Part 4 (October - December)

After arriving with Comapss Tours' 1Z32 0503 charter from Gourock, 47826 is shunted out of the platform at Kyle of Localsh by 47760 on the rear of the train (04/10/2013)

Another view of 47826 at Kyle on the rear of the 1605 return leg to Gourock after the train had been shunted across to the other platform (04/10/2013)

47760 waits to be overtaken by a ScotRail service at Perth with Compass Tours' 1Z33 1605 Kyle of Localsh to Gourock return charter (04/10/2013)

An opportunist shot of 47828+47818 stabled in the centre road at Bristol Temple Meads. The pair were making their way to Eastleigh to pick up the stock for the following day's Pathfinder charter, and continued their journey shortly afterwards - passing through Bath as we were checking into our hotel (06/10/2013)

47810 + 47501 await departure from Holyhead the following afternoon with the return 1Z69 1709 Pathfinder charter to Salisbury (07/10/2013)

The outward leg of the tour hadn't been without its problems (828 would only go in one direction, and 818 wouldn't go at all) and had arrived in Holyhead over an hour late. Consequently 'Peter Bath' and 'Craftsman' were despatched light from Crewe to work the return (07/10/2013)

47810 + 47501 wait time at Llandudno Junction with 1Z69. With only nine coaches in tow and over 5,000 hp at the helm, the run from Holyhead had been understandably swift (07/10/2013)

It's nearly 22 years since I last had a pair of '47s' in tandem over the Highland Main Line, but here 47804 + 47826 await departure from Perth with Compass Tours' 1Z37 0659 Hereford - Inverness 'Autumn Highlander' land-cruise. The former is restricted to 75 mph because of wheelset issues, and has spent most of the year on the 'Royal Scotsman', but had just been added to the front of the train to act as the spare loco for the weekend (18/10/2013)

Due to problems with 826's control air pipe, 47804 was pressed into use the next morning and is seen here prior to departure from Inverness with 1Z50 1054 to Kyle of Localsh. The loco was on the rear of the train for the first quarter of a mile to Welsh's Bridge Junction, but then worked the outward leg after the reversal (19/10/2013)

47804 is pictured again on arrival at Kyle with 1Z50 on day two of the 'Autumn Highlander' weekend (19/10/2013)

With the Isle of Skye in the background, 47786 'Roy Castle OBE' awaits departure from Kyle with the return 1Z51 1604 to Inverness (19/10/2013)

Day three of the 'Autumn Highlander' was the big one and was to see the realisation of a dream that whilst never quite 'impossible', always fell into the 'unlikely' category. At just before 2pm 47804 is pictured on arrival at Wick with 1Z57 0845 Inverness - Thurso (19/10/2013)

47786 'Roy Castle OBE' was on the other end of the train and is seen here waiting to take 1Z47 on the final leg of its journey from Wick to Thurso (19/10/2013)

Another view of 47804 inside the distinctive train shed at Wick before 1Z57 departed for Thurso (19/10/2013)

Wick's coat of arms is just visible above the entrance doors in this scene. To put the day into context, '47s' are known to have visited this location only twice (both in the 1980s) before on passenger trains, which has been followed-up in more recent years by the Royal Train and an ecs working for a steam charter out of the town (19/10/2013)

The sign says it all... (19/10/2013)

So having taken a 'Brush' to the most remote point on the British network, next up was a visit to the most northerly station. 47786 had the honour of doing what only two other '47s' (703 and 245) are believed to have done in the 51-year history of the Class and arrive at Thurso with a passenger train (19/10/2013)

Framed by the train shed roof, 47786 basks in the late-afternoon sunlight after arriving at Thurso with 1Z57 0845 ex-Inverness (19/10/2013)

With the front of the train hidden beneath a road bridge, my final picture of an unforgettable day is this view from the station concourse of 47786 waiting to depart from Thurso on the rear of the return 1Z58 1642 to Inverness. 'Roy' led the train back south after the reversal at Georgemas Junction, and who'd have thought that particular location would ever appear in a list of '47'-hauled moves... (19/10/2013)

The long journey back south the next day was interrupted only by a water-stop/leg-stretch at Carlisle. 47786 is seen here in charge of 1Z38 1004 Inverness - Hereford, which it led as far as Preston where the train reversed after a run over the 'S&C' (20/10/2013)

Here's a bit more history in the making... 47580 'County of Essex' waits to depart from the southern terminus of the Bluebell Railway at Sheffield Park with 1Z84 1535 return charter to Bridgnorth, the outward leg of which had been steam-hauled throughout. This was the first time a '47' had been seen here because the line had been closed and severed by British Railways in the late 1950s before the first of the Class had been delivered. Many thanks to the chairman of the SF47 for taking the photo for me (02/11/2013)

'47s' in strange places seems to be the theme of this particular gallery, so here's another one: 47760 shunts coaching stock within the Museum of Science & Industry in central Manchester after arriving on the rear of a Branch Line Society charter from Carnforth (03/11/2013)

The Beetham Tower dominates the skyline as 47760 is pictured alongside the world's oldest railway station - Liverpool Road - which was the original terminus of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway (03/11/22013)

47760 reverses the stock back into the museum's platform road. Alongside is 37706, which, unbeknown to me at the time, would also work the return leg of the tour (03/11/2013)