisky distillers Johnnie Walker & Son
Ltd. 1988 was also to see 47 283 given cab to
shore telephones and the then new three tone grey
Railfreight Distribution markings.
In a life
remarkably stable compared to many of its
classmates, 47 283 only lost its "Johnnie
Walker" nameplates on 26 September 1995
prior to a move to Crewe (CD) the following
November. By the start of 1999, 47 283 had also
become a Freightliner asset and had been painted
in the Freightliner version of three tone grey
with black cab doors and window surrounds and the
red triangular freightliner logo. However, a year
later 47 283 was in store at Crewe Basford Yard
and the start of 2001 saw the locomotive moved to
store at Freightliner's Southampton Maritime
facility.
Then, in what
seemed a sudden reversal of fortune, 47 283 was
recorded in early 2004 as being stored at the
Ministry of Defence base at Longtown, Cumbria, in
the blue markings of Direct Rail Services.
However, 47 283 was then scrapped in September
2004.
|
47 363 "BILLINGHAM
ENTERPRISE" |
|
1989
- OCTOBER 1991
|
Brush Falcon
Works number 644 was part of a Production Order
dated 24 March 1964 and entered traffic as D1882
at Immingham (40B) depot on 2 July 1965. Still carrying its ex works
two tone green livery with yellow warning panels,
D1882 was moved west on British Railways Eastern
Region in October 1965 when the Sulzer powered
Type 4 was reallocated to Tinsley , then also
mother shed to Shirebrook West. At that time,
Tinsley had not long taken over the 41A shedplate
of Sheffield Darnall.
In fact D1882 was
to shuttle back and forth between Immingham and
Tinsley almost until TOPS renumbering! The 40B
shedplates were once again applied in October
1968 but the non steam heat fitted Brush was back
in the South Riding of Yorkshire in July 1972 -
only to return to the south bank of the Humber
estuary that October and remain there in May 1973
when Immingham locomotives gained their IM vinyl
stickers.
September 1973
however saw a move north to Thornaby (TE) and the
renumbering of D1882 - by now with full yellow
ends - to 47 363 in February 1974. Another era of
shifting between two depots then began in the
first month of 1980 with 47 363 becoming a
Stratford locomotive only for it to return to
Thornaby in June 1981. SF stickers were once
again applicable in May 1982 only for Teesside to
beckon again in May 1984.
It was thus once
more as a Thornaby locomotive that 47 363 was named
"Billingham Enterprise" at Darlington station by
Paul Marsden, Deputy Chairman of ICI Agriculture
Division, on 6 December 1985.
By 1988 47 363 had
been repainted in both the standard BR blue its
silver roofed Stratford variant before receiving
both the original large logo grey Railfreight
markings and its later red solebar version. As
well as dual air and vacuum brakes, the
locomotive was now fitted with slow speed
controls for merry go round coal train unloading
as part of the Trainload Freight Thornaby Pool
(FTYT). Large bodyside numbers were visible by
the start of 1989 and cab to shore radio
telephone equipment was also fitted by this time.
After more than 17 years
away, 47 363 once more became a Tinsley engine in
October 1990
and was more specifically allocated to the
Railfreight Distribution subsector by the start
of 1991. In October 1991 meanwhile, a visit to
Doncaster Works saw 47 363 lose its
"Billingham Enterprise" nameplates but
gain the latest three tone grey livery and extra
fuel tankage between the bogies, thus rejoining
Tinsley in December 1991 as part of the MDDT pool
of extended range Railfreight Distribution Class
47 locomotives.
12 July 1994 saw
47 363 further renumbered as 47 385 and moved to
the DAMT pool of Tinsley Class 47s fitted with
green circle multiple unit wiring to work
Felixstowe Freightliner services. By this time
the erstwhile D1882 had lost its vacuum brake
capacity and now had a route availability of 6
and a maximum speed of 75 mph.
However, the
number 47363 was restored on 16 October 1995 and
by the start of 1996 the three tone grey Brush 4
was allocated to pool DAET for the movement of
Channel Tunnel and automotive traffic.
April 1998 though
saw 47 363 move south west to Bescot (BS) depot
and - in January 1999 - an allocation to the WHBF
Network Freight pool of English, Welsh and
Scottish Railways.
