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introduction

Between Sunday 11th July and Sunday 5th September 2004, Ipswich tunnel was closed to enable the track to be lowered so larger containers could be conveyed through there on Freightliner services.

This obviously was to hit Anglia (or 'one') services from London Liverpool Street to Norwich quite hard, with coach services connecting Manningtree and Ipswich for the majority of services, with only a few exceptions.

It is these exceptions that are worth writing about as they were to be hauled by diesel loco's via Cambridge, the only available remaining route between London and Norwich.
Existing thunderbird loco supplier; Cotswold Rail won the contract to provide their ETH fitted class 47’s to work the services, despite brief competition from EWS with their jobless class 67’s.


the services

monday to friday

 Each loco ran two trains per diagram, hauling the electric loco all the way from Norwich through to London.

  • Diagram One
    1G09 0630 Norwich-London Liverpool Street
    1G24 1147 Liverpool Street-Norwich

  • Diagram Two
    1G49 1212 Norwich-Liverpool Street
    1G46 1727 Liverpool Street-Norwich

    The journey time for each trip was approximately two and a half hours. During the blockade 160 trains ran with one loco related incident (on 04/08/04), which although causing a 60 minute delay the train still ran.

    saturdays

    Exact timings varied slightly during the period, but usually the diagrams were:

  • Diagram One
    1G19 0744 Norwich-London to Cambridge where the loco was detached, then
    1G20 1124 London-Norwich from Cambridge departing at 1257

  • Diagram Two
    On arrival of Diagram One at Norwich, another loco was attached to the other end of the train and the full set with two diesel’s and usually also the AC loco on the set, the second 47 then worked the continuation of 1G20, the
    1G20 1427 Norwich-Great Yarmouth via Acle
    1Gxx Great Yarmouth-Norwich

    At Norwich Diagram One was detached and ran light to Cambridge, later returning to Norwich on
    1G58 xxxx London-Norwich from Cambridge departing at xxxx.

    sundays

    Sundays timings also varied slightly. The main diagram involved a loco leaving Norwich with

    1G19 0837 Norwich-London, being detached at Cambridge
    light Cambridge-Norwich, then working
    1G47 1437 Norwich-London, also being removed at Cambridge, later working
    1G52 1xxx London-Norwich, from Cambridge at 1827 (arr Norwich 2109).

    Some weekends only saw the loco working 1G19 and staying at Cambridge to work 1G52 leaving Cambridge at 1837 (which also happened on August Bank Holiday Monday 30/08/04).


    the workings

    Note the 0630-1147 working is Diagram One, and the 1212-1727 is Diagram Two (see above) running Monday-Friday only.
    Weekend workings will be listed in a different format. Any weekend contributions welcome as there are some gaps in the actual trains worked and timings that will be added.
      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      12/07/04 = 47813 / 47818
      13/07/04 = 47818 / 47714
      14/07/04 = 47714 / 47813
      15/07/04 = 47818 / 47813
      16/07/04 = 47714 / 47818

      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      19/07/04 = 47813 / 47818
      20/07/04 = 47818 / 47714
      21/07/04 = 47813 / 47714
      22/07/04 = 47818 / 47813
      23/07/04*= 47818 / 47813

      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      26/07/04 = 47813 / 47714
      27/07/04 = 47813 / 47818
      28/07/04 = 47818 / 47813
      29/07/04*= 47714 / 47813
      30/07/04*= 47813 / 47818

      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      02/08/04 = 47813 / 47818
      03/08/04 = 47818 / 47813
      04/08/04*= 47818 / 47714
      05/08/04 = 47813 / 47818
      06/08/04*= 47714 / 47818

      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      09/08/04*= 47714 / 47813
      10/08/04 = 47813 / 47818
      11/08/04 = 47818 / 47714
      12/08/04 = 47714 / 47813
      13/08/04 = 47813 / 47818

      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      16/08/04 = 47818 / 47714
      17/08/04 = 47813 / 47714
      18/08/04 = 47818 / 47813
      19/08/04 = 47714 / 47818
      20/08/04 = 47714 / 47818

