Welcome to the second ‘dedicated’ issue since I’ve been editor of this inspirational volume. This month, to the horror of some, but I hope the pleasure of many, we’ve jammed the pages with most things 47 or Brush 4 or ‘Duff’-shaped! Whether you have a soft spot for these formerly ubiquitous machines, or the weak two-tone horn was a dreaded death-knell, I hope that there’s still plenty within the pages to enjoy. From the ‘hush-hush’ build of ten Class 4s for the Cuban Railways during the ‘60s and the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, to the unfortunate accidents that befell some members of the class in their careers, I’m sure you’ll find something of interest. While we’re on the subject of dedicated issues; is this something you’d like to continue - or would you prefer the usual more varied content? How about a region or period specific issue? Sounds like something you might like?

Don’t forget this month’s easy-to-enter free competition on page 19 - there’s a diesel driving day on the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway on offer - have a go, you might be a winner!

November will be our next ‘themed’ issue and this time it’s much more black and white - in fact the theme is black and white! We’ll get together some of the excellent black and white material held in the Traction archive so you can enjoy those detailed high-contrast photos that only monochrome photos can give you. Don’t worry though, the news and other features will still be in colour! Look out for the black and white cover in the shops, I’ve seen the proof version and I don’t think you can miss it!

By the time you read this, I will have enjoyed the hospitality of the 37 254 group at the Spa Valley Railway and the chance of a tour round some locos, I’ll let you know how I got on!

PS: Don’t forget the superb subscription offer on page 26!

D1687, Tyseley, November 1963. Seen during driver training duties, brand new D1687 (47 100) is seen parked up at Tyseley depot. Withdrawn from Tinsley in July 1991, one cab from this loco is now owned by Mel Thorley as part of his collection at Adswood Railway Museum near Stockport. See more of Brian Penney’s fascinating photographs in the November and December issues. Brian Penney

Publisher: John Greenwood Tel: 01778 391116 Editor: Richard Wilson Tel: 01778 392455 E-mail: richardw@warnersgroup.co.uk Fax: 01778 425437 Head of Design: Jayne Thorpe Editorial Design: Ryan Housden Ad Design: Sarah Machin Production Secretary: Pat Price Tel: 01778 391115 E-mail: patp@warnersgroup.co.uk Brand Manager: Nilla Short Tel: 01778 392057 E-mail: nillas@warnersgroup.co.uk

COVER: A Hertfordshire Railtours’ charter train leaves Settle Junction on April 10, 1993, with a RES liveried 47 in charge. JimWinkley

Group Advertisement Manager: Patrick Raphael Sisko Tel: 01778 391114 E-mail: patsisko@warnersgroup.co.uk Sales Executive: Jane Cottam Tel: 01778 395002 E-mail: janec@warnersgroup.co.uk Editorial Secretary: Jean Waterfall Tel: 01778 392073 E-mail: jeanw@warnersgroup.co.uk Back Issues and Reader Offers: Tel: 01778 391180 A full list of available Back Issues appears on our website: www.traction.co.uk Published by: Warners Group Publications plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher. All material submitted to TRACTION is sent at the owner’s risk. Although every care will be taken, the Publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage, however caused. A stamped, SAE should be enclosed with all submissions.

We’re always looking for contributions to make TRACTION an even better read. If you can write about your experiences or history of the days before the railways became sanitised, or have some photographs of the period, whether black & white or colour, we’d love to hear from you! We can accept photos in all formats, from transparencies to digital media, though if emailing, please initially send small images. Send to: The Editor, Traction Magazine, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne PE10 9PH.

2 TRACTION T191

In the next issue...

LOCO CONTROLLER More remiscences from Mick Mercer

SONG OF THE RAILS Former music student Andrew Burke tended to study London’s railways

RIBBLE VALLEY RECOLLECTIONS Alan Whitaker delves into his ‘80s archive

The October issue of TRACTION is on saleWednesday, September 1st 5 News and heritage update

Class 58 Locomotive Group now gain a loco and the slam door farwell on the Lymington branch 8 D&E decades

Fire up the Leyland railbus we’re going back to the ‘80s and beyond! 11 The Cuban connection

Mark Allard documents the ten Brush 4 ‘lookalikes’ constructed for Cuba by Clayton Ltd 19 Diesel driver competition

Win a diesel driving day on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway 20 Silver roof Sulzers

Phil Geisler recalls his journeys behind Stratford’s finest

22 A series of unfortunate events

Ian McLean reveals the chequered history of some of the Brush 4 fleet 28 New Street blues