Storage then
followed in March 1999, at Springs Branch, Wigan,
in 2002 and at the end of 2006 at Carnforth,
Lancashire under the ownership of Fragonset
Merlin railways.
|
47 475 |
|
JANUARY
1990 - AUGUST 1992
|
D1603 was built
at British Railways workshops in Crewe as part of
Order Lot 400 and entered traffic at Landore
(87E) depot, Swansea, on 17 July 1964. Still carrying its ex works
two tone green livery with yellow warning panels,
D1603 was moved east on British Railways Western
Region in February 1965 when the Sulzer powered
Type 4 was reallocated to Cardiff Canton (86A).
A move across the
Severn ensued in November 1965 to the then new
diesel maintenance facility at Bristol Bath Road
(82A), only for D1603 to return to Landore in
August 1967 and back again to Canton in October
1968. March 1969 saw yet another return to
Landore, although D1603 did stay long enough to
see the depot take on the 87A shedplate formerly
of Neath (Court Sart ) in November 1969.
Similarly, a
transfer back to Bristol Bath Road in May 1972
was in time for the change from 82A shedplates to
BR vinyl stickers exactly a year later.
April 1974
meanwhile saw D1603 - now with full yellow ends -
become 47 475 in British Rail standard blue. In
May 1974 though, the dual braked, electric train
heat fitted Brush Type 4 became resident at
Bescot (BS) in the West Midlands and would stay
there until September 1985.
A move further
north up the West Coast Main Line to Carlisle
Kingmoor (KD) ensued followed by a transition
south to Crewe (CD) in May 1987. A recall to
Kingmoor came in June 1987 followed by a return
to its birthplace in October - and a journey back
to Bristol Bath Road's General Parcels Pool
(RXXA) that November!
After a period of
relative calm however, July 1988 saw 47 475
return to Crewe and by the start of 1989 it had
received cab to shore telephone equipment and a
repaint into large logo blue with a grey roof for
its work within the Provincial North Trans
Pennine Services (PTPA) pool.
By the start of
1990 however, a specialised Provincial livery of
grey, light blue, white and dark blue was
applied, according to the Platform 5 book of
Locomotives and Coaching Stock. This was
originally to have been applied to 47 660-5 but
by December 1990 47 475 was part of the RXLC
Parcels pool at Crewe. This pool was rebranded as
Rail Express Systems by the start of 1992 and 47
475 was repainted in red and grey Res livery
before being named "Restive"at Crewe
Diesel TMD without ceremony in August 1992.
By the start of
1997 47 475 had become part of freight operator
English Welsh and Scottish Railway and had also
been - along with other Class 47s in the PXLH
pool - restricted to 75mph maximum speed.
47 475 was, from
1999, placed in various levels of storage but at
the end of 2006 is privately preserved at Healey
Mills (HM) near Wakefield in West Yorkshire.
|
47 522 "DONCASTER
ENTERPRISE" |
|
3
OCTOBER 1987 - JANUARY 1990
|
D1105 was built
at British Railways workshops in Crewe as part of
Order Lot 400 and entered traffic at York ( 50A)
on 9 November 1966. York depot was to become 55B
in December 1967 and the building that it
coccupied is now part of the Great Hall of the
National Railway Museum. Still carrying its ex works two tone
green livery with yellow warning panels, D1105
was moved north east in June 1968 to Thornaby
(51L) until October that year when the Sulzer
powered Type 4 was reallocated south along the
East Coast Main Line to Finsbury Park (34G).
March 1970
meanwhile saw a move back north to another shed
more associated with Deltics - Gateshead (52A).
D1105 was to stay on Tyneside until March 1973 (
with the exception of an allocation to Leeds
Holbeck - 55A - for twelve months from October
1971 ) before it was returned to York - a depot
now claiming locomotives as its own with YK vinyl
stickers. Indeed, D1105 - by now with full yellow
ends - was to change some other bodyside
nomenclature with TOPS renumbering to 47 522 in
March 1974, although its flanks would not feel a
paintbrush full of BR standard blue for some
time.
In the meantime 47
522 spent the rest of the 1970s shuffling between
York, Gateshead (October 1974 - March 1975 and
October 1977 and January 1979) and Leeds Holbeck
( now HO, from May 1976 )
October 1980
however saw 47 522 leave York to become a London
resident again - this time at Stratford (SF)
where the electric train heat fitted locomotive
acquired a silver grey roof. Immingham (IM) then
beckoned in February 1981.
In May 1982
however, whilst working the 13.35 Glasgow Queen
St to Aberdeen service 47 522 collided with a
tractor on a farm crossing near Forteviot. The
driver had seen the danger and was able to reduce
speed but only to about 50mph unfortunately not
enough to stop in time. The train derailed,
ripped up over 300 yards of track and plunged 35
feet down an embankment. Fortunately there were
no fatalaties, although the train crew and 58
passengers were injured; four of them seriously.
