British Rail reserved the TOPS Class 97 designation for departmental locomotives, which were used for special or engineering duties. They were therefore of several different classes, lumped together for numbering purposes. Some locomotives were converted from redundant engines, whilst others were purpose built. In 2008, Network Rail once again used Class 97 for signalling test locomotives.
97201 at Worksop in 2007.
97301 and 97302 at Clay Cross in October 2008.
Departmental locomotive 97407 at Manchester Victoria station in 1986. The locomotive still carried its red nameplate, Aureol, and both of its previous numbers; 40012 and (D)212.
No.97545, formerly Class 47 No.47545, at Birmingham International station in 1989
The Cambrian Line, sometimes split into the Cambrian Main Line and Cambrian Coast Line for its branches, is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury, England, westwards to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail between the western terminals of Pwllheli, in Gwynedd, and Aberystwyth, in Ceredigion, and the eastern terminal at Shrewsbury, Shropshire, as part of the Wales & Borders franchise. The railway line is widely regarded as scenic, as it passes through the Cambrian Mountains in central Wales, and along the coast of Cardigan Bay in Snowdonia National Park.
An Arriva Trains Wales Class 158 pulls into Dovey Junction station, where the line splits to Pwllheli and Aberystwyth
Bow Street station in 1962
A single-track stretch on the Cambrian Coast Line
An example of a metric speed limit sign, west of Machynlleth, installed as part of the ERTMS upgrade. It shows a differential limit with different speeds for passenger and freight trains.
