The sound of a class 47 locomotive, with it’s Sulzer 12LDA28-C engine. Sulzer developed a series of rail traction engines in the 1930s and 1940s which were used extensively in diesel locomotives in the UK, Europe and South America. A small number were used in locomotives in Africa and Australia. The Sulzer LDA (prefixed by the number of cylinders, and with a suffix related to the cylinder bore) engine was widely used by British Rail and Romanian Railways. Many were built under licence by Vickers

The first class 47 locomotive to go into preservation and still going strong. D1842 was built in the 1960s. Seen here arriving into Wirksworth station in Derbyshire. The class 47 was a successful locomotive, being the most numerous class built by British Rail (512 built). Some were later converted into class 57 locomotives and continue working. | Adrian Watson