Class 47 photos

[Rugd1022]

15 hours ago, Halvarras said:

Some colour views around Truro in pre-TOPS days, from the same Instamatic camera (which I found again in the loft the other day - historical artefact that, the things that little camera has been pointed at.......sigh). Back then I could only afford colour film from time to time.

 

First of all, the last - the final Brush Type 4 out of Loughborough and of all, D1961, awaits the off at Truro on 31st July 1971 wearing its original blue livery, hardly surprising as it only went into traffic in January 1968 after a spell at RTC Derby, possibly connected with its ETH equipment fitted from new. It did receive a repaint into standard blue as 1961, I recall seeing it ex-works somewhere. Work still going on in the yard. D1961 became 47515 and was withdrawn in January 1991, just 23 years after delivery:

 

And a couple of weeks later on 14th August D1717 about to tackle the 1-in-60 to Highertown Tunnel, with my 'second home' since 1966 spanning the view! In later life this one would become 47555 'The Commonwealth Spirit', which I would see at Banbury in April 1979 just days after its naming:

 

Another view from the same bridge on 7th April 1973 showing 1645 doing what D1717 was about to do. 1645 very briefly managed to acquire a TOPS number 47061 while still in green livery - not much escaped the attention of Russell Saxton but this one nearly got away, as was often the case just one photo clinched it! This '47' is still alive and well as 47830 and was recently seen running about back in two-tone green livery on route-training duties - I had no idea that it was still with us so looking up its original identity was a pleasant surprise, as I clearly recall being on this bridge and seeing it arrive in the yard on a down freight in the dark one evening, must have been around March 1972 not long after the remodelling had finished. Note that although Truro Yard had officially reopened on 7th November 1971 the warehousing was still going up on the site of the old steam shed 18 months later - I have no memory of the latter's demolition, it seemed to be there one day and gone the next. Truro West Box had originally stood beyond the roof of the GUV. Like Par, Truro will lose its semaphore signals this year (delayed from 2019) but I suppose those visible here very nearly 50 years ago are not the same as those about to get the chop.........??

To traffic in 1965 and still active it's safe to say that D1645 has done considerably better than D1961!!

 

A lovely set of photos there, very nice. Sad to hear that Truro and Par are to lose their semaphores this year, I suppose it's inevitable really but still sad all the same. Back in 2007 and 08 I nipped down to Cornwall to photograph all of the semaphores as much as I could, I'm really glad I did now.

[Halvarras]

A few more of my pre-TOPS Instamatic Class 47 photos....

Two more at Truro taken on unrecorded dates in April 1972, firstly 1600 on an up working. By this time all up trains used Platform 3 as the former up P4 on the other side of the footbridge had been truncated at this end during the 1971 remodelling. Before then Falmouth branch trains had used P3, plus a few other workings such as parcels - one which particularly sticks in the mind was the up 'Perishables' (mainly fruit and veg) headcode 3A97 which laid over for around 20 minutes late afternoon and was a good bet for a '47', which gave me my first close-up examination of a Brush Type 4, D1933 (now preserved 47596) doing the honours.

 

And 1923 on a down in the cutting leading to Highertown Tunnel - this must have been an unusual view since it was only possible at a time of year when the sun was high enough but the spring vegetation hadn't yet obliterated the view. Almost certainly impossible these days, although NR has been hard at work cutting back vegetation recently so who knows.....? By now Falmouth branch DMUs were running in and out of Truro's P1 on the down main, such trains therefore regularly using the bay platform again as they had in steam days. Note that the site of the former steam shed beyond was still a wasteland:

 

1613 at Hereford on 12th August 1972 - Judging from other photos I suspect that Crewe Works gave this one a full repaint into TTG when it collected the later-style numbers, so it's perhaps no surprise that its green paintwork was still in fairly good condition when renumbered 47033 in 1974. It has also lost its works plate on this corner. 

