Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ descends Watts Bank on the approach to Bishops Lydeard on Monday 21st June 2021. Photo by Chris Shields © CC BY-NC 3.0
Locomotive timeline:
| 1965 | Built by British Railways Crewe Works and numbered D1661 |
| 13-Feb-65 | Entered service at Swansea Landore depot (87E). Livery standard two-tone green with small yellow panels. Three-piece fixed radiator grilles. Dual braked (Air and Vacuum) from new. |
| 20-Mar-65 | Named ‘NORTH STAR’ by Ray Gunter, Minister of Labour at Paddington Station, London. This name was first carried by a Sir Daniel Gooch designed Great Western 2-2-2 Seven Foot Single steam engine built by Robert Stephenson in 1866. Then the name was carried by the first Churchward Great Western ‘Star’ class 4-6-0 locomotive no. 4000 built at Swindon in 1907 |
| 1966 | Fixed radiator grilles upgraded to Serck hydrostatic shutter assemblies |
| April-68 | Full yellow ends applied |
| 24-Feb-74 | Renumbered to 47077 under the TOPS system, sub class 47/0 as a boiler fitted (steam heat), dual braked locomotive. |
| 26-Apr-73 | Allocated to Old Oak Common, London. |
| Aug-73 | Repainted into non-standard British Rail blue with full yellow ends. No logo applied. |
| May-76 | Dual AWS (WR and BR system) removed |
| 03-Oct-76 | Allocated to Cardiff Canton depot (CF). BR arrow logos applied. |
| 20-Feb-82 | Boiler no longer functional (isolated). |
| Mar-84 | Major works overhaul, boiler removed and a train heating auxiliary generator (ETH) fitted. Renumbered as a result to 47613, sub class 47/4 as an ETH locomotive. Repainted into Mainline blue |
| 07-Jul-84 | Allocated to Old Oak Common, London |
| Jun-86 | Headlight fitted |
| Oct-86 | Repainted at Old Oak Common into original Inter-City livery. |
| 16-May-88 | Allocated to Bristol Bath Road |
| Oct-89 | Allocated to Crewe Diesel Depot after another major overhaul receiving cab and body improvements and renumbered to 47840 sub class 47/8 as an Inter-City Fleet locomotive. |
| Dec-89 | Repainted at Old Oak Common into new Inter-City livery. |
| Early 90 | Vacuum brake equipment was isolated as no longer required. |
| May-92 | Allocated to Bristol Bath Road and repainted into full Inter-City ‘Swallow’ livery |
| Oct-95 | Allocated to Crewe Diesel depot and ownership passing to Porterbrook Leasing on the privatisation of British Rail. Leased by Virgin Trains Cross Country and repainted into Virgin livery. |
| 2002 | Repainted into ‘heritage’ British Rail corporate blue livery with red-backed nameplates. |
| 19-Aug-02 | Hauled the last Cross-Country loco hauled train, the 08:46 1M56 Penzance to Manchester. Allocated to Willesden Electric Depot as a standby locomotive. Leased to GBRf and allocated to Old Oak Common, London now operated by First Great Western (FGW). |
| 30-Apr-07 | Entered Brush Traction, Loughborough Works for engine repairs and refitting of vacuum brake equipment, as preservation was being arranged. |
| 01-May-07 | Ownership transferred from Porterbrook Leasing to The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group Limited. |
| 26-May-07 | Emerged from Brush Traction, Loughborough Works, repainted into two tone green livery with small yellow panels. Functional headcode panel reinstated. |
| 28-May-07 | Class 47/8 D1661 / 47 840 ‘NORTH STAR’ arrived on the West Somerset Railway at the head of Heartland Rail Charter from Derby. |
| 28-May-07 | Allocated to Williton Diesel Depot. |
| Oct-18 | Loco taken out of service for bodywork and roof repairs that were performed in Summer 2019 by Mark Stanley. |
| 22-Oct-19 | Emerged from WSR Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ at Williton in BR-blue livery with logo and CF depot sticker, replicating the livery of the late 1970s. Loco entered the DEPG loco shed at Williton to undergo additional repairs and restoration. |
| 21-May-21 | Refurbished Serck hydrostatic radiator shutter assemblies were re-installed on the loco at Williton. |
| 05-Jun-21 | Emerged from the DEPG loco shed complete at Williton, ready for Vehicle Inspection and Brake Test (VIBT). |
| 21-Jun-21 | Loco moved from Williton to Bishops Lydeard under her own power, the first such movement since October 2018. |
| 13-Jan-22 | Loco departed Bishops Lydeard for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) via Allelys Heavy Haulage road transportation. the loco will be on hire to the NYMR for a period of two years. |
| 18-Jan-22 | Loco was unloaded at New Bridge on the NYMR. |
| 08-Jun-22 | Loco was towed to Grosmont by 37264 so that some overhaul tasks can be completed. The loco will then enter service as a ‘Thunderbird’ loco and will also be used for crew training in advance of regular rostering. |
| 18-Jul-22 | Loco entered regular service on the NYMR ! |
Data sources: Class 47 Data File Part 5B by R.P. Levett and P.M. Jaques 1990 and www.brdatabase.info and www.class47.co.uk websites