The variety of blue liveries seen on the 47 is captured by Colour-Rail 32 Gallery

A selection of 47-based mages from the camera of Jim Winkley 37 The case of the missing banana

Phil Quine puts a strong arguement in for the HST as bona fide heritage diesel traction 42 Class 47 review

Parrot’s quarterly look at the current Class 47 fleet

SF FRENZY

encounters with the silver roof I

Phil Geisler recalls, with credited photographs, his journeys behind some of Stratford’s allocation of Class 47s. Photography as credited.

t could be understandably argued that the size of the 47 fleet in the 1980s, coupled with their universal and mixed traffic nature, that no particular allocation would be rare in any one area, but with Stratford’s ETH allocation I think there was an exception. This was certainly the case in my experience anyway. The same could be said of Inverness-allocated machines, but once again I suppose it is a matter of opinion. Looking back through my moves books for the 1980s reveals little haulage away from their usual stamping grounds. That with their usually spotless silver roof appearance is what makes them so memorable. Here is a small selection of those rare occasions.

Reading look a little dubious. Soon the distinctive silver roof of a Stratford machine could be seen approaching with a lengthy string of air-cons. As it drew into the platform I could make out a nameplate and then the numbers 47 579. I was especially pleased to see this one as she had always been a favourite. I have little recollection of the run other than getting stopped near Didcot for no obvious reason than reduce my plus into a dodgy minus. My moves file says I made the next move into Paddington, though. This was to be one of a handful of runs with SF-allocated ETH machines over this route.

Sulzers returning from the ice-generated rail gala on the South Eastern and decided to cover the King’s Cross commuters again as a route home. This time 47 576 was doing the honours with 1H95, with another set of tatty Mk.1s. I left her at Biggleswade for the following 1H97, 17:39 from King’s Cross forward to St.Neots and another bus home. This was the last time I was to cover the East Coast commuters and as it turned out, these were also to be my only SF ETH haulages over the route. I must have been mad, as despite the deep freeze, eight hours later I was leaving Waterloo on the Exeter-bound 1V01!

A chilly February 15, 1986 and a Saturday was being spent on trains in and out of Paddington. A successful day had been had and it was now time to consider heading for home. At Oxford I decided to view 1O25, 09:45 from Glasgow. If it was of any interest I’d do it to Reading for something else into Paddington. As usual this service was running late, making my connection at

Thursday April 24, 1986 and I decided to make my way home from a day out via the commuter services from Kings Cross. 1H95, 17:13 King Cross – Peterborough was usually a 47 or a 31 on the few occasions I had used it in the past, and today I found 47 580 at the head of a string of Mk.1 coaches. Pleased with that, I took it to Sandy for a bus home to Bedford. This wasn’t to be my only SF Brush out of the ‘Cross’ though. On January 23, 1987 I was

Sunday June 15, 1986 was to present my first encounter with a NSE 47. As I often did, I started my day out at Milton Keynes with 1O29, 09:03 Wolverhampton – Dover Western Docks. I would usually take this train to Bromley South or Kensington Olympia. The usual 86 arrived for the run to Mitre Bridge Junction, which was duly removed for

20 TRACTION T191

47 367 is at Exeter St.Davids on May 28, 1988 with a rake of WCML Mk.3s, forming 1M49, 16:08 Paignton-Carlisle.

This machine now resides at the North Norfolk Railway and was the first purchased by the group. Brian Daniels the usual 47, except today it wasn’t so usual. Easing up to the front of the air-cons was an absolutely spotless 47 573. It looked immaculate and I have to say performed accordingly. So pleased was I that I decided to go further and bailed out at Ashford for 1M04, 13:45 Dover - Liverpool back north. As ‘573 set off with a plume of black exhaust, 1M04 was announced as cancelled! After a few hours on the ‘Marshlink’, I boarded a CEP for Folkestone and joined ‘573 again with 1M02, 17:45 Dover WD - Manchester for the run to Bromley South. From there I headed home via London.

