47810 comes off the Cotswold Line at Norton Junction with the 16:00 Long Marston - Gloucester (6Z80) stock move conveying STVA open car carriers. The driver had just handed over the single line token when this shot was taken at 16:52 on 20/06/07.
On 23rd January 2007 Victa Railfrieght hired in XP64 liveried 47853 'Rail Express' for a number of stock moves the first of which is pictured here. The train comprised of redundant mark II coaches moving from Chaddesden to Long Marston. The working ran as 5Z59 and is seen here passing through Lower Moor at around 10:10 am.
The return working saw 47853 haul a rake of JXA wagons from LM to Chaddesden and was nailed again at Lower Moor at 14:45... 80 odd minutes late.
The following day (Jan 24th 07) 47853 ran light engine to Long Marston to collect another rake of JXA wagons. With few decent vantage points on the Cotswold line between Honeybourne and Worcester I headed to Long Marston to watch the shunt. The departure is photographed here at Broad Marston on the ex MOD branch between Long Marston and the mainline connection at Honeybourne. The train worked to Chaddesden as 6Z59 where the load of JXA's where paired with the previous days consignment for forwarding to Scunthorpe where the JXA's are to see further use as internal user wagons.
Nearly a year later on 6th March 2007 47810 is photographed again engaged in another stock move. The loco is in near EX Works condition having been given the Cotswold Rail treatment at Oxley just a few weeks before this shot and the loco had by now lost its 'Porterbrook' name in favour of 'Captain Sensible'. The working ran as 5Z86 Loughborough - Plymouth Laira conveying refurbished HST power car 43161 for FGW. Water Orton 12:56.
47847 again, this time double heading with 47815 for 'The Eternal City of York' charter from Minehead to York on 28th April 2007. The train had ran via Worcester Shrub Hill and is caught passing through Stoke Prior at 10:12 having just joined the mainline at Stoke Works Junction.
The first run of the Cargo D BR blue & grey set is photographed at Honeybourne, shortly after departure from Long Marston on 8th March 2007, I was looking forward tp seeing this train as alhtough I remember mixed BR Blue & IC formations my memories of full Blue & Grey rakes are few and far between. Riviera's 47805 'Talisman' and 47812 where sent for the job; the desitination being Crewe. The train is pictured here coasting up the branch from Long Marston.
Having finally emerged from long running repairs and re fitment of vacuum brake equipment 47840 'North Star' was finally back in action with First Group in March. With its planned hand over from Porterbrook into preservation just weeks away the locomotive was rostered for a GBRf move from Derby Litchurch Lane to Plymouth Laira conveying a rake of overhauled MkIII's. The working ran as 5Z47 and is pictured here at Lea Marston on 6th March 2007.
47854 heads the Green Express through Bishopton as it accelerates up the bank away from Stratford on Avon on 14th April 2007. The tour saw 47854 & 47851 work from Holyhead to Stratford and back.
Cotswold Rail's other Anglia liveried 'duff' 47818 in Anglia One colour's passes through Bromsgrove with another Porterbrook coaching stock move on 26th April 2007. Running as 5B17 Derby - Long Marston the train was conveying a rake of ex Virgin West Coast MkIII's. The Porterbrook owned coaches had originated at Wilton where they, along with a large amount of other ex West Coast rakes were stored pending a move to Bosnia, a deal which fell through.
A moody sky and Bredon Hill provide the backdrop for 47810 heading north with a Bristol SPM - Brush Loughborough FGW power car move, one of the few shots I have of a power car en route for MTU fitment. The location is Abbotswood on 29/03/2007 at 16:35.
The last of the power car shots... absolute last dregs of sun light sees 47703, a new acquisition for Cotswold Rail at the time head south with an overhauled 43179 in tow. Abbotswood 26/02/2007 16:49.
47853 'Rail Express' heads Compass Tours 0559 Preston to Minehead (1Z41) through a misty Abbotswood on 14th April 2007.
47813 stands at Honeybourne awaiting departure time having just emerged from the Long Marston branch on a chilly winter afternoon as First Great Western 'Adelante' No. 180 110 passes by with an Oxford service. The 47 was hauling the long rake of IZA's to Bescot via Gloucester on Saturday 2nd December 2006.