Despite suffering
serious damage 47 522 was fully repaired at Crewe
at a cost estimated to be in the region of
£200,000 (including conversion to one driver
operation) and continued in operational service
from Gateshead (GD) depot.
47 522 was named
"Doncaster Enterprise" by Councillor
Gladys Ambler, Mayor of Doncaster, at Doncaster
Works, on the occasion of the Works Open Day on 3
October 1987. Unfortunately due to a casting
error, one of the nameplates had the dot missing
from the "i" in "Enterprise".
A replacement dot was stuck in position but later
fell off. More visibly apparent though was the
new LNER style apple green livery with yellow
cabs as captured on the Lima model.
May 1988 meanwhile
saw another move to Stratford (SF) for the dual
braked Parcels Sector locomotive followed by
allocation to Crewe (CD) and the fitment of cab
to shore telecommunications twelve months later.
In January 1990
however the apple green paintwork and celebrity
status of 47 522 (if not its name!) was to end in
another accident, this time near Dover. Once
again the Number 2 cab had to be replaced, this
time with one cannibalised from the withdrawn and
fire damaged 47 645, and the rebuilt
"Doncaster Enterprise" was outshopped
in red and grey Parcels Sector livery and
returned to work at Crewe Diesel Locomotive
Depot.
November 1994 saw
a change of both depots and pools - to Stratford
(SF) and EWAS ( Stratford Class 47s ) although
July 1995 saw a switch back to Crewe and more
specific allocation to the PXLH pool of Parcels
Class 47s restricted to 75 mph, as was the case
with 47 475, described above.
In January 1997 47
522 boldly went where "Doncaster
Enterprise" had never been before - to
Immingham (IM) as part of the FDKI Control
Contingency pool of Class 47s.
However, 47 522 -
now owned by English Welsh & Scottish Railway
was withdrawn at the start of 1999 and was cut up
at Wigan Springs Branch Component Recovery and
Distribution Centre in July 2000.
|
47 569 "THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE
REGIMENT" |
|
1
JULY 1990 - APRIL 1991
|
D1629 was built
at British Railways workshops in Crewe as part of
Order Lot 400 and entered traffic at Toton depot
on 17 October 1964. At this point Toton
locomotives were carrying the shedplate 16A,
formerly of Nottingham until September 1963.
Before that, Toton had been 18A. Still carrying its ex works
two tone green livery with yellow warning panels,
D1629 was then given a range of uniquely London
Midland area codes from January 1965. These began
with D16 (Nottingham Division) until April 1966
until D1629 moved allocation to LMML ( Line Power
Controller - Derby ) and then later the same
month to LMWL ( London Midland Western Lines ).
The Sulzer engined Brush Type 4 then shuffled
between these three entities until March 1971
when it joined D05 ( LM Stoke Division ), moving
again to Birmingham Division (D02) in October
that year before a return to Nottingham Division
( D16 ) in April 1972.
June 1972
meanwhile saw a move right away from London
Midland Region to Immingham and D1629 remained on
Humberside for the replacement of 40B shedplates
with IM stickers in May 1973.
Tinsley (TI)
however called in September 1973 and D1629 became
blue painted 47 047 while allocated to the South
Yorkshire depot in February 1974. A move to West
Yorkshire - specifically Leeds Holbeck (HO) -
ensued in May 1975 followed by a return to
Immingham a year later and a more radical
departure to Stratford (SF) in August 1980.
Following the
inevitable repaint of the roof to silver grey,
another change of number - this time to 47 569 -
followed in January 1981. However, the erstwhile
D1629 stayed an adopted Cockney until transfer to
Gateshead in May 1986, after which the locomotive
was modified for one driver operation and further
dispatched to Inverness (IS) for parcels duties
in October 1987.
The Scottish stint
of the dual braked electric train heating fitted
locomotive continued with an allocation to
Glasgow Eastfield ( ED ) in May 1988 before May
1989 saw 47 569 head south of the Border to
Bristol Bath Road (BR) complete with cab to shore
radio telephones and a repaint in large logo blue
livery with a grey roof and full height numbers.
On 1 July 1990, 47
569 was named "The Gloucestershire
Regiment" by Brigadier S.D.A. Firth OBE at
Gloucester Horton Road Open Day after a repaint
in red and dark grey Parcels livery.