July 14, 1987 found me returning from a family holiday in Ramsgate. Naturally, I decided to make my way home by one of the few loco-hauled services available in Kent. A spotless ‘Jaffa Cake’-liveried 4-CEP greeted me as my move to Dover Western Docks and I was quite happy to board after taking some photos of the stabled EMUs around the station area. I remember many years before, watching a 47 arrive with a small rake of the unique wooden vans that still operated on the Southern in the early ‘80s. Visits of anything other than 73s or 33s were very rare in those days. One hour later I was arriving at the ‘hellfire’ station of Western Docks. A London-bound boat train stood in the opposite platform made up of more CEPs and a MLV. The station echoed to the sound of an idling Sulzer and I made my way around to the air-cons forming 1M22, 13:55 Dover - Liverpool. I walked along the rake towards a large logo Brush and found 47 580. I took as good a photo as is possible in the gloom and boarded the air-cons for the run back to London. Another typically faultless run via Faversham followed and I left her at Bromley South in order to head back into Victoria.

November 8, 1987 and I was heading for my usual after-dinner move from Paddington. The move would be 1C22 into St.Pancras then over to the Western Region to view the 16:10 Oxford and 16:50 Bristol

About as far away from the County of Essex as she could get, 47 580 is at Inverness and ready to head south again on December 12,1985, with 1T30, the 12:30 to Glasgow Queen Street. This fine machine is currently main line certified and available to hire, and can be enjoyed on railtours to all parts of the UK. Roddy MacPhee services. Our small group met as usual and was soon watching a large logo 47 thread its way across Bedford north junction with a string of blue/grey PVs in tow. This was a service that although now booked a 47, would often produce 31s and ‘Peaks’, and as a result was always bit of a lottery. 47 572 was the pleasant surprise today and after a traditional Sunday stagger via every possible junction we made our way over to Paddington. Ely Cathedral never really got the chance to stretch her legs on this occasion but nevertheless was an excellent start to that day’s move.

Early morning at Exeter on the April 24, 1988 and I could only be waiting for one of two trains. The Up or Down ‘Riviera’. I had just left the marathon, ‘Fellsman II’ railtour at Taunton and made my way to Exeter for the ‘up midnight’ home. The Western sleeper services had recently been diagrammed a 47 so I knew there was little chance of a 50. After an hour or so’s fester, I viewed the obvious lights of an approaching Brush from the west. An NSE-liveried 47 576 arrived with a hotch-potch rake of blue/grey and Intercityliveried coaches, typical of the time, and my group boarded the leading half’s brake and found an empty compo. I hung my head out of the window for the departure from St.Davids and was pleased to see a cone of flame illuminate the exhaust as we accelerated over the ‘red cow crossing’. I was soon fast asleep and all too quickly I was aware of our arrival at Paddington. We left the train and made our way in separate directions. I stopped for a moment and considered taking a photo of King’s Lynn but as usual, the light just wasn’t up to it.

Another Stratford machine on the Midland was enjoyed on May 17, 1988. This time 1P23, the 18:04 St.Pancras – Derby commuter service was to produce 47 580. I recall a storming run to Wellingborough with speeds of near 100mph being attained at points over this challenging route. The assault of Sharnbrook certainly didn’t go unnoticed, and neither did the full power departure from St.Pancras. This was a particularly stunning run which I feel typifies the usual performances of Stratford’s unique fleet of ETH examples.

Memories of Stratford’s unique allocation of Class 47s still live on in the Stratford 47 Group’s stable of three preserved machines. 47 367 will soon be available for service on the North Norfolk Railway, as will 47 596, Aldeburgh Festival, at the Mid-Norfolk Railway. 47 580, County of Essex is a regular main line performer, providing haulage for charter trains and the movement of other preserved machines to diesel events nationwide. If you would like to be a part of the small and dedicated team keeping the memories alive, write to The Chairman, SF 47 Group, 8 Butler Drive, Lidlington, Bedfordshire, MK41 0UQ. Please include an SAE.

May 30, 1987 and 47 596, Aldeburgh Festival, returns from a day out in North Wales with 1V81, 12:55 Llandudno-Paddington. She can still be enjoyed in this livery, albeit looking much smarter, at the MidNorfolk Railway. Darran Moss

This article was originally published in the SF 47 Group magazine, ‘Silver Roof’

September 2010 21

HIGH-SPEED A’PEEL’

and clag! And they were not exactly clean living. Despite the railways best efforts to keep these locos looking smart, they were fighting a losing battle for over 25 years! Even the replacement MTU power units, though helping to keep the units a little cleaner and more quiet, still have an appeal when in full ‘cry’.

I’m sure the 125 hasn’t had its day yet. There will come a time when they are surplus to requirements and are awaiting the reaper’s torch like so many before them. That’s when the blasé enthusiasts will suddenly realise how much they miss them. They’ll wish they had made the effort to record those many haulages and mourn how few photographs they now possess. Don’t forget, the Class 37s weren’t thought of as very ‘exciting’ engines in the 1980s!

