British Rail Class 47
British Railways Class 47 D1661 'North Star' and train at Washford on the West Somerset Railway
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Diesel-electric |
| Builder |
Brush Traction British Rail Crewe Works |
| Build date | 1962–1968 |
| Total produced | 512 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration | Co-Co |
| AAR wheel arr. | C-C |
| UIC class | Co'Co' |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Wheel diameter | 3 ft 9 in (1.143 m) |
| Wheelbase | 51 ft 6 in (15.70 m) |
| Length | 63 ft 7 in (19.38 m) |
| Width | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 9 1⁄2 in (3.90 m) |
| Loco weight | 112 long tons (114 t; 125 short tons) to 125 long tons (127 t; 140 short tons) |
| Fuel capacity | 850 imp gal (3,900 l; 1,020 US gal) |
| Prime mover | Sulzer 12LDA28-C |
| MU working | Not fitted when built. Some now retrofitted with ● Green Circle |
| Train heating |
47/0: Steam generator 47/3: None 47/4: Electric Train Heat |
| Train brakes | Vacuum, Air, or Dual |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) or 95 mph (153 km/h) |
| Power output | Engine: originally 2,750 bhp (2,050 kW), later derated to 2,580 bhp (1,920 kW) |
| Tractive effort | Maximum: 55,000 lbf (245 kN) to 60,000 lbf (267 kN) |
| Loco brakeforce | 61 long tons-force (608 kN) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators |
British Rail English Welsh & Scottish Colas Rail Direct Rail Services Freightliner Harry Needle Railroad Company Riviera Trains West Coast Railway Company |
| Numbers | D1500–D1999, D1100–D1111 later 47001–47981 |
| Axle load class | Route availability 6 or 7 |
The British Rail Class 47 is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British mainline diesel locomotive.
They were fitted with the Sulzer 12LDA28C twin-bank twelve-cylinder unit producing 2,750 bhp (2,050 kW) - though this was later derated to 2,580 bhp (1,920 kW) to improve reliability - and have been used on both passenger and freight trains on Britain's railways for over 50 years. Despite the introduction of more modern types of traction, a significant number are still in use, both on the mainline and on heritage railways. As of October 2016, 81 locomotives still exist as Class 47s, with further examples having been converted to other classes; 30 retain "operational status" on the mainline.
The Class 47 history begins in the early 1960s with the stated aim of the British Transport Commission (BTC) to completely remove steam locomotives from British Rail by a target date of 1968. They therefore required a large build of lightweight Type 4 locomotives to achieve this aim. This required locomotives producing at least 2,500 bhp (1,900 kW) but with an axle load of no more than 19 long tons (19 t). However, the BTC were not convinced that the future of diesel traction lay down the hydraulic transmission path of the Western Region, and began looking at various diesel-electric designs.
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