Part 1 (January - April)

47402 calls at Ramsbottom with 2J57 1130 Heywood - Rawtenstall during the East Lancashire Railway's 'Sulzer' theme day. Just visible on the rear is tail loco 45108 (13/01/2018)

Later that evening 47245 + 47804 are pictured on arrival at Manchester Victoria with the Railway Touring Company's 1Z46 1440 return charter from Carlisle. Working in tandem, the pair had taken over from a steam loco at Hellifield for the run south via Blackburn, Wigan and Chat Moss (27/01/2018)

47402 pauses at Ramsbottom with the 1000 from Heywood to Rawtenstall during the second of back to back running days at the East Lancashire Railway (04/02/2018)

The platform level view of 47402 before continuing its journey to the line's northern terminus (04/02/2018)

47596 'Aldeburgh Festival' is pictured on arrival at Thuxton with the 2T01 1000 from Dereham during the Mid Norfolk Railway's 'Class 47 Weekend' which also coincided with the town's annual Model Railway exhibition. Just visible in the distance is 47367 which would shortly afterwards depart with the 1030 to Hoe (24/02/2018)

A couple of hours late the winter sunshine still hadn't quite cleared the chimney of the former station buildings at Thuxton, hence the unwanted shadow! 47596 has just arrived once again, this time with the 2T05 1125 from Hoe Level Crossing (24/02/2018)

The following morning was also blessed with clear blue skies and sunshine as 47596 'Aldeburgh Festival' waits to depart from Dereham with the 1030 to Wymondham Abbey (25/02/2018)

HIdden almost out of sight at the north end of the stock for the whole of the previous day, 47367 finally got its moment in the limelight on Sunday afternoon. The no-heat machine is pictured at Dereham prior to departing with the 1315 to Wymondham Abbey (25/02/2018)

You can almost feel the cold as 47746 'Chris Fudge' waits to depart from York with the Railway Touring Company's 1Z60 1725 return charter to Ealing Broadway via Toton, Harringworth and the Midland Main Line. 47804 was taken back south 'd.i.t.' after being hauled north on the rear of the outward leg by steam loco 'Oliver Cromwell' (03/03/2018)

Locomotive Services Ltd duo 47501 + 47805 wait time at Perth with a 1Z54 1126 Crewe - Kingussie private charter (23/03/2018)

The pair are pictured again on arrival at Kingussie a couple of hours later (23/03/2018)

47805 + 47501 catch the morning sunshine at Aviemore. The pair had arrived the previous night with the empty stock off a private charter from Crewe, which the Strathspey Railway's resident '27' had then taken forward to Boat of Garten for servicing (24/03/2018)

Another view of the immaculate duo stabled on the connecting line between the NR boundary and Strathspey Railway at Aviemore. 47501 'Craftsman' is nearest the camera (24/03/2018)

The next morning saw the remarkable sight of a pair of '47s' at Boat of Garten on the Strathspey Railway after the locos were sent north to work an additional service for invited guests. 47805 + 47501 are seen here shortly before departure (25/03/2018)

An hour or so later, 47805 + 47501 await departure from Kingussie with the 1Z56 1100 return LSL charter to Crewe (25/03/2018)

With their weekend mission successfully completed, 47805 + 47501 are pictured again on arrival back at Crewe with 1Z56 after a swift run south along the WCML (25/03/2018)

47826 readies itself for the journey south from Leeds with West Coast Railways' 1Z68 0724 charter from Bradford Forster Square to Cambridge (04/04/2018)

Once upon a time '47s' could be seen passing through Leeds on an almost hourly basis but these days visits are exceptionally rare. The morning commuters clearly don't appreciate the significance though as 47826 waits to depart with 1Z68 (04/04/2018)

47772 'Carnforth TMD' waits to depart from Cambridge with 5Z69 1147 to Ely Reception sidings for servicing. The loco had earlier worked the first leg of the charter out of Bradford, and would later take the return as far as Leeds (04/04/2018)

With the pouring rain adding to the atmosphere, 47772 waits to depart from Bradford Forster Square later that evening with the 5Z71 2043 empty stock move back to Carnforth (04/04/2018)

A moment of history as 47376 'Freightliner 1995' becomes the first '47' to reach Broadway since the line between Stratford and Cheltenham was closed by British Rail in 1976 (14/04/2018)

47376 runs round at Broadway after working the 1015 from Toddington, which was also the first time a diesel loco had worked a public service train over the GWSR's recently opened extension (14/04/2018)

Another view of 47376 prior to departing Broadway with the 1050 to Cheltenham Race Course (14/04/2018)

Just under 25 years ago, members of a fledgling preservation group and their recently withdrawn '47' were welcomed onto an embryonic heritage railway in the Cotswolds. Since then both the Brush Type 4 Fund and Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway have come a long way - quite literally in the case of the latter, which now has a 14-mile line over which to operate. I suppose in an ideal world it would have been 47105 sitting here, but you get the idea. This is a piece of history... (14/04/2018)