British Rail Class 47
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction
. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works
and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough
between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British mainline diesel locomotive.
They were fitted with the Sulzer
12LDA28C twin-bank
twelve-cylinder unit producing 2750 bhp - though this was later derated to 2580 bhp to improve reliability - and have been used on both passenger and freight trains on Britain's railways for over 40 years. Despite the introduction of more modern types of traction, as of 2008 a significant number are still in use, both on the mainline and on heritage railway
s. As of August 2011, 99 locomotives still exist; between 25 and 30 are engaged on active work on the mainline.
(BTC) to completely remove steam locomotive
s from British Rail by a target date of 1968. They therefore required a large build of lightweight Type 4 locomotives to achieve this aim. This required locomotives producing at least 2500 bhp but with an axle load
of no more than 19 long tons (19.3 t). However, the BTC were not convinced that the future of diesel traction lay down the hydraulic transmission path of the Western Region
, and began looking at various diesel-electric designs.
Despite the construction of two demonstration locomotives (D0260 LION
, produced by AEI
and BRC&W
using a Sulzer
engine, and D0280 FALCON
, built by Brush Traction
using Maybach
engines), the need for a large number of locomotives quickly was deemed paramount, and the pilot build of what would become Class 47 began before the prototypes could be comprehensively assessed. This initial build of 20 locomotives (Nos. D1500 to D1519) were mechanically different from the remainder of the type, and would be withdrawn earlier. However, based on these and the success of LION, an order for 270 locomotives was made, which was later revised upwards a number of times to reach the final total of 512. Five locomotives, Nos. D1702 to D1706, were fitted with a Sulzer V12
12LVA24 power unit and classified as Class 48s
; the experiment was not deemed a success, and they were later converted back into standard 47s.
The locomotives, bar a batch of 81 built for freight duties, were all fitted with steam heating boilers
for train heat duties. The initial batch of twenty, plus D1960 and D1961, were also fitted with electric train heating (ETH). With this type of heating becoming the norm, a further large number of locomotives were fitted with this equipment.
In the early 1970s, it was decided to de-rate
the engine output of the fleet from 2750 bhp to 2580 bhp. This significantly improved reliability by reducing stresses on the power plant, whilst not causing a noticeable reduction in performance.
systems. This enabled a number of easily recognisable sub-classes to be created, depending on the differing equipment fitted. The original series were based on train heating capability and were as follows;
However, this numbering system was later disrupted as locomotives were fitted with extra equipment and were renumbered into other sub-classes. For an overview of the renumbering see the Class 47 renumbering
page. This section summarises the main sub-classes that were created.
equipment. The locomotives involved also had their vacuum braking
systems removed, leaving them air braked
only. This was mainly a paper exercise, however, and the locomotives were not renumbered; in this article they are included in Class 47/0.
(as were a number of Class 47/0s). However, during the summer months when train heat was not required, 47/3s could regularly be found hauling the extra trains that the holiday season brought. The sub-type remained stable until withdrawals started, although an "extra" 47/3, No.47300, was created in 1992 when No.47468 had its train heating equipment removed and was renumbered. Also, No.47364 was renumbered to 47981 in 1993.
and parcels use. 133 locomotives had been fitted by the time renumbering occurred, and shortly afterwards the sub-class had settled down to 154 locomotives, numbered 47401 to 47555, with one gap. Later, further class 47/0s were converted to class 47/4s and renumbered into the series, which eventually reached 47665.
