Welcome to the end of through 47 workings from Liverpool Street to Norwich. Come 11th May and the Class 86 will take over Liverpool Street portion for the through Norwich Inter-City service. While Class 47s continued to ply their trade between London Liverpool Street and King's Lynn on the West Anglia side, as well as the boat trains to Harwich, on the GE main line their normal range was restricted to between Ipswich and Norwich, and four diagrams were required for this work. Understandably the ETH fleet reduced though the choice of locomotives transferred away (in particular 47571) is perhaps a little odd, especially those that Stratford had just done significant modifications to. Steam heating finished at the same time, but had been pretty much extinct for the last year.

20^th 47440 was transferred to Gateshead without replacement. Released from Crewe Works following overhaul was 47582 (7L) in BR Blue with standard blue roof, OMO, P.ML(NH) Some ten months after its release from works in March '84 47566 received a repaint incorporating a silver roof.

Released from Crewe Works following overhaul were 47573 / 47577 (both 7L), bouth in BR Blue with standard blue roof, both OMO, P.ML(NH). The boiler in 47011 was isolated (now only six remain), and 47587 was fitted with OMO and the associated marker lights at No.2 end. Despite being 20 months out of works this loco still retains its blue roof. Highlight of the month, and a sign of the times, was the repainting of 47487 into the first version of Inter City livery (IC1) and was the first class 47 to be so treated.

Released from Crewe Works following overhaul was 47572 (7L) in BR Blue with standard blue roof, P.ML(N) at No.1 end. Also reappearing following collision damage repairs was 47458 following its accident the previous October at Coldhams' Lane, Cambridge after hitting a stationary carriage during a shunt move at Cambridge depot. It now featured a standard flush front at No.1 end (the previous repair at No.2 end having the projecting lenses associated with a Stratford repair). The No.1 end repair also featured cut away buffer beams - the first Stratford loco to feature these.

Released from Crewe Works following overhaul was 47544 (8I) in BR Blue with standard blue roof. The loco only being granted intermediate body repairs when a general was due. Silver roofs painted: 47003 / 47093. 47487 gained a P.ML(H) panel at No.1 end (just cosmetic, already OMO fitted at No.2). At the same time the panels at both ends were painted IC executive dark grey. 47542 received an experimental modification to its cooling system when the bodyside windows in the auxiliary compartment at No.1 end were replaced by grilles.

The end of an era on 12^th as the new timetable brought with it the introduction of Class 86-hauled services on the main line as far as Ipswich.
This resulted in a reduction in the number of ETH locomotives required, but there was also a significant change in freight machines. Arriving were: 47104 xi BA from Immingham, 47121/3/30/46 all xb B4 from Cardiff.
Departing were: 47003/7/10 xb B4sr to Gateshead, 47011/9/93/7/9, 111/2 xi or xo B4sr (except 47111 which had a blue roof) to Cardiff. 47462 xe B4sr and 47472 xe B4 to Gateshead, 47478 xe B4sr to Bescot, 47482 xe B4sr to Gateshead, 47486 xe B4sr to Bescot, 47551 xe B4sr to Gateshead and 47553/71 xe B4sr to Bescot.
This meant a reduction of five freight locos and eight ETH machines. The shortfall in the freight loco exchange above was mostly addressed on 26^th by the transfer in of 47054/61 xi and xo B4 from Immingham, 47124 xb B4 from Cardiff, and 47295 xos B4 from Immingham.
Also during the month:
Released from Crewe Works following overhaul were: 47462 (8I), boiler water tanks removed, in BR Blue with standard blue roof. 47476 (7L), in BR Blue with standard blue roof. 47585 (7I) , OMO P.ML(H) at No.2 end, in BR Blue with standard blue roof. Stratford fitted OMO and P.ML(NH) to 47478, 47553 and 47571, which promptly got transferred away!

Boilers isolated: 47115, 47458. Silver roof painted: 47582. Black ML panels, red buffer beams: 47579/81/2, with 47579 getting silver buffers and 47581 a polish. OMO / P.ML(H) at No.2 end: 47061, 47581, 47596. 47581 new panel being yellow.

Silver roofs painted: 47104, 47570, 47577, also repainted on 47130.

Released from Crewe Works following overhaul was 47085 (6I), the boiler was removed and in BR Blue with standard blue roof.
Boilers isolated: 47542/4.
The new No.2 end panel on 47581 was painted black, while the Inter City logo and arrows on 47487 were painted out.

29 ^th transfers in, with the arrival of xos 47275-8/87/91 from Tinsley.
In exchange, four silver-roofed freight locos departed: 47055 to Crewe, 47104/15 to Kingmoor, and 47122 to Crewe.
Also during the month:
Silver roofs painted: 47573 and 47587.

47542 was further modified with grilles replacing its No.2 end bodyside windows.
Silver roofs painted: 47476, 47544.

24 ^th Transfers : 47476 departed for Gateshead. Silver roof painted: 47295.
P.ML(H) panel at No.1 end (cosmetic): 47580.
Large logo livery, with black window surrounds only: 47582.

Released from Crewe Works following overhaul was 47634 (7I), ETH fitted, boiler and boiler water tanks removed, large logo livery. The locomotive was converted from Stratford stalwart 47158.

47008 x BR Blue with Silver roof
47052 x BR Blue with Silver roof
47054 x BR Blue with Blue roof
47061 x BR Blue with Blue roof
47085 x BR Blue with Blue roof, Named "MAMMOTH"
47114 x BR Blue with Silver roof
47116 xb BR Blue with Blue roof
47121 xb BR Blue with Blue roof
47123 xb BR Blue with Blue roof
47124 xb BR Blue with Blue roof
47130 xb BR Blue with Silver roof
47146 xb BR Blue with Blue roof
47275 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47276 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47277 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47278 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47287 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47288 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47291 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47295 xos BR Blue with Silver roof
47310 xos BR Blue with Blue roof
47311 xos BR Blue with Silver roof
47457 xd BR Blue with Silver roof
47458 xei BR Blue with Silver roof
47487 xe IC1
47542 xei BR Blue with Silver roof
47544 xei BR Blue with Silver roof
47566 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47568 xe BR Blue with Blue roof
47569 xe BR Blue with Blue roof
47570 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47572 xe BR Blue with Blue roof
47573 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47574 xe BR Blue with Silver roof, Named "LLOYD'S LIST 250th ANNIVERSARY"
47576 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47577 xe BR Blue with Silver roof, Named "Benjamin Gimbert G.C."
47579 xe BR Blue with Silver roof, Named "James Nightall G.C."
47580 xe BR Blue with Silver roof, Named "County of Essex"
47581 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47582 xe LLsf with yellow windscreen surrounds with black edges
47583 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47584 xe BR Blue with Blue roof, Named "County of Suffolk"
47585 xe BR Blue with Blue roof, Nambed "County of Cambridgeshire"
47587 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47591 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47596 xe BR Blue with Silver roof, named "Aldeburgh Festival"
47605 xe BR Blue with Silver roof
47634 xe LL, Named "Henry Ford"