THE Class 47 Preservation Project’s No. 47771 left the Colne Valley Railway, where it had been located since June 2003, on March 20, moving by road to Southampton Maritime to allow transfer by rail to Eastleigh Works.
The loco is to be restored to working order and will, in due course, move to a new base at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway.
Formerly No. 47503 and named The Geordie between 1988 and 1991, the Brush Type 4, which was also named Heaton Traincare Depot from 1993 until its withdrawal, has yet to operate in preservation.
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Restoration work began on the loco soon after its arrival at the CVR, but it suffered a major setback in 2009 when copper thieves visited the loco and stole a number of components, including the traction cables and terminal bars.
The loco will need to be lifted from its bogies to enable its traction motor cables to be replaced. The owners have a spare turbo to replace the defective one, which was the reason why it was withdrawn from the main line.
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