, and was fitted with a 16 cylinder Ruston
16RK3CT engine rated at 3250 bhp for assessment purposes. To identify it as unique, it was renumbered 47601 (at the time the number range for Class 47s only extended as far as 47555). Later, in 1979, it was used again for the Class 58
project, fitted with a 12 cylinder Ruston engine (this time of 3300 bhp), and renumbered 47901. It continued with this non-standard engine fitted until its withdrawal in 1990.
to Edinburgh
shuttle services, in order to increase speed and reliability. The trains were operated by pairs of Class 27
s, one at each end of this train. It was decided to convert twelve 47/4s to operate the service in push-pull
mode. The locomotives would be known as Class 47/7 and would be fitted with TDM
push-pull equipment and long-range fuel tanks, and be maintained to operate at 100 mph (44.7 m/s). The conversions began in 1979 and the service was operated completely by them from 1980. In 1983, the push-pull service spread to Glasgow-Aberdeen
services, and a further four locomotives were converted. The sub-class therefore comprised Nos. 47701 to 47716, though a further locomotive, 47717, was converted in 1986 after the fire-damaged 47713 was withdrawn.
known as propelling control vehicles
, which were used on mail trains. They were also numbered into the 47/7 series, from 47721 onwards. With dwindling passenger work for them, a number of 47/8s, already fitted with the extra fuel tanks, were also renumbered into this series.
Two locomotives, 47798 Prince William and 47799 Prince Henry, were dedicated for use on the Royal Train
, and were designated as Class 47/7c.
, the sub-class was mainly used by Virgin Trains
on cross-country
work until the introduction of their Voyager
trains. A combination of relatively recent overhauls and the versatility provided by the extra range of this sub-class has meant that they have remained operational longer than the majority of their classmates.
The first locomotives to be targeted were the non-standard pilot batch of 20, now numbered 47401-47420. Three locomotives were withdrawn as life-expired in February 1986, and the remainder of the batch that had not recently been overhauled followed in the next two years. All 20 were withdrawn by 1992.
Meanwhile, BR drew up a 'hit-list' of locomotives for early withdrawal, mainly including those with non-standard electrical equipment, known as series parallel locomotives. In the outset, withdrawals were slow, mainly due to the surplus of spare parts and new flows of freight traffic which required extra locomotives; only 61 locomotives had been withdrawn by the end of 1992. However, with the introduction of new locomotives, the rate of withdrawal quickly rose, with 86 more 47s reaching the end of their lives in the next three years. With most of the non-standard locomotives withdrawn, the reduction of the fleet again proceeded more slowly. The privatisation of British Rail also produced new independent rail companies needing available traction until they could order new locomotives. From 1996 to 2006, an average of around fifteen locomotives per year were taken out of service.
During the decline in passenger work a number of locomotives were painted in "celebrity" colours, depicting various liveries that the type had carried during its history. This continued a tradition of painting 47s in unusual liveries, which dates back to 1977, when Stratford depot
in East London painted two locomotives with huge Union Flag
s to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
.
In 2007, after more than 40 years of front line passenger and freight operations, between 25 and 30 locomotives are operational at any one time on the National network. The following is a list of companies currently operating Class 47s.
Class 47s have proved very popular with preservationists and private railways, and more than 30 have now entered preservation, with the majority in working order. A full list can be found at list of preserved British Rail Class 47 locomotives.
A total of 33 withdrawn locomotives have been rebuilt with EMD engines and re-classified as Class 57s
. The production versions work for the goods train company Freightliner, and the passenger train companies First Great Western
and Virgin Trains
Limited, with the passenger prototype being operated by the West Coast Railway Company
.
(Cuba
n National Railways).
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction
Brush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works
Crewe Works
Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. It is located in the town of Crewe, in the county of Cheshire....
and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British mainline diesel locomotive.
They were fitted with the Sulzer
Sulzer (manufacturer)
Sulzer Ltd. is a Swiss industrial engineering and manufacturing firm, founded by Salomon Sulzer-Bernet in 1775 and established as Sulzer Brothers Ltd. in 1834 in Winterthur, Switzerland. Today it is a publicly owned company with international subsidiaries...
12LDA28C twin-bank
U engine
A U engine is a piston engine made up of two separate straight engines joined by gears or chains. It is similar to the H engine which couples two flat engines...
twelve-cylinder unit producing 2750 bhp - though this was later derated to 2580 bhp to improve reliability - and have been used on both passenger and freight trains on Britain's railways for over 40 years. Despite the introduction of more modern types of traction, as of 2008 a significant number are still in use, both on the mainline and on heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
s. As of August 2011, 99 locomotives still exist; between 25 and 30 are engaged on active work on the mainline.
