There's a standing joke amongst railway enthusiasts that there were at least half a dozen Class 47s running around with the number
47555, so common did it seem to appear at the head of passenger trains. This particular 555 is heading 1M85, the 14:12 Plymouth - Manchester,
as it approaches Selly Oak on Sunday 7th August 1988. Just south of here the line kinks as it crosses the Worcs & Birmingham
Canal, and the driver applied a brief burst of power once the train was clear of this bend - hence the clag. This picture was taken at
18:40, and as the train was booked to arrive New St at 18:36 it was running about 15 late.
