"However, Virgin denied that ‘825 was returning, so speculation continued until the 27th, when ‘702 finally went back into store..."
Although diesel locomotive-haulage on the CrossCountry network was inextricably associated with the 47/8s, there were other big contributors to credit. And during the 1997-2002 period in which Virgin ran loco-hauled XC services, the biggest 'other' was unquestionably the 47/7. Here in the blog's fourth article about CrossCountry operations, I'm going to recall the story of the 47/7, fully illustrated, as always.
THE STORY STARTS…
The story began in autumn 1997, less than a year after Virgin’s adoption of XC, and amid a period of woeful reliability and availability among the 47/8s. Up until then, Virgin had relentlessly been bailed out by EWS, who threw forth all manner of freight traction to cover the ailing 47/8s on demand. The traction sourced by VXC from alt operators had included classes 31, 33, 37, 47/0, 47/3, 47/9, 55, 56, 58, 60… You name it – a Virgin CrossCountry service had been hauled by it in 1997.
In fact, among the menagerie provided to Virgin for one-off use in these early days, lurked 47711 - then recently out of store and back in service on EWS freight. It was just an incidental hire at the start of September ’97, but it was to prove an omen.
FRAGONSET
47703 was one of two 47/7s which worked Fragonset’s debut run for Virgin in 1997. This is Fragonset’s own black livery – not enormously different from the Waterman black livery which most Fragonset 47/7s had previously worn, and in which 47712 continued to run into the 21st century.
In mid November ‘97, Virgin turned their cries for help to a new, purpose-designed hire company called Fragonset Railways. Fragonset had taken possession of some original Scottish Class 47/7s formerly run by Pete Waterman’s charter operation. The small spot-hire company's first provision to Virgin comprised a pair of 47/7s: 47703 and 47712 – the former fresh in Fragonset black, but the latter still in Waterman’s similar livery. At the time, these were the only two Fragonset 47/7s in service, but in less than a month they were joined by 47701.
47701 Waverley was not officially a Fragonset loco – it was separately owned by a private family. But it was hired to Fragonset, and given the Fragonset livery, and it operated interchangeably with the Fragonset-owned locos.
47710 and 47709 subsequently completed the Fragonset 47/7 posse.
Fragonset’s supply of Class 47/7s would continue through much of the remaining era of CrossCountry loco-haulage. The black ex-push/pull machines were still working Virgin services in 2001, but by 2002 the realm of loco-haulage had been so heavily reduced that the 47/8s could fairly straightforwardly cope alone – even covering when their sister locos failed.
Fragonset’s 47709 in Sunday service action with CrossCountry at Bredicot in June 2000.
47702 & 47711
47702 County of Suffolk, seen here on the Lickey Incline, was the first Class 47/7 to wear Virgin’s own livery.
Both 47702 and 47711 were working with EWS in 1998, still in old British Rail liveries. ‘702 was two-tone grey, and ‘711 had managed to retain Network SouthEast colours. Virgin had spot-hired both locos whilst they were still in these old liveries and employed with EWS. But around the end of summer ’98 they were transferred into the CrossCountry ILRA pool, receiving Virgin liveries at the point of transfer.
This ‘Dynamic Duo’ had a curious livery anomaly as compared with the 47/8s. Both had their running numbers on the ‘wrong’ cabside.
47711 County of Hertfordshire hard at work on the 12:10 Bristol – Newcastle, at Stoke Prior, in August 1999.
47705
47705 Guy Fawkes was another of the former Waterman 47/7s. But rather than passing into the hands of Fragonset in 1997, it had gone to Riviera Trains. Having developed an obvious penchant for 47/7s, Virgin fairly briefly began hiring Guy Fawkes as well as the Fragonset locos. It’s seen above in August ’99, still carrying the Waterman black livery and branding.
THE CAVALRY
Late spring to early summer 2000 saw the CrossCountry network awash with Res-liveried Class 47/7s from the EWS mail fleet. Here’s a very cool summer 2000 vision featuring Res red 47741 Resilient, and 47712, nearly three years into its Fragonset employment but still in de-branded Waterman black. The train is the late-running 07:12 Bristol – Edinburgh.
Between the end of 1999 and the middle of 2000, EWS was introducing its brand new Class 67 locos to displace a substantial batch of 47/7s on mail duties. As the 47/7s became available, Virgin quickly began to pounce on them.
During this period, there were three main types of Class 47/7 usage:
- Long term transfers from the redundant EWS mail fleet to the ILRA CrossCountry pool, for daily use by Virgin.
- On-demand ‘spot’ hires from the redundant EWS mail fleet to Virgin, for immediate, short-term use.
- Continued use of Fragonset 47/7s.
An EWS transfer and an EWS spot hire on one train. ILRA loco 47742 The Enterprising Scot has failed at Coventry, and 47762 has come to assist. The train is the 09:17 Manchester – Paddington of Saturday 24th February 2001, and since Virgin hasn’t bothered to repaint ‘742 in its own livery, the former Res locos match.