Origins
The Class 47 history begins in the early 1960s with the stated aim of the British Transport CommissionBritish Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
(BTC) to completely remove steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s from British Rail by a target date of 1968. They therefore required a large build of lightweight Type 4 locomotives to achieve this aim. This required locomotives producing at least 2500 bhp but with an axle load
Axle load
The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight felt by the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle. Viewed another way, it is the fraction of total vehicle weight resting on a given axle...
of no more than 19 long tons (19.3 t). However, the BTC were not convinced that the future of diesel traction lay down the hydraulic transmission path of the Western Region
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
, and began looking at various diesel-electric designs.
Despite the construction of two demonstration locomotives (D0260 LION
British Rail D0260
D0260, named Lion, was a prototype Type 4 mainline diesel locomotive built in 1962 by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, in association with Sulzer and Associated Electrical Industries, at their Smethwick works in Birmingham to demonstrate their wares to British Railways...
, produced by AEI
British Thomson-Houston
British Thomson-Houston was a British engineering and heavy industrial company, based at Rugby, Warwickshire, England. They were known primarily for their electrical systems and steam turbines. They were merged with the similar Metropolitan-Vickers company in 1928, but the two maintained their own...
and BRC&W
Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was a railway locomotive and carriage builder, founded in Birmingham, England and, for most of its existence, located at nearby Smethwick, with the factory was divided by the boundary between the two places...
using a Sulzer
Sulzer (manufacturer)
Sulzer Ltd. is a Swiss industrial engineering and manufacturing firm, founded by Salomon Sulzer-Bernet in 1775 and established as Sulzer Brothers Ltd. in 1834 in Winterthur, Switzerland. Today it is a publicly owned company with international subsidiaries...
engine, and D0280 FALCON
British Rail Class 53
British Rail assigned Class 53 to the single Brush Traction-built prototype locomotive Falcon. While not in any sense a failure, the design was the victim of advances in locomotive technology and was never duplicated.- History :The Falcon project began in 1959 to design a new, lightweight...
, built by Brush Traction
Brush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
using Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
engines), the need for a large number of locomotives quickly was deemed paramount, and the pilot build of what would become Class 47 began before the prototypes could be comprehensively assessed. This initial build of 20 locomotives (Nos. D1500 to D1519) were mechanically different from the remainder of the type, and would be withdrawn earlier. However, based on these and the success of LION, an order for 270 locomotives was made, which was later revised upwards a number of times to reach the final total of 512. Five locomotives, Nos. D1702 to D1706, were fitted with a Sulzer V12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
12LVA24 power unit and classified as Class 48s
British Rail Class 48
The British Rail Class 48 was a diesel locomotive class which consisted of five examples, built at Brush Falcon Works in Loughborough and delivered between September 1965 and July 1966...
; the experiment was not deemed a success, and they were later converted back into standard 47s.
In service
Eventually, 310 locomotives were constructed by Brush in Loughborough, and the remaining 202 at BR's Crewe Works. The first 500 locomotives were numbered sequentially from D1500 to D1999, with the remaining twelve being numbered from D1100 to D1111. The locomotives went to work on passenger and freight duties on all regions of British Rail. Large numbers went to replace steam locomotives, especially on express passenger duties.The locomotives, bar a batch of 81 built for freight duties, were all fitted with steam heating boilers
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
for train heat duties. The initial batch of twenty, plus D1960 and D1961, were also fitted with electric train heating (ETH). With this type of heating becoming the norm, a further large number of locomotives were fitted with this equipment.
In the early 1970s, it was decided to de-rate
Derating
Derating is the operation of a machine at less than its rated maximum power in order to prolong its life. The term is commonly applied to electrical and electronic devices and to internal combustion engines.-In electronics:...
the engine output of the fleet from 2750 bhp to 2580 bhp. This significantly improved reliability by reducing stresses on the power plant, whilst not causing a noticeable reduction in performance.