I never photographed 47237 under DRS ownership and didn't bag my first shot of it until some time into its new career with Advenza, the first shot was taken on 16th Feb 2008 at Great Cheverell on the Berks & Hants. The loco was powering 10:10 Laira - Old Oak Common (5Z70).
47851 heads 'The Bath & Salisbury Venturer' tour through Bromsgrove on 15th September. 57601 was dead on the rear. The tour ran from Wakefield to Salisbury as 1Z22.
47805 heads through Croome with a Derby - Laira stock move (5Z91) on 4th February 2008. The loco was on hire to GBRf at the time and in place of the usual full rake of overhauled Mk III stock the consist on this occasion was a single Mk III sandwiched between a two barrier coaches.
Less than a month later and I got two shots of 47237 on another stock move. This time 09:10 Gloucester - Long Marston (6Z45). The working was supposed to be conveying two class 37's that had recently been purchased by HNRC. In the event there was a problem with the brakes on 37704 and this was shunted out of the consist leaving faded ex Transrail 37898 and four ex Yeoman JTA wagons for break force. The train is pictured at Badgeworth running well over an hour late on 4th March 2008.
With over an hours layover time at Worcester Shrub Hill to allow for a runaround I headed to Evesham for another crack at 6Z45 on the Cotswold line. The train is seen slowing to exchange tokens at Evesham station at 12:37, now running just three minutes down on schedule.
The last time I photographed 47703 on the mainline before it was sold for scrap, unfortunately I botched this shot, although in focus and in brilliant winter light I wasn't counting on the duff tanking it, I had opted for a lower than usual shutter speed expecting the train to be accelerating away from a booked stop in Abbotswood loop, in the event it missed the stop and screamed through at speed, at 100% crop the front end isn't a crisp as it should be :-( Only a duff though! 5Z11 11:15 Derby - Laira 03/12/07.
Another picture taken at Crewe, this time Basford Hall. 47303 'Freightliner Cleveland' and 47197 await their fate on 30th May 2006, these two were among the longest serving original FL Intermodal 47's. Both having only been stored months before this shot was taken.
Freightliner's 47150 was stabled at Stafford on 27th June 2005, presumably on thunderbird duties. The sun was at full strength on the day which allowed for a decent photo, just a pity Network Rail have allowed the bay platforms to become dumping grounds for spoil and the flower beds to become over run with weeds.
As a result of a later than booked departure from Long Marston the train was held on the branch at Honeybourne to await a new path allowing for another shot at Honeybourne. The working ran as 5Z47 12:35 Long Marston - Crewe, the delayed departure meant the working didn't leave Honeybourne until around 16:00.
Riviera Trains provided traction for Arriva 'Rugex' services on 19th November 2005. Two services ran from Crewe with the 1Z10 running via Wrexham. The train is seen here in the winter sunshine at Bayston Hill with 47847 providing power, 47843 was attached to the rear. The 'Large Logo Blue' 47 and InterCity and Virgin MK2 rake made it reminiscent of the late 90's.
Another Riviera Class 47 No. 47839 'PEGASUS' was used by Victa on 30th April 2007 to move a small rake of KAA container/wagon flats from Long Marston to Crewe Gresty Lane using the headcode 6Z66. The loco is seen joining the main at Honeybourne.
47376 'Freightliner 1995' passes through Hailes on the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway with the 10:00 Winchcombe - Toddington during the lines Spring diesel gala on 1st April 2006.
RfD liveried 47 No. 47287 and RES liveried 47 No. 47784 stand at Crewe DMD on 2nd May 2004. 47287 was moved to CF Booth for scrap shortly after this shot was taken. 47784 still exists - stored in EWS' WNXX pool. When the photo was taken it still carried its 'Condover Hall' nameplates.
During the 2006 Spring gala at the GWR 47105 passes Hailes with a freight working to Winchcombe on 1st April.
47810 'Porterbrook' hauls a consist of four Class 87's to Gloucester Horton Road on 10th May 2006. The train ran as 0Z88 and is seen passing through Spetchley, the locomotives involved were 87025, 87021, 87030 & 87033.