      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      23/08/04*= 47818 / 47714
      24/08/04 = 47714 / 47818
      25/08/04 = 47714 / 47818
      26/08/04 = 47818 / 47714
      27/08/04*= 47813 / 47714

      date / 0630-1147 / 1212-1727
      30/08/04*= not applicable
      31/08/04 = 47714 / 47813
      01/09/04 = 47813 / 47818
      02/09/04 = 47818 / 47714
      03/09/04 = 47818 / 47813


    other Cotswold Rail loco workings

  • Friday 23/07/04 47200 hauled a 0400 Norwich-Willesden/ 1100 Willesden-Norwich return working.
  • Thursday 29/07/04 and Friday 30/07/04 47316 worked top and tail between Norwich and Lowestoft, with the exception of the early train on Thursday which was replaced by a Class 170.
  • Friday 06/08/04 47200+47316 were tested using their multi equipment by working light from Norwich-Willesden and back prior to the 14/08/04 railtour.
  • Saturday 14/08/04 47200+47316 worked a 1Z26 0526 Chester-Penzance and a 1610 return Pathfinder railtour.
  • Friday 27/08/04 47200 worked Norwich-Willesden and return.
  • Monday 30/08/04 47813+47316 worked top’n’tail between Norwich and Ipswich due to the OHLE being turned off. The via Cambridge runs were as per a Sunday with 47818 departing Norwich at 0730 and removed from the train as booked at Cambridge and returning with a train ex Liverpool Street at 1930 hours.

    delays, failures and faults during the blockade

  • Sunday 11/07/04 Stock had an ETH fault before 0845 Norwich-London so a 170205 ran the first train. 47813 would have been the train loco.
  • Sunday 18/07/04 47714 suffered with loss of power at Shippea Hill, after consultation with CREL fitter the loco proceeded causing a 15 minute delay which was made up during the remainder of the journey.
  • Saturday 24/07/04 A late loco swap on depot prior to working the 1415 Norwich to Great Yarmouth, caused an initial 48-minute delay, which later was reduced by quick turn-rounds.
  • Sunday 25/07/04 47818 failed (TPWS fault) on arrival at Norwich, prior to working the 1435 Norwich-London which it would have worked to Cambridge. 47813 replaced it with a 7-minute delay incurred.
  • Wednesday 04/08/04 47714 had a TPWS/AWS fault leaving Norwich at No.1 end. The train stopped at Trowse, revered into Norwich and the loco was turned before working the train causing a 60-minute delay leaving Norwich, which was made up en-route. The fault was stemmed to a faulty AWS indicator at the affected end.
  • Monday 09/08/04 The 1212 Norwich-London hauled by 47813 was terminated at Cambridge due to a fatality further down the line towards London.

    random statistic

     In total, during the Ipswich Blockade period, 47714 provided 27 days in traffic, 47813 worked 39 days, and 47818 hauled trains most often with 44 days.

    previous lives

    47714, 47813, and 47818 - the stars of the Ipswich Blockade are all now owned by Cotswold Rail, although 813 was on lease from Porterbrook until a date in September when it was purchased from them.

    All three loco's have had a varied history (available for viewing on plenty of other websites), but below is a photo of each of the three in a recent life before Cotswold Rail.


    After transfer from Scotland, 47714 was transferred to Network SouthEast and carried their bright livery, and was seen departing from Oxford with the 1400 Oxford-Paddington on 25th November 1989. 714 went on to work for Rail Express Systems (Res), and then for EWS who took over Res. Copyright: Richard Boyd


    47813 worked for Great Western Trains who were later taken over by First Group. It was working 1C99, the overnight sleeper from London to Penzance on 29th August 2003. Copyright: Jamie Squibbs


    47818 stands at Preston in its Intercity days, waiting to work the final London Euston to Blackpool North service in September 1992 with relevant headboards which it worked from Preston. Ironically it was 818 that was to work the first post privatisation loco hauled Euston to Blackpool service again for Virgin. Copyright: Andy Cleaver

    © photograph copyrights

    From the top:

    47813 stands at Great Yarmouth on an unknown Saturday in the summer ready to work back to Norwich. 47818 had worked the inward working, with 90001 on the other end - both just visible. 813 continued to carry its unbranded former First Great Western livery throughout the summer.
    Copyright: John Edwards

    47714 working 1G46 on 26th July 2004, ironically hauling the same driving brake vans that it was converted to work with for Scotrail many years ago, although not unfortunately in push-pull mode! 714 stayed in the former Anglia livery.
    Copyright: EA

    47818 at Lowestoft on an additional working for the air show on Friday 30th July 2004 in the new 'one Anglia' livery.
    Copyright: Collin G Wood

    47200 at Great Yarmouth earlier in the year on Sunday 6th June 2004 on the date of a 'Pop Beach' event, on the beach surprisingly enough for Channel 4. 47200 was photographed returning ECS with 714 hauling away at the other end - 200 assisting from the rear.
    Copyright: Shaun C

    47316 worked top'n'tail with 47818 on 29th and 30th July 2004 between Lowestoft and Norwich, and was photographed on 30th July.
    Copyright: EA

    47818 at Great Yarmouth on 24th July 2004.
    Copyright: Steve Goodrum

    1st published by sulzerpower.com 23/10/04, checked 15/03/08 and is a copyright © of THE CLASS 47 LIST 2000-2008, see index page for full copyright details.