Irwell Press CL47s Class 47s BRs Standard Diesel A Personnal Observation by Tony Wright
Part of Tony Wright’s on-going series of bookazines this one concentrates on the Class 47 diesel-electrics, surely BR’s most successful and most numerous mixed traffic post-steam class. Introduced coincidentally with the first withdrawals of the A4 Pacifics at the end of 1962, the first batch played second-string to the Deltics on the ECML, with some success. As the numbers grew (eventually to over 500!) they became ubiquitous on the national network. The Class has rejoiced in a number of labels, including Brush Type 4s, Hawker Siddeleys, Class 47s (under TOPS) and even ‘Duffs’ among enthusiasts. Using photographs entirely of his own taking, the author presents a personal observation of this long-lived class, from the original (and most-attractive) two-tone green, through to BR corporate blue and many of the myriad liveries beyond. The geographical spread is as comprehensive as the author’s travels allowed, including Scotland, deepest Wales, the South West, the North East, North West, East Anglia, The Midlands (both East and West) the Home Counties, London and the South. Several remain in operation with private companies, well over fifty years after their introduction.