47 569 thus became
the first diesel to bear a "Gloucester"
title. It was preceded however by nine steam
engines that spanned 150 years of progress with
such identities. Of these, the Brush Type 4's
direct link was with 1932 vintage Great Western
4-6-0 5017, renamed from "St Donat's
Castle" in April 1954 to "The
Gloucestershire Regiment 28th 61st" in
honour of that regiment's bravery in the Korean
War. Renaming Swindon built 5017 that day was
Major General C.E.A. Firth, the father of
Brigadier S.D.A. Firth OBE. The curved "The
Gloucestershire Regiment 28th 61st" plates
were on display next to 47 569 on 1 July 1990 at
Horton Road and today hang in the Soldiers of
Gloucestershire Museum in Gloucester Docks.
The Parcels colour
scheme was later amended to the Rail Express
Systems variant with light grey and dark blue
embellishments following reallocation to Crewe
(CD) in April 1991.
The nameplates of
47 569 were removed in November 1993, shortly
after the locomotive had been upgraded with 6887
litre long range fuel tanks and renumbered in a
new subsector of Class 47/7 - not machines with
early Time Division Multiplex equipment -
dedicated to parcels use and cleared to run at 95
mph with a Route Availability of 6.
47 569 thus became
47 727 in January 1994 and was named "Duke
of Edinburgh's Award" at Glasgow Central
station on 11 October that year by HRH Prince
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The name had
previously been carried by 47 716 ( another Crewe
based locomotive, formerly 47 507 ) but in this
case new Rail Express Systems style nameplates
were unveiled, each with a "Gold Award"
crest fitted above each plate.
1999 saw 47 727
come under English, Welsh and Scottish ownership
and the "Duke of Edinburgh's Award"
nameplates were removed in October 2002 (and
later transferred to 47 778) during a repaint in
EWS red and gold markings. 47 727 was also name
"Castell Caerffili / Caerphilly Castle"
without ceremony at Toton (TO) in December 2002
before returning to Crewe (CD).
In fact 47 727
"Castell Caerffili / Caerphilly Castle"
was to make a more formal move back to its first
Nottinghamshire depot in January 2004 although a
month later it was on the move again to Willesden
(WN) north London as part of the EWS Tactical
Reserve. It remains stored there at the end of
2006.
|
47 579 "JAMES NIGHTALL
G.C." |
|
1988
- NOVEMBER 1995
|
Brush Falcon
Works number 540 was part of a Production Order
dated 28 September 1962 and entered traffic as
D1778 at the six month old Tinsley (41A) depot on
23 October 1964. Still carrying its ex works two tone
green livery with yellow warning panels, D1778
was moved south on British Railways Eastern
Region in April 1966 when the Sulzer powered Type
4 was reallocated to Stratford (30A). D1778
stayed in the East End of London until May 1971
when it became a Leeds Holbeck (55A) machine.
October 1972 meanwhile saw
a move to from the West Riding of Yorkshire to
Immingham (40B), D1778 only
swapping its IM vinyl stickers for new TI
markings in September 1973 on its return to its
first depot.
While based at the
Sheffield depot in February 1974, D1778 was
renumbered 47 183 and given full yellow ends
rather than the whole new BR corporate blue
livery. However, this was applied later in the
1970s as 47 183 moved back to Immingham (IM) the
month after renumbering until York (YK) provided
a change of scenery in November 1977. The new
county of West Yorkshire welcomed 47 183 back to
Healey Mills (HM) near Wakefield in May 1978
before London called again in September 1979.
This time Stratford applied both SF stickers and
a silver grey roof to the Brush Co-Co - and then
again after renumbering to 47 579 in March 1981.
47 579 was named
"James Nightall GC" at March station,
Cambridgeshire, by Mr Baker - a representative of
the Nightall family - on 28 September 1981. At the same ceremony 47 577 was
named "Benjamin Gimbert, GC"
James William Nightall and
Benjamin Gimbert LNER fireman and driver
respectively remain the only railwaymen
and the only locomotive crew - to have won their
George Cross medals in the same incident.
During World War II, an
ammunition train, composed of 51 wagons, was
pulling into Soham Rail Station in Cambridgeshire
when Driver Gimbert discovered that the wagon
next to the engine was on fire. He immediately
drew Fireman Nightall's attention to the fire and
stopped the train. By the time the train had
stopped the whole of the truck was enveloped in
flames. Realising the danger, Gimbert instructed
Nightall to try and uncouple the wagon
immediately behind the blazing vehicle. Nightall
immediately uncoupled the wagon, despite knowing
that it contained explosives.
