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| Traction & Rolling Stock Recognition - Illustrations |
| Class 47 | See Technical Data |
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| No. D1524, shows how the Brush Type 4, later Class 47 fleet were painted when first built. This loco is a Class 47/0 and still owned by EWS being used for special display purposes. Additional to its original style, the loco sports a national radio network aerial, headlight and air brake equipment. CJM. |
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| Class 47 front end layout, applicable to Class 47/7. A-horn grille, B-national radio network radio aerial, C-sealed beam marker light, D-LED tail light, E-RCH jumper cable, F-headlight, G-ETS jumper socket, H-ETS jumper cable, I-main reservoir pipe, J-brake pipe, K-coupling. Apart from the RCH jumpers, this layout also applies to Class 47/4. This loco also sports oval buffers, applied to a number of locos from the 1990s to reduce the risk of buffer locking. Also, the vacuum system has been removed, identified by the omission of the vacuum pipe. CJM. |
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| Class 47 front end layout, applicable to Class 47/0, showing the fitting of three piece miniature snowploughs. A-national radio network aerial, B-electric tail lights, C-headlight, D-coupling, E-brake pipe, F-main reservoir pipe, G-steam heat pipe, H-vacuum pipe, I-snowplough blades. CJM. |
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| Class 47 side elevation. A-No. 1 cab, B-No. 2 cab, C-cooler group (radiator), D-Power unit position, E-generator position, F-opening roof section to provide access to top of engine and compartment, G-battery box, H-fuel tank, I-position of former boiler water tank. No. 47843 is illustrated painted in Virgin Trains livery and carrying a Great Western style nameplate 'Vulcan'. CJM. |
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| The basic steam heat fitted Class 47s were classified 47/0 and under TOPS numbering carried numbers in the series 470xx, 471xx and 472xx. No. 47082 is illustrated at Acton showing standard post 1967 BR rail blue. The loco shows the early white marker dot layout applied just after headcode units were removed and prior to the fitting of headlights. CJM |
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| A more recent addition to the Class 47 classification is Class 47/2, introduced in the 1990s to cover locos fitted with green dot multiple control equipment. This was installed on a handful of freight sector locos. In addition to the headcode panel mounted jumper socket, engine control air pipes, painted white were added on the buffer beam. No. 47297, painted in Railfreight Distribution triple gray livery complete with Channel Tunnel roundel markings on the cab side is seen at Wakefield. CJM. |
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| A total of 81 members of the Class 47 fleet were constructed without any provision for train heating and carried a weight block in the position of the heating equipment on other examples. Under TOPS classification these were classified 47/3. No. 47366 is illustrated, painted in wrap round yellow/gray livery with a large BR logo. No. 47366 is seen on an engineers train at Reading. CJM. |
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| When built the first 20 Class 47s were fitted with both electric train supply and steam heating, as the fitting of electric train supply increased so did the provision of like fitted locos, which were classified Class 47/4. Painted in standard rail blue No. 47475 is seen at Old Oak Common viewed from its No. 1 end. The ETS jumper cable can be seen mounted just above the buffer beam to the left of the right side buffer. CJM. |
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The Class 47/4 ETS fitted locos have taken on many guises over the years. On the left No. 47643 painted in ScotRail colours is seen, which carried buffer beam side mounted ETS jumpers, while on the right, InterCity 'Swallow' liveried No. 47826 is shown. Both these examples have had their former boiler water tanks removed. Both: CJM. |  |
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| First Great Western operated a small fleet of Class 47/4s fitted with extended fuel tanks and numbered in the 47/8 series. FGW locos were painted in a distinctive green and gold livery with yellow front ends. As FGW did not operate any vacuum fitted stock, vacuum exhausters and buffer beam connections were removed. No. 47846 is illustrated from its No. 2 end at Old Oak Common. CJM. |
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| Originally rebuilt from Class 47/4 with RCH push pull equipment for use on the Edinburgh-Glasgow high speed service, the 17 strong Class 47/7 fleet later found use in the south after Class 158s were introduced on the Scottish service. Painted in Network SouthEast colours No. 47714 is seen at Old Oak Common. The buffer beam houses both air and vacuum brake equipment together with ETS jumpers, while RCH jumpers are fitted to the nose end. Many Class 47/7s are now owned by smaller private operators. CJM. |
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| As part of the modernisation of the Royal Mail business a batch of remote driving cars PCV (propelling control vehicles) were built in the early 1990s, to operate these a batch of Class 47/4s operated by the rail express system division were modified with cab power demand equipment and RCH type nose end jumpers, modified locos were reclassified in the 47/7 class and renumbered. A pair of Class 47/7s Nos. 47784 and 47733 are seen west of Newton Abbot on October 19, 1998 with a Bristol-Plymouth empty van train. Both locos are painted in Res livery. CJM. |
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| Two of the most distinctive Class 47s were Nos. 47798 and 47799 painted in Royal Claret and used to power the Royal Train. The locomotives were actually Class 47/4s but fitted with a single RCH type cab end jumper to provide communication between the Royal Train and loco. The locos carried the Royal emblem on the side and were named after Prince William and Prince Henry. When not required for Royal Train use the pair were made available for VIP train operation. No. 47799 is illustrated at Wolverton, the home of the British Royal Train. The Class 47s have now been replaced by a pair of Class 67s. CJM. |
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The Class 47/9 classification has been used for one or two locos which have been allocated to the DM&EE and Research sections at Derby for powering test trains. On the left is No. 47971 painted in more yellow livery and on the right no. 47974 carrying 'Dutch' yellow and gray colours. Both these locos have blue star jumper cable sockets on the front end enabling connection to test trains. Both: CJM |  |
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| Class 47 No. 47049 was rebuilt in the 1970s as a power unit development bed for both Class 56 and later Class 58 locomotives. When testing for the Class 56 project, the loco was reclassified as a Class 47/6 and numbered 47601, for its Class 58 development programme it was reclassified 47/9 and renumbered 47901. As No. 47901, the loco is seen painted in Trainload Construction livery. CJM. |
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| The most controversial livery ever applied to a pair of Class 47s was Porterbrook Leasing mauve and white. This was done at Crewe in April 1996 soon after privatisation and applied to two spot hire locos. After a short time both were repainted in Virgin colours. No. 47817 is illustrated. The other side of the loco had the white and mauve in the other order, thus the two sides were painted differently. CJM. |
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| 47501 showing the DRS livery, note the extra DRS jumper cable socket on the front end. CJM |
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| 47200 showing Cotswold Rail silver and blue livery. CJM |
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| Class 47/7 No. 47712 shows the 2006-applied 'Blue Pullman' livery. This loco is owned by FM Rail. CJM |
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| Class 47/8 No. 47832 painted in Great Western green, but with Fragonset branding. CJM |
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| Toton Depot. CJM |
| Last Updated: 16 August 2006 |
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