Best livery on a Class 47

[33011]

The class 47 had carried many different liveries over the years but what livery do you think best suited the class 47? For me I liked Scotrail livery the best. It might be because growing up in Eastleigh we never saw it except when the 47/7s finished in Scotland and came south so never got tired of it. On the subject of 47/7 I'm getting old now and my memory is not as good as it used to be but I'm sure a couple of them worked in Scotland in NSE livery before coming south is that correct or did I imagine it?

 

[Cowley]

The class 47 had carried many different liveries over the years but what livery do you think best suited the class 47? For me I liked Scotrail livery the best. It might be because growing up in Eastleigh we never saw it except when the 47/7s finished in Scotland and came south so never got tired of it. On the subject of 47/7 I'm getting old now and my memory is not as good as it used to be but I'm sure a couple of them worked in Scotland in NSE livery before coming south is that correct or did I imagine it?

Other way around really. A couple of the 47/7s were still in Scotrail livery when they started work for NSE. In fact one of them (47706?) held onto its debranded Scotrail livery for years.
I’m with you though, I loved that livery too along with the Inverness and Eastfield large logo ones with mini snowploughs and black headcodes etc.

 

[Darandio]

Intercity Executive and Scotrail.

 

[Watford West]

I think that the 47s suited most of their liveries, but the original two tone green that adorned them when they were first built takes some beating. That said, I do like the Scot Rail one

 

[Cowley]

I reckon a lot of the reason they suit so many liveries is that all of the ventilation grilles are above the bodyside on the roof which is then left clear apart from the two engine room windows on each side.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Large logo with Stratford style light grey roof Large logo looked good on everything it touched... until they put it on a 66!

Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:47424_47607_Bangor1987.jpg

Huge soft spot for this too:

Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brush_Class_47_No_47484_(8061921382).jpg

And an honourable mention for the second iteration of NSE. The vivid darker blue that wrapped around the windows made them rather sleek. I saw one once in the late 80s, way off its turf, somewhere on the WCML I think, and little me just stood there open mouthed!

Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:47_530_in_NSE_livery.jpg

 

[Richard Scott]

Large logo, no questions!!! Unless of course it has lots of fun oxy-acetylene burn marks on it then that would be a better livery!!!!!

 

[Iskra]

It's a livery I'd never had much exposure to, but having travelled upon it this summer and seen it in the flesh for the first time, then I would have to go with:



But, I did also really like Virgin XC

 

[LOL The Irony]

Virgin red & black just looks great on them

Virgin Trains Class 47/8 47831 'Bolton Wanderer' - Stockport

Virgin Trains Class 47/8 47831 ' Boton Wanderer' at Stockport on the 21st September 2001.

flic.kr

 

[Iskra]

Virgin red & black just looks great on them

Virgin Trains Class 47/8 47831 'Bolton Wanderer' - Stockport

Virgin Trains Class 47/8 47831 ' Boton Wanderer' at Stockport on the 21st September 2001.

flic.kr

I agree. I think that livery looked great on everything.

 

[xotGD]

Isn't there an expression about putting lipstick on a pig?

A Duff is still a Duff, whatever way you paint it!

But for the record, I'll go with large logo.

 

[43096]

Isn't there an expression about putting lipstick on a pig?

A Duff is still a Duff, whatever way you paint it!

But for the record, I'll go with large logo.

There's also a saying that you can't polish a turd.

I'd go with InterCity swallow. A livery that looks good on everything it's been applied to.

 

[SteveM70]

Two tone green for me

 

[Royston Vasey]

Post privatisation, hard to top ex-works EWS

 

[Cowley]

@xotGD and @43096 - I feel like in a previous age I would have challenged you to duel at dawn.
I choose canons...

 

[LOL The Irony]

@xotGD and @43096 - I feel like in a previous age I would have challenged you to duel at dawn.
I choose canons...

Well a 37 never got painted into Virgin red & back and there was too much red on the HST power cars, so 47's win automatically when it comes to Virgin

 

[43096]

@xotGD and @43096 - I feel like in a previous age I would have challenged you to duel at dawn.
I choose canons...

I'll choose an Apache helicopter in that case...

 

[dubscottie]

Other way around really. A couple of the 47/7s were still in Scotrail livery when they started work for NSE.

Two worked in Scotland in NSE livery for a few weeks after overhaul at Springburn.
One on a Glasgow-Aberdeen push pull. I cant recall the numbers but there is pics on Flickr.

My own favourite is large logo blue.

 

[Cowley]

Two worked in Scotland in NSE livery for a few weeks after overhaul at Springburn.
One on a Glasgow-Aberdeen push pull. I cant recall the numbers but there is pics on Flickr.

My own favourite is large logo blue.

Well I never knew that. Thanks @dubscottie.

 

[hexagon789]

The class 47 had carried many different liveries over the years but what livery do you think best suited the class 47? For me I liked Scotrail livery the best. It might be because growing up in Eastleigh we never saw it except when the 47/7s finished in Scotland and came south so never got tired of it. On the subject of 47/7 I'm getting old now and my memory is not as good as it used to be but I'm sure a couple of them worked in Scotland in NSE livery before coming south is that correct or did I imagine it?

They did, can't find the push-pull photo but here's '702 on the 1210 Edinburgh-Inverness on 30/08/90 (photo credit to Roddy MacPhee):

47702 Inverness

47702 at Inverness 30/08/90 1H11 1210 Edinburgh - Inverness

www.flickr.com

When they moved south, at least one even retained the red plates on the cab door with the legend - "Authorised 100mph Edinburgh - Glasgow only".

