47592 (maybe) Lime Street 1987

[Bodie]

Hello,

I have these screenshots of a Class 47 reflected in an Intercity carriage at Liverpool Lime Street.

They are from the ITV sitcom Watching and would they would date to late 1987. October to December. Might be January 1988. They are from series 2 which began in February 1988. Though are from the final episode.

I have come up with a member of the class that I think is a good contender for our TV extra.

47592 - I believe Large Logo at the time, also had yellow headcode box cover and was a namer and a short name at that and had a small plaque under the nameplate.

592 was 'County of Avon'

A Bristol allocated 47 at that time as well I think. Don't know if they were regular visitors to Lime Street?

Anybody know if I can rule 592 out?
Have I missed something?

Anyone got any info on any sightings of 592 in Liverpool around that time?

Really frustrating that the number is blurred with the moving camera. The fact that it's a mirror image isn't that much of a problem what with being able to pause the DVD and having taken a photo, edit it to flip the image.
I reckon there is definitely a 5 in it somewhere. Sometimes I think I see a 6, which would rule out 592.
I did check all class 47s just in case and 592 is my shout.

 

[47827]

Tricky one. I know of a few folk who could probably answer fairly accurately for you. I don't really speak to many of them lately though and none are on here that I know of.

There's a good chance 592 did reach Liverpool over that period if it wasn't on maintenance and possible some of the appearances will be in this very incomplete list if you want to look.

Class 47 Archives

class47archives.blogspot.com

In that part of the year you had 47s from many depots in the country finding themselves working the Newcastle services mixed in with a few 45s, plus occasionally substituting for class 31s on the Sheffield/Yarmouth/Cleethorpes circuit, booked onto various XC trains bound for Reading and beyond with extra workings on Sundays and on diverted weekend Euston trains. I've noticed pretty much every depot area appear in Liverpool at some point that year aside from the Scotrail 47/7 fleet.

 

[xotGD]

So what is the white patch under the nameplate? Did 592 have a plaque or county crest fitted?

 

[Royston Vasey]

Definitely looks like a 5_2 on that bottom shot. The light grey roof also helps.

47592 had an Avon crest under the name. I think you can also make out the data panel just below and to the right of the number, which wasn't uncommon but was placed differently on different machines (e.g. under the number, closer to the cab or at the other end). It also had extended range fuel tanks and would be at home on Intercity Cross Country runs to Liverpool.

According to Class47.co.uk the locomotive was a Canton loco until October 1987. I wouldn't be surprised if it was filmed well before 1988. An Intercity Cross Country run from Cardiff or Poole might be a feasible reason to be there in those days?


Edit: plenty of reports of 47592 in Liverpool around that time on lots of different routes, e.g.
http://class47archives.blogspot.com/2013/12/blog-post_19.html
http://class47archives.blogspot.com/2013_12_19_archive.html#Oct1987
http://class47archives.blogspot.com/2013_12_20_archive.html#May1988

John Evans
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Class 47/4 No. 47592 'County of Avon'
Arriving at Exeter St David's in February 1988 is No. 47592 'County of Avon' with a train comprised mainly of early Mark 2 coaches, mainly Network South East livery. I assume this service has come from Waterloo. Despite the long journey, there seems to be no buffet car in the train.

 

[Chorley Cake]

Those renumbered 47/5 and 47/6s could turn up anywhere on random passenger duties back in the late 80s. There were many diesel duties out of Liverpool that ended up in the south west (Paignton, Plymouth, Penzance etc) as well as Transpennine Services. Depot allocations bore little relevance to where they actually worked (very different to today where allocations and locations are quite predictable).

 

[Bodie]

Thanks, it is looking as though 592 is the 47.

As a follow up to this, I see that she went on to be 47738 and wasn't completely scrapped.
The No.2 cab was used at a training facility in Plymouth till 2017 and then it went to The Cab Yard in Bridgend.

It would appear to still be there.

Is it possible to tell which cab end is in the photographs?

 

[Gloster]

#4, last two sentences (sorry, mods, I can’t work out how to do a quote when there is a photo).

It was probably an Exeter-Waterloo, which usually had a TSO-T micro buffet in the formation. NSE sets could also be used out of Paddington at weekends, although not much in February. (All from my recollection.)