So consider the Class 43 again and lets see and hear more about them – after all, they are the most awesome diesels in regular passenger service. A ‘white hot’ IC125, with power cars 43 010 and 43 011, form the 13:50 Penzance-London Paddington, seen passing Taunton’s Riverside Walk on Wednesday March 25, 1987.

43 052 City of Peterborough leads the 11:00 London King’s CrossEdinburgh over Relly Mill viaduct, Durham on Tuesday August 5, 1986.

38 TRACTION T191

As Fowler’s motorbike store goes up in flames, 43 010 passes

Bedminster Park, just west of Bristol Temple Meads station,

at the rear of the 13:35 Weston-super-Mare - London

Paddington on Saturday September 20, 1986.

A rose between two thorns? Framed by ‘Gronks’ nos. 08 719 and 08 707, 43 136 passes York Clifton with the 13:20 Newcastle-Plymouth on Thursday October 16, 1986.

Absolutely covered in oil, but amazingly still running, 43 071 calls at York with the 14:35 EdinburghLondon Kings Cross on Thursday October 16, 1986.

September 2010 39

46 TPO

Your emails and letters published 48 Reviews

The latest books are examined by David Brown and Tony Wright 49 Modelling news

More Southern EMUs on way from Hornby and Bachmann 52 ‘Duff’ in detail

Graeme Elgar captured a Riviera Trains 47 at close quarters 55 That Riviera touch

Nigel Burkin shows how he details a ViTrains’ Riviera Trains Class 47 and you can win it too!

MODELLING PROFILES NO.8

‘DUFF’ IN DETAIL Graeme Elgar, with his camera and the assistance of a friendly driver,

examines in detail a main line registered Class 47.

47 805 Talisman stabled outside the Wagon Shops at Inverness TMD showing No.1 end and the B side.

Irecently had the opportunity to take some detail shots of 47 805 Talisman. I went round the loco and took as many photos as possible of the various pieces of equipment and have captioned each picture as accurately as I could, with thanks to a Freightliner driver and personally available references.

As you’ll probably know, every loco has a No.1 and No.2 end.The No.1 end of a loco is usually the end with the radiator fans and the sides of each loco are denoted as A and B. Hopefully this diagram will explain things better:

No.1 end

B side

A side

No.2 end

I went round the loco, starting at No.1 end, proceeding along B side, No.2 end and then A side, coming back to the No.1 end. I was fortunate to gain some roof shots when the loco stopped at Nairn, quite conveniently under the footbridge! With thanks to Brian George and Peter Chapman for their help.

52

Waiting at Kingussie showing No.1 end A side.

No. XX

No.1 end bufferbeam detail: Left to right: behind the left-hand buffer is the orange ETH receptacle, beneath which is the yellow main reservoir cock and hose. Between it, the drawbar and coupling shackle is a small white pipe, cock and hose which is the engine air control pipe for when the loco is working in multiple. Directly above the drawbar, the two cables for the ETH enter the loco body. Between the drawbar and the buffer are the red train air brake cock and hose, in addition to a yellow main reservoir cock and hose. Immediately behind the main reservoir cock is the orange ETH cable jumper box, with the cable coming out beneath and curving round under the right-hand buffer. Orange multiple working socket fixed to the headcode panel on the No.1 end

No.1 end B side bogie detail.

B side underframe detail showing the emergency engine stop red square above the end of the No.2 end bogie and the extended range fuel tank around the battery box.

B side underframe detail, left to right: Long range fuel tank with fuel gauge ‘wrapped’ around the battery box, a solo battery box and to its right a small engine room waste collection tank. Large diameter orange conduit pipes connect the battery boxes.

No.1 end B side Serck shutter and roof fan grille detail.

No.2 end bufferbeam details. As the No.1 end but showing the ETH cable in its dummy receptacle to the right of the right-hand buffer.

ABOVE: No.2 end B side seen at Nairn, showing the roof grille detail and the white brake check valve piping on the bogie.This is only found beneath the driving positions on each bogie, not on all four bogie sides as per the Lima mouldings.

RIGHT: No.2 end B side at Nairn showing the cab profile and the location of the Riviera Trains ‘cat’ plaque and the number. Also seen is the cut away bodywork beneath the cab which was done in an attempt to reduce draughts in the cab.

FAR RIGHT: No.2 end B side.

No. XX

53

September 2010 3