90047, Every loco tells a story

• A grey 90 approaching on liners rarely generates much excitement amongst us but on seeing 90047 pass, we are photting a bit of a celebrity with a unique history that made it a highly sought freightliner machine by many.

• 90047 emerged from Crewe Works in two tone grey Rail freight Distribution livery in July 90.. Like her freight sponsored classmates she spent a good bit of her initial mileage accumulation on Inter City sponsored passenger duties.

90047’s first passenger working...Ta to “TC”.

  “Driver Phil had transferred to Bedford from Marylebone in April 1990. For a few weeks Phil was training, new traction, learning the route etc. On 20.07.90 after a hectic mornings training he gets the TOPS clerk to "put the 90's through" knowing that 90047 had been at Crewe for a few days, but hadn't been taken in to traffic yet. This particular day, the answer was its on 1A38 from Crewe to Euston. Seems it was used on a 0902 Holyhead - Euston forward from Crewe, and with a quick leap to Watford for the booked set down, he had it Watford - Euston. Like many others Phil next had 90047 on 20.01.11, exactly 20 and a half years later!”

• Lazy Summer afternoon’s at WCML haunts like Old Linslade and alike saw grey 90047 pass on assorted passenger turns rather than the freightliner work expected such as 1A58 1318 Holyhead-Euston 010990

• A sample bash saw 90047 scratched on the 1405 Carlisle-Birmingham Int’l on 110890 .90047’s initial blast on passenger turns was short lived as by October 90 strict sub sector sectorisation began and she soon became a dedicated freight sector loco.

• Her last known WCML passenger turn was 1A45 1205 Blackpool - Euston ex Preston on 280491. Renumbered 90147 in August 91 after isolation of her ETH supply (and a nominal 75mph restriction) effectively rendered any booked use on passenger turns, apart from failures as good as over.…

• Privitisation saw 90141-50 all become part of Freightliner and their in- house branding on all over grey livery was applied. By now 90147’s days of working enterprise/speedlink mixed consist trains or car traffic were no more, hauling boxes to the likes of Coatbridge/Garston/Ipswich/Tilbury or Trafford Park became her staple fare.

· Then an unexpected surprise in November 02 when Freightliner hired Anglia several of their 90’s on a daily basis to cover for their ageing and dwindling 86 fleet. Now renumbered as 90’0’s again, with 110 mph running and eth restored 90041-6, 8-50 were all regular 100 mph performers on passenger turns from Liverpool St to Harwich/Ipswich and Norwich with on a good day like, 31/5/03, with 90041,90048 and 90049 all working.

• One obvious non performer in this prolific passenger use was 90047. She remained out of use as Crewe ED’s "Christmas tree" after suffering serious fire damage over Shap in March 02. 90047 was eventually returned to service in Dec 04, but this was a year too late for her to work Anglia turns. By early 2004 surplus EWS mail 90’s plus ex Virgin 90’s were slowly easing the 86’s off many turns.

• So to the frustration of many bashers 90047 was a regular visitor to Ipswich SP off liner turns but never on passenger! On one famous occasion on 070805 the 1730 Liverpool St-Norwich with 90013 failed in the Manningtree area. Yes, 90047 was sent to the rescue and worked the train forward, still with passengers to Norwich that Summer’s evening.

• After that 90047 returned to liner only status and her rarity on passenger trains remained almost legendary. Hopes were raised on the "yo ho ho" tour on 29/12/06 as 90047 was on hand at Crewe that evening. Freightliner power in an advertised requested 86 was booked to work the tour from Crewe back to Birmingham. 86614 was allocated and worked the tour, but many on board would have preferred 90047 for its sheer rarity on passenger turns, compared with 86614’s earlier guise of 86314/414 in earlier years.

• A Pathfinder railtour on 151207 was rumoured to possibly be getting 90047 but on the day 90047 was on exam and did not feature on said tour, so the legend continued into 2008..A Pathfinder tour on 131208 again saw 90047 rumoured, allocated and finally work the tour from Crewe to Bir Int'l with a good few getting their red pens out! Do Railtours count though? and do many bashers cover tours like they used to…

· Then in December 2010 came another totally unexpected twist with a Freightliner rather than DB 90 being hired in, to be used “intensively” on the hauled set due yet another round of pendolino modifications or whatever. 90045 was the first to appear just before Xmas and in early January rumours of a swap were growing. 90047 was on B exam at Crewe at the time and yes, after a 20 year WCML class 1 service train absence she was put on the return Crewe- Euston ECS on 170110.

· To keep her legendary status a few hours longer she withered a few by not appearing on 1801’s 1G04 0703 Euston-Birmingham and 1B29 0850 return due to a farce in the Kilsby area I believe. She did however do 1G15 1043 ex Euston and the rest of the diagram on 180111 and on many other days until being replaced by 90041 on the Crewe-Euston pm ECS on 310111. An enormous number of people made the effort to scratch, renew acquaintance or simply build mileage on 47 before she returned to legendary non passenger status.

· When will 90047 work on a service train again, perhaps the legend continues!...

· 90047 phot spot

90047 on her staple liner turns she has been on virtually all her career is seen at Ledburn on 4L89 120510

90047 is seen at Euston prior to working the 1443 Euston-Birmingham, a “PB” phot 180110

90047 heads North past Soulbury Road with the 1443 Euston - Birmingham, an Andrew Chambers phot 180110

Low Winter sun and 90047 at Euston, a Trev Rolfe phot, 190111

Sunday “Skoda” 90047 at Leighton with the 1145 Euston-Birmingham, 300111 her penultimate day of class 1 running,

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