 

And a colour shot of 1109 at Kings Cross on 12th May 1973 - another with green paintwork in such good condition that it was one of only seven Class 47/4s to run in TOPS green livery, as 47526 (and six of these were from the tiny D11xx batch!) Nice buffers, by the way:

 

[Halvarras]

I mentioned that six of the seven TOPS green 47/4 locos were from the ER's D11xx batch so which one was the odd one out? The answer is, this one:

....the WR's 1936 seen at Reading in 1973 (sorry, can't find the actual date). It was renumbered 47494 under TOPS (with bodyside numbers) and was the only green 474xx-numbered example. It had a 'partner' in 1932:

Delving into memory here but I believe that these two were the WR's first ETH conversions in late 1971 and as can be seen, unlike all of those which followed, neither received a repaint. They arrived back on the WR some way ahead of the delivery of the Mark 2e stock they were equipped to work so I think they spent the summer of 1972 on loan to Gateshead so their newly-fitted ETH could be put to good use. I happened to be in the vicinity of the ECML for a couple of months that summer too and seem to recall seeing 1932 from a distance - an early blue 47 on aircons, what else could it have been? (Yes OK, I do have a photo of a Western on aircons at Reading so anything is possible!!) Perhaps somebody can confirm this Gateshead loan theory, or was I just imagining it!?

1932 was renumbered 47493 still in this June 1968-applied coat of blue and was unique in retaining all four arrow logos with cabside numbers - photos are rare, all I can offer is this shot taken at Cardiff Canton on 14th September 1974 where it just sneaks into view bottom right (there are so many things I wish I'd better recorded during that interesting period, but heck, there were still Westerns in abundance at the time and I couldn't afford to photograph everything!):

The Westerns were D1050 front and D1011 rear, if I may be so bold in a Class 47 thread!

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by Halvarras

[Halvarras]

Before I push off and let others get a look-in, two more. I mentioned above that 47493 was unique but it was in a select band of just three - the other two early blue examples with four bodyside logos which lasted long enough to receive TOPS numbers were 1684 (47097) and 1712 (47123) and these had their driver's corner logos painted out to place the new number in the standard position, as per the latter at Old Oak Common on 6th April 1974 (grrr, that Halina camera really was a piece of s..., why I didn't just stump up for the Zenith-E I bought later that year anyway I'll never know! Still, any photo is better than no photo I s'pose):

I did take a shot of the other one but from such an awkward angle I didn't see the unusual livery until it swept past - bit late by then and like so many other such interesting sights the next time I saw it it was in standard blue.

 

Finally, here's my first-ever sight of a Class 47 with TOPS numbers - 47337, the former 1818, at Cardiff Canton on 29th  September 1973. At that time the only TOPS locos around were all works output. I wasn't particularly happy to see the old numbers I'd logged over the previous 7 years fade into history and I'd got used to reeling off 47 numbers starting with 'teens', if you know what I mean - like years - but I had to bow to the inevitable (sob!) Thing is, when you look back on it the railways have always been in a constant state of change - for example the blue paint was barely dry on the last green 47 when 56036 appeared in Large Logo livery, now that was a real eyeful at the time to be sure!

[Halvarras]

PS Forgot to mention that my first TOPS Class 47 as pictured above is not only still with us (in body if not in engine!) but as 57602 regularly passes not far from my house under cover of darkness on GWR's 'Night Riviera' service.

By a spooky coincidence a pair of photos of it awaiting departure from Paddington for Penzance have appeared on the Cornwall Railway Society's website this morning. Honestly, I should rush out and play the Lottery.....!

[45125]

On 30/01/2023 at 22:15, brushman47544 said:

Whoever it was did a neat job of painting out the D number under the cab window. No overpainting the yellow, just the green was a shade too dark.

 

Never noticed before how the driver’s door kickplate breaks up the straight edge of the sherwood green band.

Don't forget the sherwood green would have faded and that patch is new sherwood green..

[6990WitherslackHall]

Class 47s D1924 'Crewe Diesel Depot' and D1935 'Roger Hosking 1925-2013' double heading the Statesman at York on 18/02/23. 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by 6990WitherslackHall

[6990WitherslackHall]

WCRC Class 47s 47245 'VE Day 75 Anniversary' and 47804 stabled in the sidings opposite platform 11 at York yesterday (18/02/23)

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by 6990WitherslackHall

[6990WitherslackHall]

A slightly out of focus photo of 47798 'Prince William' at the Railway Museum in York yesterday (18/02/23).

 

[franciswilliamwebb]

 

47205 at Slindon on 08/06/01 (my photo)

[franciswilliamwebb]

 

47329 at Derby on 12/05/87 (my photo)

[ColinK]

My photo taken at 1996 Crewe Works open day.

 

[montyburns56]

47555 Bromsgrove 1998 by Dave Gommersall 

 

 

[The Pilotman]

On 13/02/2023 at 19:59, Halvarras said:

I mentioned that six of the seven TOPS green 47/4 locos were from the ER's D11xx batch so which one was the odd one out? The answer is, this one:

....the WR's 1936 seen at Reading in 1973 (sorry, can't find the actual date). It was renumbered 47494 under TOPS (with bodyside numbers) and was the only green 474xx-numbered example. 