The blazing wagon was close
to the station buildings at Soham, and was an
obvious danger to life in the village. Both
Gimbert and Nightall realised that they had to
separate the truck from the remainder of the
train. Gimbert started the locomotive, pulling
the burning wagon away from the rest of the
train. As they approached the signal box, Gimbert
shouted to the signalman to stop the mail train
that was almost due. At that instance, the bombs
in the blazing wagon exploded.
A 20 feet deep crater was
blown in the track and all the buildings at Soham
railway station were destroyed. A total of 600
buildings were damaged, including the station
hotel. Fireman Nightall was killed instantly, and
the signalman later died of his injuries. The
train's guard, Herbert Clarke, survived although
he was very badly shaken.
Despite being blown
sky-high by the explosion, Gimbert survived until
6 May 1976. During his 6-week stay in hospital
some 32 assorted pieces of glass, gravel and
metal were removed from his body.
One driver
operation equipment was fitted by 1987 to the
dual braked electric train heat capable 47 579
which was now part of the Network South East
sector of British Rail. 47 579 was also one of
only two locomotives painted in large logo livery
with blue cabsides, the other being fellow George
Cross memorial 47 577, although this colour
scheme was superceded in 1988 by the first
variant of Network South East markings. 1988 also
saw 47 579 equipped with cab to shore radio
equipment and placed in the NNEA pool of Network
South East locomotives working services to Kings
Lynn.
In April 1990
however, 47 579 was moved for the first time to
what had been Western Region, joining the NWRA
pool of Network South East locomotives at Old Oak
Common (OC) and later working commuter trains
over the North Downs.
A two month stay
at Eastleigh (EH) from March 1993 then led to a
return to Stratford (SF) - barring two brief
reallocations to Crewe (CD) and an upgrade to
Class 47/7 standard in November 1995. This not
only involved the fitment of long range fuel
tankage but also Railway Clearing House standard
jumper cables to allow operation with the
Propelling Control Vehicles used to aid the
shunting movements of locomotive hauled Royal
Mail trains.
When 47579 was
booked for such conversion it was allocated
number 47757, but due to it being still required
in the NXXB pool the work was deferred, and it
eventually became the final conversion and
renumbered 47 793. 47 585 took 47 579's place and
became 47 757.
The "James
Nightall GC" nameplates were also removed at
this juncture before a repaint in Rail Express
Systems colours, in which 47 793 was named
"Saint Augustine" by The Most Reverend David Hope,
Archbishop of York, on 24 June1996 at Newcastle
Central station.
By the start of
1997 however, 47 793 "St Augustine" was
more firmly based at Crewe (CD) and more
specifically its PXLB pool of extended range 95
mph Class 47s.
47 793 "St
Augustine" was an English Welsh and Scottish
asset by the start of 1999 and during early 2003
was repainted in EWS red and gold colours and
renamed "Christopher Wren" in February
that year without ceremony at its new home of
Toton (TO). However, since 2004 47 793
"Christopher Wren" has been stored at
its former depot at Healey Mills (HM) as part of
the EWS Tactical Reserve.
|
47 583 "COUNTY OF
HERTFORDSHIRE" |
|
1982
- JUNE 1993
|
Brush Falcon
Works number 529 was part of a Production Order
dated 28 September 1962 and entered traffic as
D1767 at Tinsley (41A) depot on 29 October 1964. Still carrying its ex works
two tone green livery with yellow warning panels,
D1767 was moved south on British Railways Eastern
Region in February 1965 when the Sulzer powered
Type 4 was reallocated to Stratford (30A) for
just four months before its return to the South
Riding of Yorkshire. July 1965 then saw D1767
head north for a loan to Leeds Holbeck (55A)
followed by a move to York (55B) in October 1969.
A month later though, D1767 was back at Tinsley!
March 1970
meanwhile heralded another London allocation -
this time to Finsbury Park (34G) where D1767
stayed for the depot's tenth birthday just a
month later. July 1970 though meant a move to
Immingham (40B) although the Brush Co-Co was to
stay on Humberside through its change of number
to 47 172 - and change of colour to new BR blue -
in March 1974.
A longer
allocation to Stratford (SF) - and a new silver
grey roof - began in May 1975 although this was
interrupted by a return to Immingham (IM) from
October 1977 to May 1978. 47 172 was however
based in London's East End on 26 July 1979 when
it visited Hertford East station to be named
"County of Hertfordshire" by Major A J
Hughes, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council.
This name was
retained following a further renumbering in
November 1980 when 47 172 became 47 583. The
livery was also to be transformed into standard
large logo BR Blue and then a special Royal
Wedding variant -featuring long horizontal white
stripes - of the same in 1981 before the rest of
the decade saw 47 583 in both original and
revised Network South East markings.
