Published on 19th August 2002
The 19th August 2002 was marked in true Virgin Trains style by double-heading and strengthening the 1M56 08:46 Penzance - Manchester Piccadilly service.
Invited guests and railway media joined the train at Penzance. BR Blue Class 47/8 No. 47840 'North Star' took the lead, double-heading with partner locomotive (wearing British Rail Large Logo livery) No.47847. The pair of locomotives worked the special train to Birmingham New Street where passengers then transferred onto a new Virgin Trains Voyager for onward travel to Manchester. Invited guests remained on the train through to Derby where road transport was arranged to Toton TMD. The depot had maintained the locomotives under contract for Virgin during their final years on the Cross Country network.
It was fitting that both locomotives arrived to form a lineup in livery order at Toton Depot to mark the end of Locomotives Haulage with Virgin. No.47851 (BR Green), No.47853 (XP64), No. 47840 'North Star' (BR Blue, No.47847 (Large Largo), No.47826 (Intercity) and No.47805 were all lined up on depot to create the final farewell photo.
Many of the Class 47s have gone on to find other work and it's perhaps a little Ironic that just last week No.47805 visited Taunton to bring SR Bulleid No. 34046 'Braunton' to the West Somerset Railway, which is also where No. 47840 'North Star' lives under the care of the DEPG at Williton.
