THE NORTH WALES COAST RAILWAY NOTICE
BOARD
Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Bwrdd
hysbyseb
To introduce our self-indulgent 47 847 special here's a
fine view by 'Corrie' of three blue locos and three loco classes in the
same frame on 18 January. 47 847 passes the Valley triangle whilst a
DRS 37 & 20 undertake shunting movements. - 21 January
This site is dedicated to all our regular contributors and
supporters, and especially the rail staff of North Wales.
Edition of 21 January 2005
The week beginning 17 January was notable for the starring role played
by this site compiler's favourite locomotive (Or 'That Loco' as one
weary contributor calls it) 47 847 Brian Morrison / Railway
World Magazine which (following an unplanned cameo appearance on 15
January) worked the Arriva Trains 'Irish Mancunian' diagram very
reliably for all five days.
By an amazing coincidence, the morning train from Chester calls at
Manchester Oxford Road just as Charlie is arriving from the other
direction on the way to work, so for the benefit of those with
broadband and/or a lot of patience we've included a selection of videos
in 'avi' format with sound (including a red one from the previous week)
which can be downloaded by choosing the thumbnail images above. These
files are around 10 MB each; while waiting, have a gander at the rest
of the page.
Monday 17 January, and Larry Goddard manages a shot of
13.35 Holyhead-Manchester before the heavens opened. 847 was the second
loco to be treated in Virgin Trains' heritage repainting programme back
in 2001. On 10 January 2002 it was named in a ceremony at Euston
station, London, by the then editor of Railway World Magazine,
John Morris, who we believe had previously been employed in the Virgin
Trains PR department.
The outbound train on the same day, pictured at Shotton by Tim J.
Rogers. The nameplate on one side is Railway World Magazine,
and on the other Brian Morrison. which was unveiled by the
eponymous Mr Morrison who is a well-known railway photographer and
author; the magazine, which was first published over 50 years ago, died
a lingering death, finally expiring early in 2003 to be replaced in the
Ian Allan stable by Railways Illustrated.
Tuesday 18 January at Holywell Junction, by Tim J. Rogers. When
first repainted, the loco's number was in an 'un-authentic' but quite
pleasant font, but soon afterwards these were replaced with numbers
more akin to those used when the 'large logo' livery was introduced in
the mid-1980s.
A scene at Holyhead as 847 shunts about at lunchtime on 18
January for the camera of 'Corrie.' 47 839, on Riviera
'Thunderbird' duty, can be seen in the distance.
Along with 47 840 North Star, which features the
earlier version of BR blue, 47 847 worked the ceremonial last
47-hauled service train for Virgin Cross Country, from Penzance to
Birmingham on 19 August 2002. After this it continued to make
appearances for Virgin West Coast. Its final such appearance until the
current comeback was 1A75 16:13 Holyhead - London Euston on 18 May
2003, which was also the final Virgin Trains working of this loco
before being transferred to Freightliner, for whom it worked various
freight trains until being included in the surprise purchase of a job
lot of 47s by Riviera Trains at the end of 2004.
18 January approaching Rhyl - picture by John Myers. This loco
entered traffic in October 1964 as D1774. It became 47 179
in 1974, and 47 577 in March 1981 on fitting
electric train heating circuits. In September 1981 it was named Benjamin
Gimbert GC after one of the railwayman heroes of the Soham disaster
in 1944. The name was transferred to 47 574 in 1987. The final
renumbering to 47 847 in December 1989 marked the fact that it was
fitted with long-range fuel tanks. It first carried large-logo blue
livery during the 47 577 period, but
this was later replaced by InterCity greys and red, and then Virgin
red. (We are indebted to the fantastic Class 47 website for this
historical information.)
At Rhyl station on 18 January, by John Myers. It might be
argued that the appearance of the large numbers is still wrong, because
there should be a space between the 47 and the 847. Most locos did have
this space, which was specified by BR (and we still use in in these
pages because it makes it clear how to say the number) but strangely
enough, pictures of the loco in its 47 577 guise show that it does not
have the space.
20 January, and a Chester picture by Dave Bramley. Since it
last appeared on the Coast, the headcode panels have been painted
black, and at least one 'Stratford cockney sparrow' sticker has
appeared from somewhere.
Departure from Chester, pictured by Dave Bramley. The double
arrow symbol seems slightly thicker that the 1980s version, but
the whole thing still looks good. The best livery ever used by BR, in
your compiler's opinion - and you could see the loco numbers of trains
passing through on the Midland line from the other side of the valley
at Furness Vale!
Friday 21 January, and an impressionistic view which Gwyn Williams
entitles 'Mud on the Tracks' (You may notice a slight Bob Dylan
obsession in this page..) It's rather nostalgic to see that the
frequent stops along the Coast are giving the lower panels that patina
of brake block dust which was such a feature of BR blue locos.
Thanks to everyone who has helped with this page, wittingly or
otherwise, and especially to Mr Paget of Rivera Trains who did read our
request, although he might well claim that the loco appeared by
coincidence, and to all the train crews, especially the driver who
found time for a friendly word. We've suggested to Riviera that
we'll make a donation to the Disaster Emergency Committee if the Big
Blue works on Saturday 22 January, so we'll see what happens. It (he?
she?) was said to be 'sounding a bit rough' on 21 January, so lets hope
for the best and that the fuel lasts out...
Thanks also for all the other fine contributions about other subjects,
which will appear in the next release. - 21 January