Sub-Classes
In the early 1970s, the fleet was renumbered into the 47xxx series to conform with the computerised TOPSTOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
systems. This enabled a number of easily recognisable sub-classes to be created, depending on the differing equipment fitted. The original series were based on train heating capability and were as follows;
- Class 47/0: Locomotives with steam heating equipment
- Class 47/3: Locomotives with no train heating
- Class 47/4: Locomotives with electric train heating
However, this numbering system was later disrupted as locomotives were fitted with extra equipment and were renumbered into other sub-classes. For an overview of the renumbering see the Class 47 renumbering
Class 47 renumbering
The 512 members of the class 47 underwent many changes in their long career on British railways. Under the TOPS system each change was reflected in a change of identity. This table attempts to catalogue those changes....
page. This section summarises the main sub-classes that were created.
Class 47/0
Originally numbered from 47001 to 47298, these locomotives were the "basic" Class 47 with steam heating equipment fitted. In the 1970s and 1980s, with steam heating of trains gradually being phased out, all locomotives fitted with the equipment gradually had their steam heating boilers removed. Some were fitted with ETH and became 47/4s, whilst the others remained with no train heating capability and were therefore used mainly on freight work. In the 1990s, the class designation 47/2 was applied to some class 47/0s after they were fitted with multiple workingMultiple working
Multiple working is a term used on the UK rail network to describe the practice of having more than one diesel or electric locomotive hauling a train under the control of one driver.-Terminology:...
equipment. The locomotives involved also had their vacuum braking
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
systems removed, leaving them air braked
Air brake (rail)
An air brake is a conveyance braking system actuated by compressed air. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on March 5, 1872. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company was subsequently organized to manufacture and sell...
only. This was mainly a paper exercise, however, and the locomotives were not renumbered; in this article they are included in Class 47/0.
Class 47/3
Originally numbered from 47301 to 47381, this sub-class was originally built with no train heating equipment and therefore remained freight locomotives almost exclusively for their working lives. They were all fitted with slow speed control for working MGR coal trainsMerry-go-round train
A Merry-go-round train, often abbreviated to MGR, is a block train of hopper wagons which both loads and unloads its cargo while moving. In the United Kingdom, they are most commonly coal trains delivering to power stations...
(as were a number of Class 47/0s). However, during the summer months when train heat was not required, 47/3s could regularly be found hauling the extra trains that the holiday season brought. The sub-type remained stable until withdrawals started, although an "extra" 47/3, No.47300, was created in 1992 when No.47468 had its train heating equipment removed and was renumbered. Also, No.47364 was renumbered to 47981 in 1993.
Class 47/4
The designation for standard locomotives fitted with ETH and therefore used for passenger, mailTravelling Post Office
A Travelling Post Office was a type of mail train in the UK where the post was sorted en-route. The last Travelling Post Office services were ended on 9 January 2004, with the carriages used now sold for scrap or to preservation societies....
and parcels use. 133 locomotives had been fitted by the time renumbering occurred, and shortly afterwards the sub-class had settled down to 154 locomotives, numbered 47401 to 47555, with one gap. Later, further class 47/0s were converted to class 47/4s and renumbered into the series, which eventually reached 47665.
Class 47/6 and Class 47/9
After being severely damaged in a derailment near Peterborough in 1974, locomotive 47046 was selected to be a testbed for the projected Class 56British Rail Class 56
The British Rail Class 56 is a type of diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. It is a Type 5 locomotive, with a Ruston-Paxman power unit developing 3,250 bhp , and has a Co-Co wheel arrangement...
, and was fitted with a 16 cylinder Ruston
Ruston (engine builder)
Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam...
