The remains of "Generator Duff" Class 47s (Brush 4s) 47408 & 47420 seen unceremoniously dumped at Vic Berry's scrapyard, Leicester

Scrapyard scenes - one of many shots that I have now had scanned from my visits to Vic Berry's infamous locomotive and stock graveyard in Leicester back in the 1980s :)

Vic Berry's was closed down just a couple of years after this photo was taken, as a consequence of a serious fire - see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Berry

'Duff' bashers please turn away now 😎!
Here is a close up view of old 'Generator Duffs' 47408 (ex D1507) which had been cut in half, with 47420 (ex D1519) which had been stripped awaiting the cutter's torch just glimpsed behind. Some forlorn looking Mark I and DMU coaches + GUVs can be seen stacked behind. Note the Gateshead crest still in situ!

47408 loco history
Built - Brush Falcon Works. Originally delivered to British Railways as D1507 in 1963. Into traffic - 18th Jan 1963 to 34G

Liveries carried
D1507
BR: Dual Green (Yellow warning panels)
BR: Dual Green (full yellow ends)
BR: Monastral Blue (Standard)

47408 renumbered Jan 1974
BR: Monastral Blue (Standard)

Withdrawn - Jul 1986 at Gateshead
Cut up by Vic Berry Leicester - Jul 1989

Additional Locomotive History
47408 was originally D1507 and entered traffic on the 18th January 1963 allocated to Finsbury Park. Always allocated to MPD’s (Finsbury Park, Immingham and Gateshead) which had “top link” East Coast Passenger duties it would spend the next twenty three years predominantly pounding up and down the East Coast Main Line on express passenger, sleeper and “excursion” traffic. Withdrawn in July 1986 and broken up by Vic Berry, Leicester three years later in July 1989. Info courtesy of John Woolley Photos

More on the locomotive here: www.class47.co.uk/c47_numbers.php?index=2&jndex=0&amp...

47420 loco history
Built - Brush Falcon Works. Originally delivered to British Railways as D1519 in 1963. Into traffic - 26th Apr 1963 to 34G

Liveries carried
D1519
BR: Dual Green (Yellow warning panels)
BR: Dual Green (full yellow ends)
BR: Monastral Blue (Standard)

47420 renumbered Mar 1974
BR: Monastral Blue (Standard)

Withdrawn - May 1987 at Gateshead
Cut up by Vic Berry Leicester - Jul 1989

Additional Locomotive History
47420 was originally D1519 and is the last of the original batch of twenty class 47 locomotives that entered traffic in 1962/63. They were fitted with both steam heating boilers and electric train heating. This early fitment of electric train heating made these twenty “non standard” amongst the class 47/4 sub class as they used a Brush auxiliary generator (TG160-16) rather than a Brush auxiliary alternator (BL100-30) as fitted to the two hundred and forty or so class 47’s fitted with electric train heating at a later date. This non standard feature coupled with an early version of the Brush TG160-60 main generator made these twenty class 47’s candidates for early withdrawal when class 47 fleet reductions commenced. 47420 entered traffic in April 1963 and after twenty four years of powering up and down the East Coast Main Line was withdrawn in February 1987. It was broken up by Vic Berry Leicester in March 1989. Info courtesy of John Woolley Photos

More on the locomotive here: www.class47.co.uk/c47_numbers.php?index=2&jndex=0&amp...

I was never a fan of the the ubiquitous and hugely annoying (in their day) Brush Type 4s or Class 47s. Known the the bashing fraternity as Duffs (unpopular locos), Strummers or Strums (engine sound on acceleration) or Spoons (source unknown ;) - they appeared with such regular monotony on both passenger and freight trains, it became a fine art trying to avoid them 😄 and it was certainly quite a challenge to cop them all for sight - something I didn't achieve until well into the 1980s (with the exception of the early casualties). Now, of course, in the 21st century, they have acquired a certain aura of nostalgia, as most of the original locomotive classes have - and some are still in mainline service some 60 years on, mostly in the guise of re-engined Class 57s.

Taken with a Nikon F-501 SLR camera. Scanned from the original slide with a small amount of digital restoration.

You can see a random selection of my railway photos here on Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/themightyhood/random/

Taken in: UK / England / Leicester (show map)

Taken on: June 1, 1989

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