47 853 makes a typical smoky Class 47 start from Chester on 4 December (Mike Dunning.)
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LAST UPDATE: 04 December 2001
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The Website team has not always seen eye-to-eye with Virgin Trains, but we do whole-heartedly thank them and the people at Toton EWS depot who have realised the 'retro 47' livery project to mark the last days of the Class 47 locos on Virgin passenger services.
Exceptionally interesting from the historical point of view is 47 853, formerly D1733, the first loco ever to run in traffic bearing the famous 'double-arrow' British Rail symbol. This loco was found to be one of today's Virgin fleet, making it an obvious candidate for the retro livery.
Its first run along the coast in its 'new' livery was on the evening train 1D88 from London to Holyhead on 3 December: Mike Dunning was ready with his camera at Chester, as shown above.
The next day, 4 December, D1733 worked the 09:19 Holyhead - London as far as Crewe, and our reporting team were ready. Rowan Crawshaw's picture above shows the train at Bangor. The XP64 project, which came to fruition in 1964, paved the way for the railway's new 'corporate image' which lasted for the next 25 years. The main aim of the project was a set of prototype passenger coaches, which had many interior features of what was to become the Mk 2 coach, whilst retaining the Mk 1 bodyshell design. A blue and grey livery was used for the coaches, and D1733 was repainted in blue to match.
Tim Rogers captured the train passing the pylons of Connah's Quay power station. To quote from Brian Haresnape's book British Rail 1948-1978: a journey by design: 'For the initial press demonstrations a Brush Type 4 locomotive No D1733 was specially repainted in a matching shade of blue, with dark brown bogies and drawgear (also on the carriages) and with the yellow panel at the front taken around the side of the cabs to meet a red panel.'
Arrival at Chester, pictured by Mike Dunning. Haresnape continued: 'Upon this panel, beneath the cab windows, was a new symbol in white; consisting of two arrows fused to make a single form, with two broad lines suggesting rail tracks.'
Mike Dunning's closer view at Chester shows the symbol, and the yellow panel. The first time round, the loco had a four character headcode panel below the windscreen, giving it rather a different appearance to the current version.
Note the black underframe and bogies, which would seem to be inauthentic from the Haresnape description. However, Colin Boocock writing in Railway Liveries: BR traction 1948-1995 states: 'Buffer beam surrounds and window surrounds were blue, but buffers were black as was everything else below the body.'
Arrival at Crewe pictured by Ian Bowland. Authorities do agree that the blue livery was used was lighter than the 'Monastral blue' or 'Rail blue' which was adopted as standard livery.
The locomotive detached at Crewe as 87 010 King Arthur attached to the rear of the train for the onward journey south. It then ran round to head north for Preston but not before posing in the bright sunshine for about 5 minutes.
We have 'borrowed' this picture from Mr Boocock's book showing D1733 in its original XP64 scheme, showing that Toton have done a rather good job. What colour is the underframe? Anyone's guess from the work-stained condition.
We should add that seevral of the XP64 coaches still exist in preservation, and a there is a project to re-create the whole train. It is to be hoped that D1733 is saved to join in this plan. See www.xp64.org.uk for a little more information.
[Earlier stories are on the previous Notice Board]
Created by Charlie Hulme, Comments welcome to charlie@dweb.u-net.com