Did Green Liveried Class 47s operate SW of Bristol?

[cary hill]

I hope this is the right place for this question.

 

I was wondering if green liveried Class 47 locomotives would have operated in any numbers SW of Bristol before 1971. I have found very little photographic evidence of this, presumably because the SW was an Hydraulic stronghold until the early 1970s.

 

Thanks,

 

David

['CHARD]

http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_zoom_v2.php?img=0998050160210

 

There's just one I found instantly on the Class 47 site.

 

On the basis that the Western had - for example - all the namers allocated to it from new, I'd say they were pretty common west of Brizzle.

[cary hill]

http://www.class47.c...g=0998050160210

 

There's just one I found instantly on the Class 47 site.

 

On the basis that the Western had - for example - all the namers allocated to it from new, I'd say they were pretty common west of Brizzle.

 

Thanks for that - I'm obviously having a senior moment, as I have visited that site many times before, but for some reason it did not occur to me today. I think it has over 26,000 photos of Class 47's so hopefully there will be more examples of Green 47s in the SW.

 

Thanks,

 

David

[brushman47544]

Whilst I agree that Class 47s will have made frequent appearances west of Bristol in the early days, I expect it wasn't a regular as might be expected. When new, I think they were only allocated to Canton, Landore and a few to Bath Road. That will have limited their travels, because crews in the SW would probably not have been type trained on them, so diagramming west from Bristol might have caused problems for trains with scheduled crew changes on route, e.g. at Newton Abbot or Plymouth.

 

In a similar vein, wasn't Western D1066 considered rare in the SW because it was for most of its time allocated to Landore?

[The Stationmaster]

WR Brush Type 4s (as they then were) seemed initially to make their mark on Paddington-Birmingham turns and the spread further as mentioned above. But the important thing to remember about them is that the Western had quite a few in 5 day cyclic diagrams (there were also some similar diagrams for D10XX) and this meant that they could theoretically go anywhere that there were men trained to drive them as they could be away from home depot for all of the 5 days. The key - which I can't answer - is when did depots west of Bristol learn them and how far did Bristol men get with them (probably the limit was Exeter?) before then? And once a depot knew them they would get regular work on them.

(and lurking in the back of my mind is something about appearing quite early on one of the 'Clayliner' workings)

[Pennine MC]

The key - which I can't answer - is when did depots west of Bristol learn them and how far did Bristol men get with them (probably the limit was Exeter?) before then? And once a depot knew them they would get regular work on them.

(and lurking in the back of my mind is something about appearing quite early on one of the 'Clayliner' workings)

 

This is another of those things that has come up so often that it's numbed my brain into not remembering the precise answer, but type 4 diesel electrics in general (45/46/47) started to become more regular west of Bristol from about 1968/69, probably as part of the planned rundown of the hydraulic fleet. Prior to that, NE/SW class 1 trains generally changed engines at Temple Meads and there'd have been little need for West Country crews to know 47s, simply because the indigenous locos could handle everything.

 

The connection you're thinking of, Mike, will be that dual braked locos were required for the Par Freightliner and the Bowaters slurry tanks, and until the 'Thousands' started to be thus fitted, that effectively meant 47s.

 

To return to the OP, given the relatively slow rate of repaint of what were mostly pretty new locos, green 47s wouldnt have been at all rare between 1969 and 1971.

[Cornish Triang Paul]

I know the first 47 in Cornwall was Mammoth but i cant find the date...... . Think it was green but need to confirm.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Funny someone should mention D1066, as that was the one Thousand that eluded me.

 

The Brush Type 4s appeared on such workings as the Clayliner mentioned above, as well as a Freightliner that originated at Par. I'd say around 10% of passenger workings were handled by them by the late 1960s - more on summer Saturdays when LMR (especially Bescot and Crewe examples) would make an appearance.

 

Regards,

Peter

 

 

[Rugd1022]

I know the first 47 in Cornwall was Mammoth but i cant find the date...... . Think it was green but need to confirm.

 

Yep, D1670 Mammoth (still in original two tone green wit hsmall yellow warning panels) was the loco which worked the first 'Clayliner' from St Blazey in 1967, publicity photos were taken at the time with a headboard mounted on the loco's front. There are one or two photos online but I can't remember where (sorry!).

[Tankerman]

Although not a revenue earning trip I remember going to Truro sometime in 1965 to see City of Truro being named; and I think it was said at the time that she was the first 47 to come into Cornwall.

[Cornish Triang Paul]

June 8 1965 indeed. (www.class47.co.uk) And still going with Colas.

[Rivercider]

Diesel Days Devon & Cornwall by John Vaughan, has D1542 on 1A76 Paignton - Padd at Newton Abbot on 10/6/69,

also D1920 at Dainton on 6B36 in 1973.

 

cheers

[Tim Hale]

I travelled behind a named Brush4 on a leave special from Pompey to Redruth (via Yeovil Junc) in the late 60's, certainly in green and presumably exSR region. The squadron had disembarked at Portsmouth and were returning to Culdrose.

 

Tim

[slilley]

 

Yep, D1670 Mammoth (still in original two tone green wit hsmall yellow warning panels) was the loco which worked the first 'Clayliner' from St Blazey in 1967, publicity photos were taken at the time with a headboard mounted on the loco's front. There are one or two photos online but I can't remember where (sorry!).

 

There is a picture of the first Clayliner in Class 47: 50 Years of Locomotive History due out later this month

[Russell Saxton]

Put it like this, about 80% of the class were green in 1970 so the likelihood is yes for any loco.

Apart from 1932 and new built blue 1953-61 the entire block 1785-1999 was green on Jan 1st 1971 as well as most of the earlier series.

I do have green to blue dates for the lot if you need them.

[Fat Controller]

D1676 was sighted at Tavistock North on driver training duties, 19th January 1967. There is an undated photograph of this event in Tavistock North & South by A R Kingdom, Ark Publications. I have seen a colour print also, possibly from a Colour Rail Slide. The line closed in 1968 so, even if there is any doubt about the date, it was before then.

Here's a link to a photo of this on Ernie Brack's site:-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/5730109928/in/album-72157626616886621/