16RK3CT engine rated at 3250 bhp for assessment purposes. To identify it as unique, it was renumbered 47601 (at the time the number range for Class 47s only extended as far as 47555). Later, in 1979, it was used again for the Class 58
British Rail Class 58
The British Rail Class 58 is a class of Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight. Introduced in 1983, they followed American practice of modularisation. From new they were painted in grey Railfreight Sector livery, instead of BR blue...
project, fitted with a 12 cylinder Ruston engine (this time of 3300 bhp), and renumbered 47901. It continued with this non-standard engine fitted until its withdrawal in 1990.
Class 47/7
In the late 1970s, BR authorities identified a need to replace the ageing trains operating the GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
shuttle services, in order to increase speed and reliability. The trains were operated by pairs of Class 27
British Rail Class 27
British Rail's Class 27 comprised 69 diesel locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company during 1961 and 1962. They were a development of the earlier Class 26; both were originally classified as the BRCW Type 2.- Usage :...
s, one at each end of this train. It was decided to convert twelve 47/4s to operate the service in push-pull
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...
mode. The locomotives would be known as Class 47/7 and would be fitted with TDM
Time-division multiplexing
Time-division multiplexing is a type of digital multiplexing in which two or more bit streams or signals are transferred apparently simultaneously as sub-channels in one communication channel, but are physically taking turns on the channel. The time domain is divided into several recurrent...
push-pull equipment and long-range fuel tanks, and be maintained to operate at 100 mph (44.7 m/s). The conversions began in 1979 and the service was operated completely by them from 1980. In 1983, the push-pull service spread to Glasgow-Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
services, and a further four locomotives were converted. The sub-class therefore comprised Nos. 47701 to 47716, though a further locomotive, 47717, was converted in 1986 after the fire-damaged 47713 was withdrawn.
Class 47/7b and 47/7c
In the 1990s, further 47/4s were converted with long-range fuel tanks and the ability to be remotely controlled by a type of rolling stockRolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
known as propelling control vehicles
Propelling Control Vehicle
A Propelling Control Vehicle is a type of British railway carriage for carrying mail. They were converted from Class 307 driving trailers and have a cab at one end. This allows mail trains to be propelled at low speed, with the locomotive at the rear of the train being driven from the...
, which were used on mail trains. They were also numbered into the 47/7 series, from 47721 onwards. With dwindling passenger work for them, a number of 47/8s, already fitted with the extra fuel tanks, were also renumbered into this series.
Two locomotives, 47798 Prince William and 47799 Prince Henry, were dedicated for use on the Royal Train
British Royal Train
The Royal Train is a set of railway carriages dedicated for the use of the British Monarch, other members of the Royal Family, and their staff. The train enables members of the Royal Family to carry out busy schedules over an extended period, in a secure environment which minimises disruption and...
, and were designated as Class 47/7c.
Class 47/8
The last of the original 47/4 conversions, from 47650 to 47665, were fitted with extra fuel tanks, giving them an extended range. Four earlier Class 47/4s were also converted. In 1989 it was decided to give these locomotives easy recognisability, and so these locomotives were renumbered into their own series from 47801 to 47820. At the same time, further locomotives were fitted with extra fuel tanks and renumbered; the series eventually reached 47854. After the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, the sub-class was mainly used by Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
on cross-country
Cross Country services
Cross Country services on the British rail network carry passengers on routes generally avoiding the London termini, instead travelling between other large centres of population.-History:...
work until the introduction of their Voyager
British Rail Class 220
The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
trains. A combination of relatively recent overhauls and the versatility provided by the extra range of this sub-class has meant that they have remained operational longer than the majority of their classmates.
Decline
By 1986, only five of the original 512 locomotives had been withdrawn from service, all because of serious accident damage. However, with work for the class declining due to the introduction of new rolling stock, and spare parts becoming difficult to source, some inroads started being made.The first locomotives to be targeted were the non-standard pilot batch of 20, now numbered 47401-47420. Three locomotives were withdrawn as life-expired in February 1986, and the remainder of the batch that had not recently been overhauled followed in the next two years. All 20 were withdrawn by 1992.
