Part 1 (January - May)

Happy New Year! 47205 once again had the honour of becoming the first '47' to work a passenger train in 2019 having been selected for the Northampton & Lamport Railway's 'Mince Pie Specials'. The RfD liveried machine is pictured at Pitsford & Brampton prior to working the 1300 departure (01/01/2019)

47772 'Carnforth TMD' arrives into Lancaster with the empty stock from Carnforth for the Branch Line Society's 1Z46 1116 charter to Bristol Temple Meads (02/02/2019)

47772 is seen here waiting time at Preston with what had been titled 'The Positioning Move' ahead of the main event the next day (02/02/2019)

An hour or so later 47772 is pictured at Crewe with 1Z46 (02/02/2019)

The final pick-up was at Stafford, where 47772 is seen waiting for departure time in Platform 6. Rather than take the direct route to Bristol though, from here the train was routed via the Oxley Chord, Telford, the Marches and Severn Tunnel (02/02/2019)

Later on that evening 47772 is pictured on arrival into Temple Meads with 1Z46 (02/02/2019)

There's a distinct chill in the air, not to mention a dusting of snow on the ground as 47772 waits to shunt the empty stock after its 259-mile trek from Lancaster (02/02/2019)

The following morning 47772 does its best to catch some winter sunshine at Taunton with the Branch Line Society's 1Z47 0810 Bristol - Moorswater charter (03/02/2019)

A photo that really doesn't require a caption, other than to say this is somewhere I never thought I'd ever arrive on a train hauled by a '47' (03/02/2019)

The view across the East Looe River of 47772 'Carnforth TMD' after arriving at the end of the Cornish branch line with the first leg of the 1Z48 1255 Moorswater - Bristol return BLS charter (03/02/2019)

The remarkable sight of not just one, but two Brush Type 4s in Looe, as 47826 waits to take the train back up to Coombe Junction. The return journey included an unscheduled trip around the triangle at Laira, and then a visit to the northern terminus of the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh (03/02/2019)

Just when you think something can't be done, along come the enterprising folk at the Branch Line Society and prove otherwise. Take the Looe branch for example: there's no way of getting a charter train down there without removing the booked passenger service. There isn't one on a Winter Sunday though, thus providing the perfect opportunity to fill a train full of like-minded enthusiasts, cover a few choice bits of track along the way, and raise a load of money for good causes. They even let us BT4F oiks tag along for the ride (03/02/2019)

Working its first train of the year, 47402 calls at Ramsbottom with 2G51 0915 Bury - Rawtenstall during the East lancashire Railway's 'Sulzer' Theme Day (16/02/2019)

Also in action was 47765, pictured here in a window of beautiful Winter sunshine at Rawtenstall before departing with its last train of the day, 2J66 1510 to Heywood (16/02/2019)

47746 'Chris Fudge' waits to depart from York with the Railway Touring Company's 1Z37 1711 return charter to Ealing Broadway via Toton, Corby and the Midland Main Line (09/03/2019)

47810 'Crewe Diesel Depot' is pictured on arrival at Portsmouth Harbour with 1Z60 0607 'Statesman' charter from Crewe via Sherewsbury, Hereford and Westbury (16/03/2019)

Running as 5Z62 1604 from Fratton CS, 47810 is seen again later that afternoon arriving at Portsmouth Harbour with the empty stock for the return leg of the charter (16/03/2019)

47853 awaits departure from Portsmouth Harbour with 1Z62 1632 to Crewe. The loco now carries its former identity 47614 as well as the West Highland Terrier logo commonly found on 'ED' based locomotives during the 1980s (16/03/2019)

Another view of 47853 prior to departing from Portsmouth Harbour with 1Z62. A signalling problem at Maindee led to the train having to reverse at Newport, with '810 working the last leg up the 'Marches' to Crewe (16/03/2019)

47851 arrives at Stafford with West Coast Railways' 1Z47 0558 Kidderminster - Carlisle charter (20/03/2019)

47851 is pictured again on arrival at Carlisle with 1Z47 (20/03/2019)

Later that afternoon 47826 awaits departure from Carlisle with the 1Z48 1505 return leg to Kidderminster. Remarkably this was my first southbound run over the 'S&C' behind a '47' for more than three years (20/03/2019)

47765 waits to depart from Bury Bolton Street with the 0915 to Heywood during a running day at the East Lancashire Railway (23/03/2019)

An hour or so later, 47765 heads the 0945 Heywood - Rawtenstall as it waits to cross a southbound service amidst the crowds at Ramsbottom (23/03/2019)