October 1987
marked a move to the Great Western Main Line at
Old Oak Common (OC) by which time one driver
operation equipment had been fitted to the dual
braked ETH capable locomotive. Cab to shore
telephones were also aboard by the start of 1990, although 1993 proved a much more
unsettled year with 47 583 moving to Crewe in May
- via a short allocation to Eastleigh (EH) - and
both gaining a new Rail Express Systems livery
and losing its nameplates in June.
The name
"County of Hertfordshire" was
subsequently carried by 47 711 but for now 47 583
became part of the PXLC pool, moving to the PXLB pool of Rail
Express Systems extended range Class 47s in March
1996. This followed the addition of twin fuel
tanks and Railway Clearing House standard jumper
cables to allow operation with the Propelling
Control Vehicles used to aid the shunting
movements of locomotive hauled Royal Mail trains.
This upgrade also involved the application of a
new number - 47 734 - and a new name: "Crewe
Diesel Depot Quality Approved". These plates
appeared at Crewe TMD without ceremony.
1999 saw 47 734
"Crewe Diesel Depot Quality Approved"
become part of English Welsh and Scottish Railway
and in June part of a pool coded WHDM for
locomotives with reliability modifications. In
April 2001 it moved to Toton (TO) after spending
some time hired to Serco Railtest and joined the
EWS Tactical Reserve at Healey Mills (HM) in
March 2004.
On 28 September
2002 however 47 734 "Crewe Diesel Depot
Quality Approved" piloted Fragonset liveried
47 703 "Saint Mungo" at the head of the
1A78 coded First Great Western 1540 service from
Paignton to Paddington - the last regular
locomotive hauled Inter City passenger service in
the UK.
|
47 620 "WINDSOR CASTLE" |
|
26
JULY 1985 - AUGUST 1989
|
D1654 was built at British Railways
workshops in Crewe as part of Order Lot 400 and
entered traffic at Cardiff Canton (86A) on 23
January 1965.
Still
carrying its ex works two tone green livery with
yellow warning panels, D1654 was moved west along
the South Wales coast to Landore (87E) the next
month until it returned to Canton (86A) in April.
The Sulzer powered Type 4 was then based at
Landore again from August 1967 to October 1970,
when it moved east of the Severn to Old Oak
Common (81A). D1654 stayed put in West London as
the depot changed shedplates for OC stickers in
May 1973 and for its own number and livery change
to 47 070 in February 1974.
47
070 was back in the Principality at Canton (now
CF) in May 1975 but was to stay in England after
July 1983, first at Bristol Bath Road (BR) and
then Old Oak Common (OC) from June 1984, three
months before 47 070 was renumbered as 47 620 in
September that year.
Unlike
a similar event a decade earlier, repainting did
not go hand in hand with renumbering but 47 620
was clad in the original BR Inter City colours of
the early 1980s when, on 26 July 1985 at
Paddington station, Her Majesty The Queen
unveiled its name "Windsor Castle".
Another - oval - plate fitted beneath the
nameplates read "This locomotive was named
by HM The Queen in 1985, the 150th anniversary
year of the Great Western Railway".
This
was not just a tribute to a much loved Royal
residence as in 1952 a Great Western 4-6-0
nymbered 4082 and named "Windsor
Castle" appeared to haul the funeral train
of his late Majesty King George VI - the father
of HM Queen Elizabeth II - from Paddington to
Windsor. In reality it was the more modern
Swindon built 4-6-0 7013 "Bristol
Castle", as the real 4082 "Windsor
Castle" was at the time under repair at
Swindon Works.
However,
once the name and number plates had been
exchanged for the funeral they were never changed
back. To complicate matters further, the real
4082 ( now masquerading as 7013 ) received a
double chimney in May 1958 and had its original
fluted inside valve casing ( the real giveaway to
its 1924 vintage ) replaced with a new design of
straight casing with a square edge to the tread
plate and centre portion raised to clear the
exhaust passages.
A move to Bath
Road (BR) in May 1988 coincided with the fitment
of cab to shore radio telephones to 47 610 while
in August 1989 the number - but not the name -
changed again to 47835 with the addition of long
range fuel tanks. Liveries for 47 835
"Windsor Castle" would initially be
Mainline ( including a yellow lower front and
white numbers ) and, from 1991, Inter City
Swallow.