Meanwhile, BR drew up a 'hit-list' of locomotives for early withdrawal, mainly including those with non-standard electrical equipment, known as series parallel locomotives. In the outset, withdrawals were slow, mainly due to the surplus of spare parts and new flows of freight traffic which required extra locomotives; only 61 locomotives had been withdrawn by the end of 1992. However, with the introduction of new locomotives, the rate of withdrawal quickly rose, with 86 more 47s reaching the end of their lives in the next three years. With most of the non-standard locomotives withdrawn, the reduction of the fleet again proceeded more slowly. The privatisation of British Rail also produced new independent rail companies needing available traction until they could order new locomotives. From 1996 to 2006, an average of around fifteen locomotives per year were taken out of service.
During the decline in passenger work a number of locomotives were painted in "celebrity" colours, depicting various liveries that the type had carried during its history. This continued a tradition of painting 47s in unusual liveries, which dates back to 1977, when Stratford depot
Stratford TMD
Stratford TMD was a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Stratford, London, England, and was also the site of a Railway Works. Originally built in 1847 for the...
in East London painted two locomotives with huge Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
s to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
.
Current mainline operation
- Direct Rail ServicesDirect Rail ServicesDirect Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
(DRS) locomotives appear on freight, stock movements, charter trains and spot-hire duties. - West Coast Railway CompanyWest Coast Railway CompanyWest Coast Railways, also known as West Coast Railway Company, is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire, on the site of the old Steamtown heritage depot...
is primarily a charter train operator, and is currently expanding its fleet by overhauling withdrawn locomotives. - Riviera TrainsRiviera TrainsRiviera Trains Limited is a railway spot-hire company, based at Crewe in Cheshire. It owns a large fleet of Class 47 locomotives, which have been hired to both passenger and charter train operators. One of their main customers was Arriva Trains Wales, which used locomotives to haul Manchester to...
is a spot-hire company based at CreweCreweCrewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
with a fleet of locomotives which are mainly used to haul charter trains. - Colas Rail owns a small fleet of locomotives for duties hauling its track maintenance trains.
Other working locomotives
A total of 33 withdrawn locomotives have been rebuilt with EMD engines and re-classified as Class 57s
British Rail Class 57
The Class 57 diesel locomotives were introduced by Brush Traction between 1997-2004. They are rebuilds, with reconditioned EMD engines, of former Class 47 locomotives, originally introduced in 1964-5.- Description :...
. The production versions work for the goods train company Freightliner, and the passenger train companies First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
and Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
Limited, with the passenger prototype being operated by the West Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railways, also known as West Coast Railway Company, is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire, on the site of the old Steamtown heritage depot...
.
Incidents
- 11 January 1965: D1734 was severely damaged after the freight train it was hauling ran out of controlCoton Hill rail crashThe Coton Hill rail crash was a train crash which occurred on 11 January 1965, at Coton Hill, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England.It happened when a heavily loaded freight train ran out of control on the 1 in 100 Hencote incline, and was derailed on a set of trap points, eventually demolishing a...
near ShrewsburyShrewsbury railway stationShrewsbury railway station is the railway station serving Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended...
, eventually demolishing a signal boxSignal boxOn a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
. It was withdrawn two months later, becoming the first Class 47 withdrawn after a working life of only eight months. - 17 December 1965: D1671 THOR was derailed near BridgendBridgend railway stationBridgend railway station is a mainline railway station serving the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It is located approximately halfway between Cardiff Central and Swansea at the point where the Maesteg Line diverges from the South Wales Main Line, and is the western terminus of the Vale of...
whilst hauling a train of empty coaches. Shortly afterwards, a freight train collided heavily with the wreckage, killing the drivers of both locomotives. D1671 was withdrawn some four months later. Its nameplates were salvaged, and transferred to No. D1677. - 8 April 1969: D1908 was badly damaged when, while hauling a freight train at Monmore GreenMonmore GreenMonmore Green is an area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is situated about one mile to the south-east of the city centre, in the East Park ward....
