Class 47367
"Kenny Cockbird"
Builder | Brush Works |
Introduction Date | 18th September 1965 |
Withdrawal Date | 26th September 2001 |
Configuration | Co-Co |
Status | Undergoing Repairs |
Number Held | 47367 |
Owned By | Stratford 47 Group |
British Railways Class 47 Diesel-Electric Type 4
​
The British Railway Class 47, also know as Brush Type 4, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive that was built by Brush Falcon Works & Crewe Works between 1962 - 1968, a total of 512 were produced.
​
The class was built to be able to work passenger trains, including the Intercity services, and freight workings . They soon became a common sight across the whole country with the majority being allocated to Crewe, Cardiff Canton & Bescot. They quickly, along side the Class 37s, became one of the mainstays of the BR fleet and quickly earnt their reputation as a powerful and reliable class of locomotive. By 1986 only five out of the original 512 had been withdrawn from service, all because of serious accident damage however, with the introduction of new rolling stock and spare parts becoming scarce the decision was made to slowly start withdrawing the class. However, by 1995 only 147 locomotives had been withdrawn, still leaving 360 of the class in service. With the privatisation of the railway may of the class were bought by private operating companies and used for either freight or charters. However, as newer technology became available the class was being replaced as from 1996 to 2006 an average of 15 locomotives were take out of service per year.
62 out of the 512 produced are still active today, with 31 being preserved across Britain's Heritage Railways and another 31 still being used by mainline operating companies. A further 33 Class 47s were converted to Class 57's between 1998 & 2004.
47367
47367 was released from Brush Works on 18th September 1965, originally as D1886, and allocated to Immingham (40B). In December 1997 it was the only of the class still wearing its original Two Tone Green livery, it was eventually painted into BR Blue later that month. Over the course of its working life it was transferred to Tinsley, Crewe & Stratford. On 10th February 1992 at Tinsley Depot the locomotive was given the unofficial painted name of "Kenny Cockbird" which it held until May 1996. 47367 was then withdrawn from traffic by then owner Freightliner in 2001 and then stored at Derby, until the Stratford 47 Group purchased it in 2002.​
​
The locomotive was then moved to the North Norfolk Railway where it worked several passenger and freight workings from 2007 until 2013, where it was then moved to the Mid-Norfolk Railway in May 2014. The MNR would like to take this opportunity to thank the owners for the hire of 47367 to the MNR and for their continued help ensuring the MNR can operate trains.