47355 'Avocet' slows on the approach to Evesham signal box for a token exchange at 14:08 on 7th November 2007. The train was a 1Z14 Serco test train on a Worcester to Oxford run, back in the days when FM Rail existed and just before they lost the Serco contract. The train returned to Worcester Shrub Hill the same afternoon to stable overnight before a venture into South Wales the following day.
On August 17th 2006 West Coast Railways ran an inspection saloon from London to Birmingham New Street via the world. 47826 'Springburn' took charge and is seen here passing through Eckington in Worcestershire. I had originally planned to photograph the working a few miles north from Eckington but a thunderstorm was in full swing with hail stones and all, the light held out just long enough at Eckington before the black cloud arrived.
Cotswold Rail's 47828 'Joe Strummer' & 47813 'John Peel' top and tail the CR Mk III buffet coach over the River Avon at Eckington on the 21st August. The train had originated at Worcester Shrub Hill and was en route to Landore where the coach was to be used a barrier vehicle for a FGW HST move to Brush.
On 9th September 2006 Pathfinder Tours ran an excursion from Cardiff to Liverpool Lime Street. The train ran as 1Z64 and was headed by Riviera Trains' two tone green 47812 to Bescot where a kettle took over. The working is pictured at Spetchley in Worcestershire passing at 07:46.
Still wearing its Anglia livery 47714 passes through Croome on 10th October 2006 hauling 8 Mk III's from Long Marston to Laira. The stock included ex Virgin and Midland Mainline coaches some of which had been heavily vandalised with graffiti.
Rail traffic to the former MoD site at Long Marston increased further in the later part of 2006 as a rail maintenance business started operating at the site. As a result a number of wagon moves started taking place. The first few trains to the site consisted of IZA's which were transported to Long Marston by Cotswold Rail, I understand that the wagons where having a number of modifications to enable them to carry car windscreens safely. In any event the traffic produced a welcome change from the Porterbrook coaching stock moves on the Cotswold line and provided the increasingly rare sight of class 47's powering freight trains. One of the first workings is photographed here on 1st November 2006 with 47813 'John Peel' in charge. The location is Lower Moor and the working ran as 6Z48 Long Marston - Gloucester although the trains final destination was Bescot.
47828 'Joe Strummer' heads a single TTA tank en route from Gloucester - Long Marston (6Z03). The location was Norton on 17th January 2007 13:07 Hrs. This was quite a lucky shot, there was a lot of cloud about and Network Rail had only cleared the area of overgrowth a few hours before my arrival, in fact contractors where still felling trees when the shot was taken.
The movement of HST power cars to and from Landore or Laira to Brush Loughborough for reengineering and MTU engine fitment on behalf of First Great Western provides at least one return trip a week for a Cotswold Rail 47. When this photo was taken the usual diagram was for a northbound stock move to Brush usually running in the morning and the return in the afternoon. Here 47813 'Joe Strummer' heads barrier coaches 1065 & 0563 with MTU fitted 43153 in tow as 5Z46 Brush - Landore pictured at on 9th November 2006.
Further traffic along the Cotswold line to Long Marston started in November 2006 when FM Rail started a Hams Hall - Long Marston car service conveying prestige cars between Scotland and the Midlands for Jet Logistics. The service was booked to run thrice weekly with the load being 'tripped' to Hams Hall for inclusion in FM's ill fated Anglo Scottish intermodal service. The then new contract got off to a bad start with a number of delays and cancellations in the service caused by lack of train crew and loco failures. Of note is that the service ran as a 90 MPH fright as the contract utilized a rake of ex First Great Western Motorail GUV's leased from HSBC rail.
In this shot 47145 'Myrddin Emrys' has charge of the service as it passes through Bromsgrove with 3Z03 Hams Hall - Long Marston on 29th November 2006. As could almost be expected with FM in charge the train was behind by around two hours and the cloudless sky over Bromsgrove had become covered in low cloud during the wait. The 'shed' in the background is at the rear of a Portbury coal train waiting to be banked up the Lickey. Another shot of the service seen at Evesham station a week prior can be found here.