, it was struck head-on by a passenger train that had passed a signal at danger. D1908 caught fire after the accident and became the third Class 47 withdrawn. - 13 March 1971: D1562 was wrecked after its power unit, which had been experimentally uprated, exploded at Haughley JunctionHaughley GreenHaughley Green is a village in Suffolk, England, four miles from Stowmarket. It was the location of the Haughley Experiment, the first scientific study comparing organic farming and modern chemical-based farming....
while the locomotive was hauling a Liverpool StreetLiverpool Street stationLiverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
to NorwichNorwich railway stationNorwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
express. - 11 June 1972: D1630 was involved in the notorious Eltham Well Hall rail crashEltham Well Hall rail crashThe Eltham Well Hall rail crash was an accident on the British railway system that occurred on 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35.An excursion train from Margate to Kentish Town derailed on a sharp curve at Eltham Well Hall station, Eltham, London. The driver and five passengers were killed, and...
in which six people were killed. The locomotive was repaired, but much later in its life when numbered 47849, it was withdrawn from the Class 57 rebuilding programme after damage was discovered which was thought to have dated back to the accident. - 22 October 1979: 47208 became the fifth Class 47 to be withdrawn after suffering severe damage in a fatal accident at Invergowrie in ScotlandInvergowrie rail crashThe Invergowrie rail accident happened at Invergowrie in Scotland on 22 October 1979. The accident killed 5 people and injured 51 others.-Accident:...
. 47208 was hauling a GlasgowGlasgow Queen Street railway stationGlasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
to AberdeenAberdeen railway stationAberdeen railway station is the main railway station in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the busiest railway station in Scotland north of the major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.- History :...
service which collided with a local train which had stopped in front. - 9 December 1983: 47299 (formerly 47216) was involved in a serious accident at Wrawby JunctionWrawby Junction rail crashThe Wrawby Junction rail crash was a train crash which occurred on 9 December 1983, at Wrawby Junction, near Barnetby station in North Lincolnshire, England....
in LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, when whilst hauling an oil train, the locomotive collided with a local train resulting in the death of a passenger. It later emerged that the locomotive's renumbering was allegedly due to a warning given to BR by a clairvoyant who claimed to have foreseen a serious accident involving a locomotive numbered 47216. - 30 July 1984: 47707 Holyrood was propelling the 17:30 express from EdinburghEdinburgh railway station-Minor stations:*Brunstane railway station*Curriehill railway station*Dalmeny railway station*Edinburgh Park railway station*Kingsknowe railway station*Newcraighall railway station*Shawfair railway station*Slateford railway station*South Gyle railway station...
to GlasgowGlasgow Queen Street railway stationGlasgow Queen Street is a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland, the smaller of the city's two main line railway termini and the third-busiest station in Scotland. It is between George Street to the south and Cathedral Street Bridge to the north, at the northern end of Queen Street adjacent to...
from the rear, when the train collided with a cow near Polmont and was derailed, resulting in 13 deaths. The accident raised serious concerns about the safety of push-pull operation where the locomotive was at the rear of the train.
- 6 September 1993: No. 47288 was hauling a train of 15 goods wagons from Dover to Willesden. At 0202 BST, the locomotive's rear bogieBogieA bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
derailed in the tunnelTunnelA tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
approaching . The loco ended up on its side, on the track. Several wagons left the track, running into signals, platformsRailway platformA railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
and buildings, spilling their load of 900 tons of steel cables. The driver subsequently failed a breathalyser test. Maidstone East was closed for recovery and repairs for several weeks following the incident.
Cuba
Between 1963 and 1966 ten locomotives similar to the British Rail Class 47 were supplied to Ferrocarriles de CubaFerrocarriles de Cuba
Ferrocarriles de Cuba or Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Cuba , the only railway operating in the Caribbean islands, provides passenger and freight services for Cuba.-Route Network:...
(Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n National Railways).