Following a
lifetime association with the former Western
Region, the first day of 1995 found 47 835
"Windsor Castle" based at Crewe (CD)
but also about to strengthen its Royal links. The
"Windsor Castle" plates were to be
removed in May prior to repaint in a regal claret
lined with red and black, renumbering as 47 799
and renaming - this time without ceremony at
Crewe (CD) - as "Prince Henry" on the
eighth day of the month.The locomotive was also embellished
by a cast number and Royal crest although the
cast RES logo would be removed in August 1997 and
replaced by EWS animal head logo applied under
the non-driving side window.
As a
result, 47 799 "Prince Henry" joined
the PXLP fleet of VIP locomotives at Crewe (CD)
in November 1996 although the locomotive had been
moved by EWS to Toton (TO) by the start of 2004
and a year later was listed as stored
unserviceable at the former Ferrybridge power
station, West Yorkshire.
|
47 628 "SIR DANIEL
GOOCH" |
|
NOVEMBER
1984 - MAY 1989
|
D1663
was built at British Railways workshops in Crewe
as part of Order Lot 400 and entered traffic at
Landore (87E) on 20 February 1965.
Still
carrying its ex works two tone green livery with
yellow warning panels, D1663 was moved east along
the South Wales coast to Canton (86A) thirteen
months later, only to boomerang back to Landore
(87E) in August 1966.
In
the meantime however, D1663 was named "Sir
Daniel Gooch" at Paddington station on 8 May
1965 by Sidney Green, General Secretary of the
National Union of Railwaymen.
D1663
was to stay in Wales until transferring to Old
Oak Common (81A) in February 1973. The Sulzer
powered Brush Type 4 was still based in West
London for its TOPS renumbering a year later,
although it had already been painted blue by the
time that D1663 became 47 078. Happily, the Great
Western style Egyptian slab serif style
nameplates that the locomotive had acquired some
nine years before were retained.
47
078 "Sir Daniel Gooch" returned to
Canton (CF) in October 1976 but in February 1978
the locomotive collided with derailed tankers on
a Southampton to Birmingham freight at Appleford
north of Didcot. The non-driver side of the No.1
end cab was badly damaged and the loco was stored
for a time at Oxford before being removed to
Crewe for repairs.
Fortunately
47 078 "Sir Daniel Gooch" was back in
service at Bristol Bath Road in May 1983 and was
even upgraded to Class 47/4 status in November 1984. Still called
"Sir Daniel Gooch" ( albeit with new
nameplates even more reminiscent of GWR practice
), 47 078 became 47 628 and even got a new coat
of lined Great Western green paint.
As
part of the Great Western Railway's 150th
Anniversary celebrations, similar colours were
applied to 47 079, 47 484, 47 500 and Class 50 50
007. 47 628 also moved back to Old Oak Common
(OC) in January 1985 and would not be back at
Bath Road (BR) until May 1989, during which year
the nameplates were removed and Mainline livery (
including yellow lower front and white numbers )
was applied to the one driver only capable dual
braked ETH fitted Co-Co.
Old
Oak Common (OC) had allocated 47 628 to the
Western Region Civil Engineer's Department but at
Bath Road (BR) the former "Sir Daniel
Gooch" formed part of a Parcels pool of
locomotives shared between both depots.
Parcels
traffic continued to dominate the life of 47 628
after it moved to Crewe (CD) in May 1991 and it
had been repainted in Rail Express Systems
markings by the start of 1994. The start of 1997
meanwhile saw 47 628 upgraded with the addition
of twin fuel tanks and Railway Clearing House
standard jumper cables to allow operation with
the Propelling Control Vehicles used to aid the
shunting movements of locomotive hauled Royal
Mail trains.
By
the start of 1999 however 47 628 had been
selected for component recovery storage at Crewe
Basford Hall Yard and despite attempts at
preservation the locomotive was moved to the
scrapyard of Ron Hull Junior in Rotherham on 13
February 2006 and cut up on 14 March.
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47 709 "THE LORD
PROVOST" |
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DECEMBER
1986 - JANUARY 1991
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Brush Falcon
Works number 704 was part of a Production Order
dated 24 March 1964 and entered traffic as D1942
on the Western Lines of London Midland Region
(LMWL) on 16 June 1966. Still carrying its ex works two tone
green livery with yellow warning panels, one year
later D1942 was loaned to London Midland's
Nottingham Division (D16) for a month but stayed
on LMWL until the Sulzer powered Type 4 was
reallocated to Birmingham Division (D02) in June
1968.
Stoke Division
(D05) claimed D1942 from November 1969 to October
1971 although after a second stint of service on
D02 the engine moved to Western Region's Bristol
Bath Road (82A) in September 1972 - and here it
stayed until May 1974, by which time Bath Road
had been issued with BR vinyl stickers rather
than shedplates and D1942 had become BR blue 47
499 for just thre months.