My top 5 would be:
ScotRail Sector
InterCity Exec
Large logo
NSE
BR Blue

Two worked in Scotland in NSE livery for a few weeks after overhaul at Springburn.
One on a Glasgow-Aberdeen push pull. I cant recall the numbers but there is pics on Flickr.

My own favourite is large logo blue.

702 definitely went as far as Inverness, possibly also to Aberdeen via Elgin. I know the photo you mean of the one on the push-pull set but like yourself can't find it just now

@xotGD and @43096 - I feel like in a previous age I would have challenged you to duel at dawn.
I choose canons...

And me, they are my favourite British diesel loco class. Deltics are a close second

Virgin red & black just looks great on them

Virgin Trains Class 47/8 47831 'Bolton Wanderer' - Stockport

Virgin Trains Class 47/8 47831 ' Boton Wanderer' at Stockport on the 21st September 2001.

flic.kr

Agreed.

Large logo with Stratford style light grey roof Large logo looked good on everything it touched... until they put it on a 66!

Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:47424_47607_Bangor1987.jpg

Huge soft spot for this too:

Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brush_Class_47_No_47484_(8061921382).jpg

And an honourable mention for the second iteration of NSE. The vivid darker blue that wrapped around the windows made them rather sleek. I saw one once in the late 80s, way off its turf, somewhere on the WCML I think, and little me just stood there open mouthed!

Source: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:47_530_in_NSE_livery.jpg

A number of 47/7s had the famous Stratford treatment when running in BR blue pre-1984/5.

 

[xotGD]

I'll choose an Apache helicopter in that case...

It makes a change for the two of us to be on the same side of a debate!

Now what were we saying about HSTs and Deltics...

 

[nlogax]

Intercity Executive and Mk1 NSE for me.

 

[43096]

It makes a change for the two of us to be on the same side of a debate!

Now what were we saying about HSTs and Deltics...

I'm sure there's other things we can agree on, like the loco type in your profile pic. Excellent locos!

 

[Cowley]

I'm sure there's other things we can agree on, like the loco type in your profile pic. Excellent locos!

Flippin EE love in.

 

[ge-gn]

As has been mentioned, the 47s design lent itself to so many great liveries. It’s difficult to narrow it down. And I can’t from the selection below...

IC Swallow.
The first incarnation of IC.
Second incarnation of NSE
Scotrail Blue stripe.
Anglia Green with white stripe (only one of these?)
RES.
Large Logo Blue.
Railfreight Distubution.

There. Narrowed down to 8!

 

[SeanG]

Scotrail with a red stripe, IS Depot stags in the yellow box, and black indicator panel

 

[hexagon789]

Flippin EE love in.

Ain't half! But while I like my Sulzers, I do have fondness for Deltics - there was a loco that actually could pull the skin off a rice pudding

(Honourable mentions to Hoovers and Westerns too...)

Scotrail with a red stripe, IS Depot stags in the yellow box, and black indicator panel

View attachment 87101

I quite like that variation but still marginally prefer the 'Caledonian' blue stripe version.

Though I often wonder what would've happened if Chris Green had decided he preferred the darker blue colour instead, as applied in test to a Mk3A TSO and a Mk2D TSOT

 

[Helvellyn]

I often wonder what would've happened if Chris Green had decided he preferred the darker blue colour instead, as applied in test to a Mk3A TSO and a Mk2D TSOT

First I've heard of that. Are there any photos of the trial colour scheme?

I'm wondering if it's a bit like when Chris Green tried to update the InterCity livery by replacing the red bodyside stripe with claret (the new house colour he brought in), but which just looked dull against the upper executive grey bodyside panel. As I recall this was only applied to four Class 43 power cars as an experiment.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes, there are a few of both the Mk3A TSO and at least one of the Mk2D TSOT that I know of on Flickr.

Here is probably the best one of the Mk3A TSO as it's actually the subject matter, in the other photos it's in the background.

There's also the chosen colour stripe on the coach next to it for useful comparison. Note on the darker blue scheme the Executive Light Grey extends above cantrail height up to the roof line as well:

Mk3s - Montrose - Experimental ScotRail livery

Mk3s - Montrose - Experimental (?) ScotRail livery. Prior to the adoption of the light blue for ScotRail vehicles I noted several Mk3s (mostly on the E&G push-pull services) in a Rail Blue (?) variation of "Intercity Red Stripe" livery. The treatment of the beige above the cantrail strip also...

www.flickr.com

(Photo credit to Andrew McConnell)

 

[tbtc]

Great thread - many happy memories! And a number of things I had no knowledge of (a darker ScotRail livery, NSE colours in Inverness too!)

I know it's all just personal opinion and all that, but my preference was for the pattern/stripe to carry on underneath the (side) cab windows for the locos that were hauling matching carriages - e.g. the NSE treatment rather than the standard InterCity/ ScotRail treatment (where the big yellow section underneath the (side) cab windows meant that it didn't line up with the carriages. Whereas it wasn't an issue on Large Logo, since Large Logo didn't carry on the same pattern as the carriages (it just used the same blue colour as part of the carriages).

ScotRail and InterCity do look good schemes (I've said before that BR were a lot better at liveries/ design than at actually running trains!), but there's a slight disconnect when you see an InterCity/ ScotRail locomotive hauling a rake of carriages but with a chunk of yellow spoiling the pattern (that you didn't get with the NSE application that went all the way to the edge of the locomotive)