Published on 25th June 2021
DEPG Class 47 No.47840 (now renumbered to No.47077) is due to leave the West Somerset Railway during week commencing 28th June to start a two year contract operating on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
The move was originally announced prior to the Covid 19 lockdowns but was subsequently put on hold. This actually allowed the loco to re-enter the works at Williton where further restoration work and has been carried out by DEPG volunteers. The celebrity locomotive is pictured outshopped in its classic BR Blue colour scheme complete with nameplates. North Star started life in 1956 when it was built as No.D1661 at Crewe Works. During it's operational life it carried further numbers 47077, 47613 and 47840. After a mainline career of 37 years the loco retired in 2002 before entering preservation with the DEPG in 2007. It then spent 11 years hauling passengers and freight on the West Somerset Railway, before being taken out of service in 2018 for an overhaul and bodywork repairs. We hope to see the locomotive back on the WSR in a couple of years time.
In addition to the Class 47 leaving its home, DEPG Class 14 D9526 is also going away for a visit to the Kent and East Sussex Railway, where it will stand in for the K&ESR Class 14 (D9504) which is undergoing maintenance. D9526 a load test on Saturday 26th June when she hauled the two resident Class 33 locomotives (33048 and 33057) from Williton to Bishops Lydeard and back.
