There have been many stirrings among railway enthusiasts across East Anglia in recent times after train operator Direct Railway Services allocated some of its elderly and venerable diesel locomotives into the region for engineering train and stock movement duties. Some of these engines are, or at least should be, well past their 'use by' date to say the least, so it is a rare treat to see, and probably for some just as important, to hear them at work up and down the Anglian main line.

I first noted one of the company's stock, Class 47 712 'Pride of Carlisle' last December, enjoying a quiet moment on shed in the afternoon winter sunshine at Colchester and a quickly snatched photograph was just too tempting to resist.

47712 Pride of Carlisle Colchester Dec 2009

Being a regular commuter into London for my work in the music industry, as well as also travelling across the region in connection with my transport media interests, I then started to occasionally notice other members of the class in DRS livery at various locations and, when the opportunity arose, captured them on film.

Much of their work takes place nocturnally so they are normally seen at rest or simply running light engine, which does make the reason for their presence hereabouts something of a mystery. 47 712 was again seen in December in the sidings at Ilford MPD and I then saw 47 802 'Pride of Cumbria' resting in the headshunt at Shenfield Station.

47802 Pride of Cumbria Colchester 30 June 2010

More recent sightings at Colchester have included 47 802 again and 47 832 'Solway Princess', both resting in the station's headshunts while 47 832 again turned up in Norwich Station in between me changing trains en-route to Chesterfield at the beginning of June. Another of the class had also been seen from a distance when passing through Ipswich.

47 832 Solway Princess Colchester

Among the Class 47s there are, remarkably, a few Class 37 types still earning their keep. It is sobering to think that, along with the odd Class 20 with which they do the occasional piloting turn, members of this class were being outshopped alongside BR's last steam locomotives, when the Beatles were not long out of short trousers, your maiden aunt had just bought her first Morris Minor convertible and when, in terms of road passenger transport, Leyland was still turning out brand new PD3 Titans by the shed load! To witness these vintage engines in action brings back many happy memories of hours spent platform ending at Chesterfield in my youth or clinging to our school field fence at Shirebrook while the local shed's compliment of diesels went about their business on the dozens of weekly coal train movements there.

These days the Class 37s in particular can give one quite an ear bashing when they turn up and, in an area where most trains are powered from the overhead catenary, they can turn heads and rattle a few platform fittings occasionally! It must be considered that the drivers probably actually enjoy giving them a bit of an airing at times and the demonstrations of such awesome power, the likes of which we rarely hear these days, accompanied with the obligatory plumes of black oily smoke, are to be rellished to say the least!

How much longer those of us in East Anglia can go on enjoying the spectacle of these vintage engines can only be guessed at. There are constant murmurings in the railway press that their days are numbered but they appear almost to be a permanent part of the local railway scene. Their duties are obviously quite specialised and one wonders whether, with the dearth of modern, versatile diesel locomotives built in the last thirty years, they are quite simply, irreplaceable. Long may they continue!

47832 Solway Princess Norwich 4 June 2010

Dan Sellers adds (27 July 2010): Two of my Picasa set of Rugeley photographs fit in with this article (shown below). For more CLICK