Tuesday 10 April 2018

Our cab ride on a class 47


The only time I have ever had a cab ride on a diesel locomotive was in August 1979 at Newton Abbott. We were staying at a guest house in Teignmouth and we had been on the train to Paignton for the day.

On the way back, our train stopped at Newton Abbott and Chris asked me if we had to change for Teignmouth. I said no, thinking that it was a through train but we ended up instead in the sidings at Hackney Yard, where the stock was obviously [by then] being stabled.

The class 47 uncoupled from the train and started to run back past us along the adjacent track. We stuck our heads out of the window to attract the driver’s attention. He pulled to a halt alongside us and we transferred our eleven-month-old son, his buggy and ourselves into the cab of the 47.

The driver then took us back to the platform at Newton Abbott. Though I felt a bit sheepish at my mistake, I was also quite pleased to get my one and only - and totally unexpected - diesel cab ride.

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