47050 Charlbury 15 May 1988

An unusual sequence of events took place at Charlbury on 15 May 1988. The Cotswold Line was closed for engineering works during the early part of the day, and 47050 is seen here approaching Charlbury with empty ballast wagons returning from track relaying work at Ascott-under-Wychwood. Little did I expect to see the same loco return from the Oxford direction a couple of hours later with a passenger train! 47050 is wearing the original version of Railfreight grey livery with a white cantrail stripe. It was one of the early repaints and along with 47095 did not have the later standard black window surrounds.