Part 1 (January-May)

Not the best of shots (I'm really tempted to remove that sign with some photoshop wizardry!) with which to start off the New Year, but I've included it because if you look closeley there are actually three Brush Type 4s visible in this scene, including two of the surviving 'shoves'. 47715 runs past 47703 at Leeming Bar, whilst just visible in the background is 47540 (02/01/2012)

A closer look at 47703. The former 'Saint Mungo' still resides at the Wensleydale Railway, but has been out of traffic for a couple of years now (02/01/2012)

If all had gone to plan this would have been my second 'Brush' of 2012, but I was just leaving Birmingham International on my way to Rugby on New Year's Eve when the gen filtered through that '205 wouldn't play ball at Northampton. 47715 waits to back onto the stock for the 1220 to Redmire at Leeming Bar (02/01/2012)

For four years in a row now the good folks of the Wensleydale Railway have kicked off the New Year with a '47' running day. During possibly the best-attended yet, 'Poseidon' waits to depart from Leeming Bar with the 1220 to Redmire (02/01/2012)

47810 'Peter Bath MBE' is pictured on arrival at Carlisle with 2T21 1648 Sellafield-Carlisle. The train was technically a Northern Rail service operated by DRS (using carriages hired in from Riviera Trains) to cater for increased numbers of commuters travelling to and from Sellafield as part of a six-week trial when workers at the nuclear site were encouraged to use public transport rather than their cars (02/02/2012)

The next morning 47810 is pictured again at Carlisle with 2T20 0615 to Barrow-in-Furness. (03/02/2012)

The morning train to Sellafield was booked to continue through to Barrow to replace a Northern train from Whitehaven that had to start forward from Sellafield in order to provide the path for the additional train from the north. 47810 is pictured on arrival with 2T20 (03/02/2012)

This is the view from Platform 1 at Barrow after 47810 had arrived with 2T20. Unfortunately the sun was almost directly on the front of the locomotive making it difficult to achieve decent photographic results. Although intended to be hauled by '37/4s', neither of the two DRS machines were available during the fourth week of the trial (due to Saloon, Snowplough and potential Railtour commitments) and the trains were hauled by '810 on all five days (03/02/2012)

After arriving into Barrow the empty stock off 2T20 was booked to propel into Barrow Carriage Sidings to run round and the head back to Sellafield as 5T21 at 1015. 47810 is pictured here as it reverses out of the station (03/02/2012)

47402 calls at Bury Bolton Street with the 1015 Rawtenstall-Heywood during its first outing of the year at the East Lancashire Railway (18/02/2012)

By lunchtime bright sunshine had replaced the heavy rain that greeted the start of the day. 47402 runs round at Rawtenstall after working the 1130 from Heywood (18/02/2012)

Two years after its repaint into two-tone green, 'D1501' still makes an impressive sight as it runs round at Rawtenstall before working the 1245 back to Heywood (18/02/2012)

47402 waits to depart from Rawtenstall with the 1245 to Heywood (18/02/2012)

47818 is pictured on arrival at Crewe with 1Z25 2018 Wembley Central-Liverpool South Parkway football special returning Liverpool fans back from the Carling Cup Final. The loco had been run round from the rear of the train at Rugby after 47841 had run into difficulties (26/02/2012)

Still in 'ex-works' condition following its repaint from Advenza blue at the end of last year, West Coast Railways' 47237 arrives into BristolTemple Meads with the stock for Railtourer's 1Z77 1609 return charter to Scunthorpe via Pewsey and the ECML (10/03/2012)

Running a mere three hours early, 47760 approaches Dockfield Junction at at Shipley with 5Z87 1259 Barnetby-Carnforth empty stock (11/03/2012)

Bringing up the rear of 5Z87 was the SF47 Group's 47580. 'County of Essex' had worked the return leg of a predominantly steam-hauled charter from York back to Cleethorpes the previous night (11/03/2012)

Having waited for the best part of twenty minutes for the preceding TPE train to pass, 47237 restarts 5Z65 0845 Carnforth-Hathersage ECS move away from New Mills South Junction. The stock was for a charter to Crewe, which was steam-hauled forward from Derby (29/03/2012)

47449 is pictured on arrival at Carrog with the 1225 from Llangollen during line's Spring Diesel event. The 'Brush' was working its first passenger trains of the year (31/03/2012)

Later that afternoon, 47449 is pictured again on arrival at Llangollen with the 1535 from Carrog (31/03/2012)

Another view of 47449 entering the headshunt at Llangollen whilst running round to work the 1645 to Carrog (31/03/2012)

A cold, wet April morning in Scarborough sees 47580 waiting to depart with Railtourer's 1Z45 0703 charter to Carlisle via seldom-traversed (by 47s) the 'Wolds Coast' route through Bridlington and Driffield (07/04/2012)

47580 is pictured again having reached Carlisle by means of the S&C. 'County of Essex' had been a very late replacement after '804 had failed on shed whilst the trains was being assembled the previous afternoon (07/04/2012)

Platform 3 at Carlisle is good for water, but less so for photos when looking straight into the sun! With 'Essex' now on the rear of the train, the return leg via the Tyne Valley was handled by '826 (078/04/2012)