The new home of 47
499 was across the River Severn at Landore (LE)
although a return from Swansea to Bristol was
made in May 1977 before the Brush Type 4 really
began wandering! Plymouth Laira (LA) beckoned a
year later only for 47 499 to heed the skirl of
the pipes and head north to Edinburgh Haymarket
(HA) in July 1979.
It was here two
months later that 47 499 was renumbered 47 709,
given a silver grey roof and named "The Lord
Provost" in line with a refurbishment for
single driver operation of 100 mph push pull
services between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Apart
from Time Division Multiplex system Railway
Clearing House type jumper cables and
driver-guard telephones for this purpose, long
range fuel tanks were also fitted.
47 709 "The
Lord Provost" was to stay at Haymarket until
transfer to Glasgow Eastfield in October 1987
although exactly three years later - after the
fitment of cab to shore telephones in 1988 -
another radical relocation - due to Class 158
dhmus taking over Edinburgh-Glasgow services -
was to bring the Brush to West London's Old Oak
Common (OC) depot and Network South East North
Downs commuter duties.
The nameplates
were removed in January 1991 when the revised
version of Network South East livery replaced
blue stripe Scotrail markings applied by December
1986.
After a brief
allocation to Eastleigh (EH) in March 1993, 47
709 was repainted in Rail Express Systems red and
grey markings and transferred to Crewe (CD)
although in October 1997 it became a part of
Fragonset Railways and was moved to their
Birmingham depot and repainted in their house
colours of black with a silver roof and red
bodyside band lined out in white.
The locomotive was
further named "Dionysos" at Derby ( its
new home from June 2001 ) in August 2001 while
during 2005 it was repainted in Nanking Blue to
match Fragonset's "Blue Pullman" set of blue and
white locomotive hauled carriages.
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97 561 "MIDLAND COUNTIES
RAILWAY 150 1839-1989" |
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23
MAY - 15 JULY1989
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D1614 was built at British Railways
workshops in Crewe as part of Order Lot 400 and
entered traffic at Worcester (85A) on 25 August
1964.
Still
carrying its ex works two tone green livery with
yellow warning panels, D1614 was moved west to
Cardiff Canton (86A) two months later but started
1966 as an Old Oak Common (81A) machine. Despite this however, D1614 returned
to South Wales - Swansea Landore (87E) to be
precise - in August 1966.
Apart
from a spell at Bristol Bath Road (82A) from
January 1968 to March 1969, D1614 remained a
Landore resident until January 1973 when it
joined the Birmingham Division (D02) of London
Midland Region. Officially based at Bescot (BS)
from May that year, D1614 was repainted in BR
blue and renumbered 47 034 on 3 March 1974.
A
journey north up the West Coast Main Line ensued
in October 1976 when 47 034 was reallocated to
Crewe (CD), and blue livery was retained on
renumbering to 47 561 on 16 October 1980.
May
1987 saw a five month move back to Bescot,
although 47 561- by now fitted for one driver
operation and part of the DRTC Railway Technical
Centre research pool - was back in Cheshire for
departmental renumbering as 97 561 on 15
September 1988. This coincided with a repaint in
Midland Railway red livery and at Derby Station
on 23 May 1989 97 561 was jointly named
"Midland Counties 150 1839-1989 by Councillor John Riley, Lord Mayor of
Nottingham and Councillor Leslie Shepley, Lord
Mayor of Derby.
This
name was retained when the locomotive was
renumbered 47 973 on 15 July 1989 although the
plates were finally removed on 8 March 1990.
On 25
September 1990 however, the name "Derby
Evening Telegraph" was unveiled on 47 973 by
Derek Perkins, the longest surviving employee of
the Derby Evening Telegraph, at the Advanced
Projects Laboratory, BR Research Centre Derby.
The Derby coat of arms was also fitted below the
nameplates, which were finally removed in
September 1996.
By
the start of 1992, 47 973 had been repainted in
Mainline markings ( including yellow lower front
and white numerals ) and the dual braked eth
fitted Co-Co began an eleven month reallocation
to Bescot (BS) in April 1993 before returning to
Crewe (CD)
From
March 1996 however, 47 973 was stored inside
Adtranz Crewe Works and officially withdrawn that
October. it was cut up at the former LNWR
locomotive works by MRJ Phillips in March 1997
although one cab survived at Barrow Hill for many
years.
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For more about Class 47 locomotives
visit www.Class47.co.uk |
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