Class 47 spotting guide
For decades the Class 47 was the backbone of British main-line diesel haulage, working everything from expresses to freight the length of the country. Most have now been retired, but a loyal band survives on charter, railtour and support duties — a genuine prize for the modern spotter.
Photo: Jaggery · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
The Class 47 is a Co-Co diesel-electric locomotive built by Brush Traction and British Railways between 1962 and 1968.
About the Class 47
The Class 47 is a Co-Co diesel-electric locomotive built by Brush Traction and British Railways between 1962 and 1968. More than 500 were constructed, making it for many years the most numerous and widely used main-line diesel class in Britain.
History
Introduced from 1962 as the BR/Brush Type 4, the Class 47 became the standard mixed-traffic diesel across the network, hauling passenger and freight trains everywhere from Cornwall to Scotland. Withdrawals accelerated as newer classes arrived, but many were rebuilt or preserved, and survivors remain active with charter and spot-hire operators.
How to identify it
Look for a long, box-bodied Co-Co diesel with a full-width cab at each end and a shallow, rounded roofline. Running numbers are in the 47xxx series, and today most working examples carry charter-operator liveries such as West Coast Railways maroon.
Fleet numbers
Originally numbered from 47001; over 500 were built, though only a modest number remain operational today with charter and spot-hire operators.
Operators
Typical workings
- Charter and railtour services across the network
- Occasional freight and stock movements
Where to see the Class 47
Class 47s are now mainly charter and railtour machines, so sightings depend on the railtour calendar rather than a regular timetable.
Collect the Class 47 fleet
Turn everyday sightings into a collecting challenge — track the running numbers you've caught.