Class 47 47750 | Reading Portsmouth Rail Journey | 4th August 2001

Saturday 4th August 2001 - Class 47 locomotive 47750 Atlas hauling Virgin Cross Country’s 1O71 7:36AM Blackpool North to Portsmouth & Southsea Low Level due to a weight restriction for class 47s to enter Portsmouth Harbour station. 47750 was one of the few class 47s that had oval buffers as most had circular types. The route from Reading is via the North Downs line to Guildford, then onto the Portsmouth Direct Line. The trains slows to around 20 mph for the River Wey Bridge just before Godalming Station and Ockford Road Bridge about 3/4 mile further, plus Portcreek Viaduct. These appear to be weight related restrictions for the Class 47 as EMU’s on this route never slowed down for these. Filmed mostly over electrified lines, this being the only diesel loco hauled service at the time to Portsmouth. Back then line speed through Buriton Tunnel was 70 mph and only 40 mph for HST’s or ‘Wessex Electric’ units whereas now it’s 40 mph for everything. A past captured rail journey that I thought would share for anyone to view. 00:00 Reading 10:22 Wokingham Jct 21:18 Aldershot East Jct 29:30 Guildford Stop 33:06 Shalford Jct 36:25 Godalming 47:00 Haslemere Stop 57:32 Petersfield 59:40 Buriton Tunnel 01:07:50 Havant Stop 01:14:00 Portcreek Jct 01:18:00 Fratton Stop 01:20:55 Portsmouth & Southsea