I think that’s the first time I’ve seen a picture of a pre-TOPS green 47 on air-conditioned stock. That combination can’t have happened very often. 

[hexagon789]

1 hour ago, The Pilotman said:

I think that’s the first time I’ve seen a picture of a pre-TOPS green 47 on air-conditioned stock. That combination can’t have happened very often. 

Very common on the ECML in the early 70s

[The Pilotman]

44 minutes ago, hexagon789 said:

Very common on the ECML in the early 70s

And strange to think that there were still coaches in that livery when some 47s were in InterCity Swallow livery.

[Halvarras]

5 hours ago, hexagon789 said:

Very common on the ECML in the early 70s

 

They would have been D1103/5/6/8/9/10 (47520/2/3/5/6/7). I say 'D1103' deliberately as it was still running with D prefixes in 1973, probably the last 47 I ever saw like that - chances are it still had them when TOPS renumbering came around.

 

It's an interesting thought that, if Crewe had switched to BR blue the same month as Brush Loughborough (November 1966) during construction of the final class members at both locations, D1105-11 would have looked like D1953-61, with cabside logos and bodyside numbers. But I guess Crewe had excess stocks of two shades of green paint to use up!

 

[hexagon789]

7 hours ago, Halvarras said:

 

They would have been D1103/5/6/8/9/10 (47520/2/3/5/6/7). I say 'D1103' deliberately as it was still running with D prefixes in 1973, probably the last 47 I ever saw like that - chances are it still had them when TOPS renumbering came around.

 

It's an interesting thought that, if Crewe had switched to BR blue the same month as Brush Loughborough (November 1966) during construction of the final class members at both locations, D1105-11 would have looked like D1953-61, with cabside logos and bodyside numbers. But I guess Crewe had excess stocks of two shades of green paint to use up!

 

It's funny, I think it came up in a previous thread that it was exactly that - using up paint stocks!

[Rugd1022]

Photo by John Goodale : 47 075 at Derby on 19th December 1981...

 

 

 

[montyburns56]

47522 Doncaster Enterprise at York 1988 by George Woods

 

 

[hexagon789]

Some photos of mine taken this morning at Glasgow Queen Street of the LSL/Inter City ScotRail Express railtour:

 

47712 'Lady Diana Spencer' after arrival from Edinburgh with 1Z12 the 0902 Edinburgh to Glasgow QS:

 

 

And preparing to depart at 1000 with 1Z13 back to Edinburgh:

 

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by hexagon789

[franciswilliamwebb]

 

47205 at Washwood Heath on 07/09/78 (my photo)

[Rugd1022]

3 hours ago, franciswilliamwebb said:

 

47205 at Washwood Heath on 07/09/78 (my photo)

 

The old Down Arrival line in the foreground is now gone and the land to the right is part of HS2.

[CWJ]

A few of my photos (of varying quality!) from the last couple of decades:

 

47826 asserts its carbon footprint on the Cumbrian Coast line with a circular railtour from York on 15th October 2011.

 

47802 in early DRS livery at Haworth station on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, 25th April 2004.  The three locos were visiting the line to test new control electronics in the 20 and the 37.

 

47828 'Joe Strummer' and a sister loco in Cotswold Rail livery stabled at Doncaster on 23rd December 2009 while the works shunter makes itself useful by shuffling a Class 91 around.

 

2nd June 2011 and 47749 'Demelza' approaches York from the North.

 

A few days earlier on 27th May 2011, the other end of the same loco can be seen at the other end of York station.

 

The opposite side of 47826 from my first photo above carried an advertisement for the Scarborough Spa Express.  826 brings up the rear of a different railtour on 6th July 2009.

 

Cheers,

 

Will

[CWJ]

47832 and 47802 head south into York with what I believe was an empty stock movement on 23rd November 2009.

 

47802 at York again, this time working northbound with what I noted was a driver training run for Grand Central on 15th June 2006.

 

In very different weather, the driver of 47712 'Pride of Cumbria' tries to warm her up on 2nd February 2009.  Note the cab door droplights etched with the DRS logo - that would be a nice touch on a model.

 

47715 arrives at the National Railway Museum on 23rd May 2011 in a convoy of visiting locomotives.

 

Snowplough-fitted 47760 is about to depart from York with a Northbound charter on 28th June 2012.

 

Cheers,

 

Will