BR Class 47596
'Aldeburgh Festival'
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Brush Works
British Rail Class 47
1966
Co-Co
Sulzer 12LDA28-C
Diesel-Electric
In Service
Mid-Norfolk Railway
British Railways Class 47 Diesel-Electric (Type 4)
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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.
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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.
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Remarkably, by 1986, only five locomotives from the class had been withdrawn—each as a result of serious accident damage.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.
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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.
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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.
47596 “Aldeburgh Festival”
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Locomotive 47596 was released from Brush Works on 2 March 1966, originally numbered D1933, and first allocated to Bristol Bath Road (82A). In June 1984, it was named “Aldeburgh Festival”, a name it carried until September 1993.
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During its BR career, the locomotive saw allocations at several major depots, including Bescot, Tinsley, Gateshead, Holbeck, Stratford, York, Thornaby, Old Oak Common, and Crewe. It was finally withdrawn from traffic in October 2002, being deemed surplus to requirements, before passing into preservation with the Stratford 47 Group.
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In 2020, 47596 entered the Dereham Traction & Rolling Stock (T&RS) Shed, where it underwent maintenance and a full repaint by the Stratford 47 Group. The locomotive was restored to its original two-tone BR green livery, recreating its appearance from 1966. This work was carried out at the MNR’s purpose-built facility, constructed with support from the EU LEADER Funding Rural Development Programme (Project Ref. 109532).
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In November 2024, the Mid-Norfolk Railway announced the purchase of 47596, alongside its sister locomotive 47580 “County of Essex”, from the Stratford 47 Group—securing both locomotives as part of the railway’s long-term fleet.