47579 – Class 47 ‘James Nightall GC’

Notes

British Rail had 512 Brush Type 4 locomotives built at both Crewe works and the Brush Works at Loughborough which were later became known as Class 47’s, which made them the most numerous class of mainline diesel locomotives on British Rail. They operated on all regions of the network, and some members of the class are still in mainline service today.

47579 “James Nightall GC” is on extended loan to us from its present base at the Mangapps Railway Museum, Burnham on Crouch, Essex.

Originally D1778 was released to traffic in October 1964 and allocated to Tinsley Depot (Sheffield), the ‘D’ prefix ahead of the number indicated that it was a Diesel locomotive, to avoid any confusion with the existing steam fleet.

The type was classified as a Diesel Electric, whereby a 12 cylinder Sulzer four stroke Diesel engine rated at 2580 hp drives a DC main generator. DC current from the main generator is then used to power six electric ‘Traction Motors’ (one on each axle) to provide the traction power. Basically, a 56 year old hybrid!!

The locomotives were built with a Steam Generator which would produce steam to heat the coaches in the winter. One of the many challenges in the modernisation plan, in that it wasn’t just the locos that needed altering!

During 1966 / 67 the type could be seen working over the Mid Hants route on diverted services, due to the electrification works in the Basingstoke area. These trains included the prestigious “Bournemouth Belle” Pullman service.

In 1974 with the introduction of TOPS (Total Operations Processing System), every locomotive on British Rail was renumbered with a five digit number, the first two characters indicating the class. Under this scheme, the locomotive became 47183 and was allocated to Immingham working a lot of the coal traffic in the area.

1981 saw the locomotive head for heavy overhaul. The overhaul saw the removal of the Spanner Mk.III steam heat boiler, and the provision of Electric Train Heating (in line with BR’s policy of converting the coaching stock at that period). Other modifications saw some of the control gear changed to Solid State cards in modules. This conversion work saw a number of the type be reclassified as a 47/4 sub class and in turn 47183 became 47579!

The locomotive was named “James Nightall GC” on 28th September 1981 to remember the brave actions of 22 year old Fireman James Nighthall, who was killed on 2nd June 1944 whilst splitting a burning ammunition train at Soham in Cambridgeshire.

Having split the burning wagon from the rest of the train, they made a run for open countryside, but the wagons contents exploded as it passed through the station leaving a massive crater where the station had been and damaging some 800 houses in the town.

James Nightall’s actions along with his Driver, Benjamin Gimbert, saved a far greater disaster, and as a result they were two of the very few railwaymen to be awarded the George Cross for their bravery.

Sadly, the Signalman at Soham, Frank Bridges, was also killed that night whilst assisting Gimbert and Nightall. He is remembered by a brass plaque on the signal box at Alresford.

Another high point in 47579’s career came on 1st August 1985, when it worked the Royal Train, taking Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip to Great Yarmouth. Clearly a great accolade for the loco, as only the best locos were allowed anywhere near the Royal Train, to avoid any embarrassing headlines in the papers.

As was common with the locomotives on British Rail, locomotives would move around the country rather than stay in one location and having spent a time at Stratford, moved to Old Oak Common, and also Eastleigh. The spell at Eastleigh, saw 47579 working the Waterloo – Salisbury – Exeter ‘West of England’ services, following in the footsteps of our very own “Lord Nelson”, “Canadian Pacific”, and latterly “Lion”.

The locomotive ran in service until as late as 2004, eventually being replaced by the imported Canadian Class 66 locomotives. Towards the end of its mainline career the loco was renamed, and indeed renumbered for a time in the Rail Express Parcels Red Livery as 47793 “St Augustine” and finally in English Welsh & Scottish livery with yet another name “Christopher Wren”.