BR Class 47580
'County of Essex'
Builder:
Class:
Built:
Wheel Configuration:
Engine Type:
Transmission Type:
Status:
Owned By:
Brush Works
British Rail Class 47
1964
Co-Co
Sulzer 12LDA28-C
Diesel-Electric
In Service
Mid-Norfolk Railway
British Railways Class 47 Diesel-Electric (Type 4)
​
The British Railways Class 47, also known as the Brush Type 4, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive built by Brush Falcon Works and Crewe Works between 1962 and 1968. A total of 512 locomotives were produced, making it the most numerous class of mainline diesel built in Britain.
​
The Class 47s were designed for both passenger and freight work, including long-distance InterCity services. They quickly became a common sight across the national network, with major allocations to Crewe, Cardiff Canton, and Bescot. Alongside the Class 37s, they became one of the mainstays of the BR fleet, earning a reputation as powerful, versatile, and reliable locomotives.
​
Remarkably, by 1986, only five locomotives from the class had been withdrawn—each as a result of serious accident damage. However, as newer rolling stock was introduced and spare parts became harder to source, withdrawals began in earnest. Even so, by 1995, only 147 units had been retired, leaving around 360 still in service.
​
With the privatisation of British Rail, many Class 47s passed into the hands of private operators, continuing to work both freight and passenger charters. As newer traction entered service, withdrawals accelerated, and between 1996 and 2006 an average of 15 locomotives were taken out of traffic each year.
​
Today, 62 Class 47s remain active. Of these, 31 are preserved at heritage railways across the UK, while a further 31 remain operational with mainline companies. In addition, 33 locomotives were rebuilt into Class 57s between 1998 and 2004, extending their service life in a new form.
47580 “County of Essex”
​
Locomotive 47580 was released from Brush Works on 1 September 1964, originally numbered D1762, and allocated to Tinsley (41A). In August 1979, it was officially named “County of Essex”, a name it carried until August 1993. It was later renamed “Restormel” in 1995.
​
Throughout its BR career, 47580 was allocated to several depots, including March, Immingham, Finsbury Park, Stratford, Bristol Bath Road, Crewe, and Toton. The locomotive was eventually withdrawn from traffic by then-owner EWS in April 2004 and placed into storage at Toton before being purchased by the Stratford 47 Group.
​
Since entering preservation, 47580 has been registered for mainline operation and regularly works away from its home base on the Mid-Norfolk Railway, often operating services with West Coast Railways. It returned to the MNR in July 2021, and in June 2022 it was repainted into a special Queen’s Platinum Jubilee livery to commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. The repaint was carried out at the Dereham Traction & Rolling Stock Restoration & Maintenance Shed, a facility built with the support of the EU LEADER Funding Rural Development Programme (Project Ref. 109532).
​
In November 2024, the Mid-Norfolk Railway announced the purchase of 47580, along with its sister locomotive 47596, from the Stratford 47 Group, securing both locomotives as part of the railway’s permanent fleet.