Part 3 (June - July)

On a glorious late Spring evening, 47749 'Demelza' + 47727 'Rebecca' hurtle along the up fast line towards Beeston with 6Z57 1651 Boston Dock-Washwood Heath. Carrying around 1800 tons of imported steel, this was rumoured to be the last time that this train will run in this format (03/06/2010)

Colas Rail's other Brush Type 4, 47739 'Robin of Templecombe' is pictured in Doncaster West Yard two days later, heading a line-up of (right to Left) HNRC 20905 + 20901, and former Cotswold Rail pair 47813 + 47828 'Joe Strummer'. The loco had worked south from Kilmarnock a couple of days earlier (05/06/2010)

47832 'Solway Princess' is pictured on arrival at Great Yarmouth having dragged NXEA's 90015 forward from Norwich on 1V26 1200 ex-Liverpool Street (05/06/2010)

The DRS machine is seen again whilst running round outside Yarmouth station before working 5V26 back to Crown Point. 47832 had been scrambled from Crewe in the early hours after the failure of '790 the previous night - just as well or I might have been spending another day sightseeing in Norwich after February's debacle (05/06/2010)

47832 approaches the divergence of the 'Acle' and 'Reedham' lines at the former Breydon Junction a mile or so outside Great Yarmouth with 5V26 1540 empty stock to Crown Point (05/06/2010)

47804 is seen on arrival at Carlisle with Kirklees Green Party's 1Z47 0535 charter from Erdington (08/06/2010)

47245 is pictured on the rear of 1Z47 at Carlisle. The 'no-heat' machine later worked the return 1Z48 1538 to Erdington via the Tyne Valley and ECML (08/06/2010)

Unfortunately all was not well with 47245, and having shut down south of Darlington, it managed to coast onto the four-track section south of Northallerton. The errant machine is seen on arrival at York, where '804 ran round having assisted from the rear (08/06/2010)

47501 'Craftsman' makes quite an impressive sight with a rake of Cargo-D 'blue & grey' coaches at Liverpool Lime Street. The loco had worked the first leg of Compass Tours' 1Z76 0721 'Mersey Fellsman' charter from Crewe to Carlisle (12/06/2010)

47802 'Pride of Cumbria' was on the rear of 1Z76 out of Crewe and worked the train forward to Carlisle via Garswood, Clitheroe and the S&C. The train is pictured on arrival at Carlisle (12/06/2010)

Another view of 47501 on the rear of 1Z76 at Carlisle. This was the last we'd see of this particular loco today as it was due an exam, and was removed at its home depot whilst the stock was being serviced at Kingmoor (12/06/2010)

47712 'Pride of Carlisle' worked the return 1Z77 1447 from Carlisle via the Cumbrian Coast route. The former FM Rail 'Blue Pullman' liveried loco is pictured on arrival back at Liverpool Lime Street (12/06/2010)

47802 took over once more after a further reversal at Liverpool, and is seen here waiting to depart from Lime Street on the last leg of the journey to Crewe (12/06/2010)

I'd been looking forward to a relaxing day at home, until the gen had filtered through the previous Friday that the elusive 47640 would be working four return trips at the Battlefield Line. Having just had its fuel topped up in the yard (thanks, guys), the loco makes its way 'off shed' (13/06/2010)

47640 is seen here backing onto the stock for the 1430 departure from Shackerstone. The loco still only has full 'largo-logo' livery on one side (13/06/2010)

47640 'University of Strathclyde' enjoys the afternoon sunshine as it waits to depart Shackerstone with the 1430 to Shenton (13/06/2010)

This time last year, we were treated to a journey into uncharted territory with the first known '47' to Aberystwyth. Almost twelve months later we were offered a trip to somewhere almost equally obscure for the Class, as 47760 waits to depart Alnmouth with North East Railtours' 1Z70 0618 charter to Gourock (19/06/2010)

47760 is pictured again on arrival at Gourock with 1Z70. The station has unfortunately lost its overall roof since my only previous visit there on an EMU in the 1980s (19/06/2010)

Confirmation if any was required of the first '47' to reach Gourock on a passenger train since the turn of the new millennium. '47's have visited occasionally on charters in the past, but this was certainly 'new track' for most on board (19/06/2010)

47826 is pictured on the rear of the train on arrival at Gourock. This loco later worked the 1Z71 return leg to Alnmouth via the WCML and Tyne Valley (19/06/2010)

Several of us took the ferry across the Firth of Clyde and spent a very pleasant afternoon sampling the ales on offer in the Kilcreggan Hotel. The party pose for the camera on the quayside awaiting the arrival of the 'MV SeaBus' to take us back to Gourock (19/06/2010)

The vast majority of our number stayed over in the North East for a further tour on the Sunday, which made use of Saturday's locomotives and stock. 47760 arrives at Cramlington with 1Z72 1004 Alnmouth-Stanhope (20/06/2010)

47760 is seen again waiting to depart from Newcastle with 1Z72 (20/06/2010)