Four numbers, and at least seven different liveries!
This loco certainly has an interesting history.
More details to follow, but several of these pictures have some special interest.
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Details to follow......! In the meantime, thanks to Geoff Dowling, Andy Cole, Allan McKever and Wilbert B for their pictures.
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This loco was one of only nine class 47's never to carry two tone green livery, it was initially painted in 'Brush' blue, hitting the rails in January 1967 as D1957.
In October 1974 it was fitted with ETS and renumbered 47554.
Conversion to a push pull loco came in 1979, 47705 and the name 'Lothian'. In this guise it carried three liveries and some changes to the redundant headcode panel as well as either a black or silver roof when in BR blue. ScotRail livery was applied in 1988.
In 1989 the nameplates were removed, and the loco was repainted in Network Southeast colours.
A move to RES followed in 1994, and red paint!
In 1995 the loco was acquired by Waterman Railways, named 'Guy Fawkes' and painted black.
Early in 2003, a rebuild as 57303 took place, a seventh livery and third name - 'Alan Tracy'. The Dellner coupling was added for towing Pendolinos and Voyagers soon afterwards.
In 2012 we see the latest development, no name and Network Rail yellow livery.
Many thanks to Roger Marks, Terry Campbell, Jon Gavin, Alan Bark, John Turner, John Law and 'Nostromo' whose images feature as well as five of my own.
Tags: D1957 47554 47705 57303
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We begin this collage with D9016 at Gateshead, a lovely picture by 'Barking Bill' taken in 1965.
Next we move on to 1974, a KX - Edinburgh train from the KDH archive.
Four classis 'Deltic' shots follow from the period most of us remember them - great stuff from Paul Bettany, David Hayes, Syd Young and 'delticfan' Chris.
In 1989 the loco received a repaint at Selhurst, my picture of 55016 in third rail territory. I lived near here at the time and thought I was hallucinating as I jogged through Norwood Park one evening......
Wibert B features next, from 2003 we see the loco with a rake of mostly green stock in Porterbrook livery.
Back in two tone green, John Wooley took this fine shot at Rowsley in 2007. As Bill pointed out, both pictures of the loco in green feature similar body side streaks!
Many thanks to those mentioned above who took some great photos of this particular 'Deltic'.
Also, this superb site for any class 55 fan
www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/
Tags: 55016 D9016 gordonhighlander deltic class55
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Introduced in January 1963, D6803 was allocated to Darnall. It spent all of its time with BR as an ER loco except for six months in 1986 when it moved to Cardiff. In 1995 it became a 37/6 EPS loco briefly, before moving to the north west with DRS in 1997.
The first image is by 'Curly 42' at Doncaster in September 1969.
The summer of 1980 shows the loco in BR blue as 37103, the number it carried from 02/74 until 06/86 at Liverpool Street - my image taken during an all line railrover.
Conversion to 37511 took place at Crewe works in 1986, nicely captured by 'Yorkshire's finest'. Railfreight livery was applied as part of the rebuild, a fine shot by Paul Bettany just before the loco went back onto the main line.
Jon Gavin's image was taken at Thornaby in February 1988 when the loco as named 'Stockton Haulage' - note the large 511 numerals on the left of the nose and sector livery. '53A Models' features next, a fine shot at Melton Ross in August 1993, the numerals are now smaller and on the right.
Three DRS liveries follow, in August 1997 grey is the dominant colour as 37607 works with sister 37608 through Calder bridge - a super shot by 'Delticfan'. Blue is the main colour in June 2009 at Blisworth by 'Nostromo' with 37059, and finally James Welham caught the loco in 'compass' livery at Uffington near Stamford in December 2013.
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