| With a type as long-lived and as adaptable as the Class
47 the complete and definitive history is long and very detailed so it is not
possible to cover the 47s in more than a brief overview here. Since 47s have
never been used on the Southern as much as on other regions this will also
concentrate our coverage.
The Brush type 4/class 47 is, put simply, THE definitive post modernisation plan/second generation mixed traffic diesel electric locomotive and the certainly the only type produced in a large quantity. Despite problems that have dogged the class throughout its service life the fact that they are still in service in quantity (still greater than newer classes including - just, but not for much longer - the class 66) almost 40 years after their first introduction has to be a measure of their success. |
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An unidentified class 47 crossing over the West of England lines
at Worting Junction on 10th September 1966 with an up service from the
Southampton Line.
photograph by Keith Harwood |
| Still in green livery but by now carrying pre-TOPs numbering
without the D prefix, 1925 was photographed in June 1973 well off the Southern
Region in Swansea. However for our Southern connection this engine was among a
small number of type 4s allocated to Eastleigh between December 1966 and
December 1968. This loco is still in service, its current identity being
47789.
photograph by Michael Taylor. |
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| Nº47507 photographed on 12th July 1975 between Old Kew
Junction and Kew East Junction with the 10:35 a.m. Portsmouth Harbour to
Sheffield service.
photograph by Gregory Beecroft. |
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A class 47 captured on camera during February 1984 whilst
shunting in Brighton and about to haul the Brighton - Manchester train.
photograph by Mark Westcott |
| Nº47476 trundles through Chartham in Kent en route to
Ashford Down Yard with the empty stock off the overnight postal train from
Manchester Piccadilly. August 1989.
photograph by John Horton |
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An unidentified Network SouthEast-liveried class 47 with the
Saturdays Only Manchester - Eastbourne service, taken as it passes Berwick at
speed in the late summer of 1991.
photograph by Mark Westcott |
| A Railfreight Distribution sub sector liveried example, this
being Nº47335 pictured stabled at Eastleigh on 7th December 1991.
photograph by Colin Duff |
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47716 was named Duke of Edinburgh's Award by the Duke
at Edinburgh's Waverley Station on 1st July 1985. This particular loco was
de-named in April 1994 though the name was transferred later in the year back
to another Scotrail 47 - 47727.
photograph by Jonathan Hall |
All photographs are copyright
This page was last updated 29 April 2010
