Part 2 (September-December)

It's a gloomy morning in Southport in more ways than one as 47804 waits to depart with Compass Tours' 1Z19 0735 charter to Cardiff via the Heart of Wales line (07/09/2011)

There had been a suggestion that 47237 might make it's 'Compass' debut on this particular train - and indeed it did, but only on the rear! The much sought after 'o' is seen waiting to take the empty stock to Canton after the train had arrived in Cardiff, and as the train returned via the 'Marches' this was the onlyy action the loco saw apart from a further assist between Wigan and Southport on the ecs from/back to Carnforth. Very much a case of 'close, but no cigar...' (07/09/2011)

47826 is pictured on arrival at Carlisle with 1Z84 0400 NENTA charter from Norwich. The marathon 10-hour journey had included a trip around the Cumbrian Coast route (17/09/2011)

47580 'County of Essex' was on the rear of the tour, and is seen here waiting to shunt the empty stock clear of the platform at Carlisle, before later working the 1Z85 1645 return leg as far as Ipswich (17/09/2011)

OK, so it was a day early, but as Birthday presents go this one was pretty awesome: 47802+47841 wait to depart from Southampton Eastern Docks with 1Z60 1030 Cruise Saver charter to Glasgow Central (18/09/2011)

The pair worked the train throughout via Kensington Olympia and the WCML, and are seen during a pathing stop at Milton Keynes (18/09/2011)

47237 finally made its Compass Tours debut a fortnight later than anticipated. The former Advenza Freight machine waits to depart from Carlisle with 1Z78 1641 to Wigan, which it worked as far as Preston via the Tyne Valley, ECML and Diggle (21/09/2011)

47449 is pictured on arrival at Llangollen with the 1100 from Carrog during a Diesel running day at the Llangollen Railway (24/09/2011)

47449 runs round at Llangollen before working the 1200 departure for Carrog (24/09/2011)

47449 backs onto the 1300 to Llangollen at Carrog. Just visible in the background is 26010, with which it worked this particular train in tandem (24/09/2011)

This rather unusual setting is the present day end of the branch into Southampton Western Docks, where 47841+47802 have just arrived with 1Z61 0550 'Cruise Saver Travel' charter from Edinburgh via Newcastle and Leeds. Just visible on the far left of the picture is the temporary two-coach platform adjacent to the Mayflower Cruise Terminal, which allowed passengers to alight from the train walk directly onto their cruise liner (27/09/2011)

I really needed a longer lens to pull this off properly as it's all about the dramatic evening light but, on this occasion a magnified 55mm zoom had to suffice: 47790 accelerates away from Morley wtih 5Z40 1531 Crewe CS - Leeds Northern Belle ECS move (29/09/2011)

A slightly more conventional view of 47790 'Galloway Princess' rounding the curve at Morley with 5Z40 1531 Crewe CS - Leeds ECS move. 47802 is just visible at the rear of the train to work the evening 1Z40 circular tour to Preston and back (29/09/2011)

47292 is pictured on arrival at Ruddington with 1D06 1139 ex-Loughborough on the first day of the GCRN's Autumn Diesel Weekend. The '47' was working top-and-tail with 46010 and had worked this particular train over the short distance from Ruddington South Junction (01/10/2011)

Also in action at the Gala was the other resident GCRN 'Brush': 47765 waits to take over from its classmate on the rear of 1A09 1250 Ruddington-Loughborough (01/10/2011)

There aren't many heritage lines that can boast two preserved '47s' in working order: 47765 and 47292 are pictured side-by-side at Ruddington (01/10/2011)

Still sporting's its extremely-faded 'RES' red livery, 47765 awaits the arrival of the stock for the 1650 departure for Loughborough at Ruddington (01/10/2011)

47292 waits to back onto the other end of the 1650 and final round trip of the day from Ruddington. The train had been due to be worked by the pair of '47s' top-and-tailed with 46010, but the failure of the 'Peak' on the incoming service led to the rare spectacle of a 'Brush' on either end (01/10/2011)

In connection with the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Saltburn onto the railway map, two special trains were organised to the potash mine at Boulby in the hills to the south of the town. Originally booked for steam haulage (with an assisting diesel on the rear) the trains were in fact operated using 47826 top-and-tailed with 57601 due to a series of lineside fires started by a steam loco in the preceding week, The 'Brush' is seen departing Saltburn on the rear of 1Z43 1429 round trip to Boulby, which initally had to travel to out and reverse at Grangetown in order to access the branch (02/10/2011)

47826 pulls out of Salisbury station with the empty stock off Compass Tours' 1Z57 0605 charter from Holyhead (05/10/2011)

Having spent most of the year outbased at Southall, 47500 was making a rare appearance on a Compass job, and is seen here bringing up the rear of 5Z57 1326 to Salisbury Yard. The loco later worked the 1747 return leg to Holyhead (05/10/2011)

47854 is pictured on arrival at Carlisle with Railtourer's 1Z32 0610 charter from Cleethorpes via the Hope Valley and Cumbrian Coast routes. The West Coast stalwart had recently returned to traffic following lengthy repairs after sustaining fire damage in April 2009 (08/10/2011)

On the tail end of the train was 47237, which had been acquired by West Coast earlier in the summer and despite having already performed a couple of passenger duties still fell into the 'low mileage' category (08/10/2011)

There had been speculation that a double run-round was to take place at Carlisle (so '854 could work back south) and I was mightily relieved on returning from a couple of hours in the pub to find the still un-cleared 'no-heat' machine at the head of the return 1Z31 1711 Carlisle-Cleethorpes. Later that evening whilst the train was reversing at Doncaster I took the opportunity to alight and wait for 47245 forward to Grantham on the return leg of a steam tour (08/10/2011)