The Fragonset locos continued to be used pretty much as they had been since 1997. And the on-demand hires from EWS were not any different in principle from those which had seen that wealth of freight-only diesels powering Virgin trains in the late ’90s. The difference in 2000 was that the EWS 47/7s were now kicking around with little to do, so if Virgin had a need for EWS diesel traction, it was almost inevitable that they’d get a 47/7. There were so many instances of non-ILRA 47/7s powering CrossCountry services in 2000, that the magazines stopped considering them worthy of report.
EWS EX-MAIL FLEET - LONG-TERM LEASE
47769 Resolve was the first 47/7 b-type transferred from the EWS mail pool to Virgin CrossCountry. It’s seen here at Birmingham New Street more than six months after transfer, still wearing the old Res postal livery.
The first transfer to Virgin from the EWS locos displaced by Class 67s, was that of 47769, which moved out of EWS stock and into ILRA in mid December 1999. Unlike 47702 and 47711, this loco was not immediately given the Virgin livery. That was the case with all subsequent transfers from the EWS mail fleet. The former Res locos were already red and grey, with no branding, so they didn’t look particularly alien hauling Virgin coaches.
47766 was transferred next. Straight out of the EWS WHDP pool and into ILRA CrossCountry – in late January 2000. At this time, both 47702 and 47711 were still in use.
When 47702 failed a week later, 47747 came out of the EWS stable and joined CrossCountry. However, 47747 was not the official replacement for 47702, because ‘702 had not yet been dropped by Virgin.
On 21st March 2000, there was a straight switch of locos, as 47766 was placed into store with EWS, and 47741 immediately replaced it in the ILRA pool.
With 47702 stuck at Eastleigh suffering from a main generator fault, it was rumoured in early April 2000 that 47825 would replace it. 47825 had been an ILRA CrossCountry loco starting in 1997, and continuing to appear for Virgin as an ILRB loco after its replacement in ILRA by 47845 in December that year. More recently, ‘825 had worked Anglia thunderbird duties off Crown Point, and had just concluded those duties, hence the speculation. However, Virgin denied that ‘825 was returning, so speculation continued until the 27th, when ‘702 finally went back into store with EWS and 47722 joined ILRA as a straight replacement.
The next switch came on 8th June, when 47711 was retired, and replaced by 47750.
And on 26th June, the final transfer was processed, as 47742 moved from EWS mail duties into the ILRA CrossCountry pool. Interestingly, the same day, 47825 was officially assigned for conversion to Class 57/6.
Still in Res livery on 23rd August 2000, 47722 The Queen Mother drifts down the Lickey Incline.
In June 2000, all of the Virgin ILRA 47/7s – six of them in total – were wearing their Res postal liveries, and they all still carried the names they’d had in the mail sector. The final selection was…
47722 The Queen Mother
47741 Resilient
47742 The Enterprising Scot
47747 Res Publica
47750 Royal Mail Cheltenham
47769 Resolve
Starting in July, Virgin commenced not only repainting these former Res locos into standard Virgin livery, but also renaming them. 47747 was the first repaint, closely followed by 47750, also in July. These new repaints did not follow the 1998 anomaly of placing the running numbers on the ‘wrong’ cabsides. The numbers went in the usual place, a la Class 47/8.
Both of these newly repainted locos were also renamed. 47750 was reuinted with its old name – Atlas – at the Old Oak Common open weekend on 6th August, and 47747 was named Graham Farish at Poole, on the 23rd. 47747 Graham Farish is seen above at Birmingham International with the 19:16 departure for Paddington.
The rest of the now stable ILRA 47/7 group retained their existing names, but all except one subsequently received the standard Virgin livery. 47742 was the exception which never received the Virgin livery.
47741 Resilient shows off its new Virgin Red livery on the 11:17 Manchester – Bristol service of 14th February 2001.
THE WIND-DOWN
As the Voyager units began to amass on the CrossCountry network, demands placed on the 47/8s rapidly decreased. The Fragonset 47/7s became much less common on CrossCountry trains through the course of 2001, and the first two of the post-2000 ILRA 47/7s were handed back to EWS and stored on 2nd November that year. The duo in question were 47742 and 47769.
Spring 2002 saw loco-hauled services dropping into the hands of Voyagers at a phenomenal rate, and three of the remaining four ILRA 47/7s – 47722, 47747 and 47750 – went off lease at that time. Survivor 47741 did manage to evade its final whistle until 3rd July – just over six weeks from the official end of CrossCountry loco haulage itself.
47769 Resolve in its post-Virgin days, working a crew training run to Bromsgrove, whilst with Riviera Trains.
The Class 47/7 had performed a key role at a time of great turbulence for CrossCountry. It wasn't an enthusiast's choice alongside the previous wealth of rare freight traction, but it certainly kept regular passengers' complaints at bay.