British Rail Class 37
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive
. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan.
The Class 37 became a familiar sight on many parts of the British Rail network, in particular forming the main motive power for Inter-City
services in East Anglia
and within Scotland
. They also performed well on secondary and inter-regional services for many years. The Class 37s are known to railway enthusiasts as "Tractor
s", a nickname
derived from the similarity of the sound of the locomotive.
brought about by the British Rail modernisation plan a need was identified for a number of type 3 locomotives of power output 1500 hp to 1999 hp. English Electric had already been successful with orders for type 1 and type 4 diesels, and had produced locomotives of similar power to that which was required for railways in East Africa. A design based on the exported locomotives was put forward and accepted. The design was for a general purpose locomotive and initially found service in British Rail's Eastern Region.
's Vulcan Foundry
at Newton-le-Willows
, and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
of Darlington
. 309 locomotives were produced in total, originally numbered in the range D6700-D6999 and D6600-D6608. The bodywork bears a strong family resemblance to other English Electric designs such as the Class 40
and Class 23 'Baby Deltic'
.
even tried modifying some of its 37s for 100 mi/h operation). Many of the original locomotives were fitted with boilers for steam heating
. With the withdrawal of many Type 2 and Type 3 locomotives in the 1980s the 37s were selected as the standard Type 3 and many of the fleet were given a heavy overhaul to prolong their life into the 1990s and beyond. Some were fitted with electrical train heating
(ETH) equipment in the 1980s to become the 37/4 sub-class, initially for use on the West Highland Line
and Far North lines but later seeing use in other parts of the country.
engines for possible use on a new Class 38 freight locomotive. These 'Slugs' were heavily ballasted to improve traction and had excellent load-hauling capabilities, but the Class 38 (understood to be a 'modular' locomotive based on the approach that gave rise to the Class 58
and the unbuilt Class 88 electric loco) was never built.
(Far North Line
) and in parts of Wales
. The Class 37 has Route Availability
5 and this is one of the main reasons they are still in use on the network.
renumbering was implemented in a straightforward manner, with the locomotive numbers remaining in sequence. Thus 6701 became 37001 and D6999 became 37299; while D6600 - D6608 became 37300 - 37308. The remaining locomotive, D6700 became 37119 instead of D6819 which became 37283. As members of the class were altered later in their careers, they were renumbered
, some more than once.
D6983 had been withdrawn in December 1965 following a fatal collision with a derailed Class 47
, number D1671, in South Wales, near Bridgend
as the result of a landslip. D6983 was the first EE Type 3 to be withdrawn and as a result, the only locomotive in the entire class not to receive a TOPS number. The remains of both locomotives were sold to local scrap merchants R.S. Hayes and cut up the following year.
in Crewe except for the 37/3 subclass whose bogies were replaced at various depots.
was shown in two square boxes containing two digits and separated by a pair of doors designed to allow the train crew to be exchanged while in motion. Later locomotives had a single centrally placed headcode box, and also had the horns mounted on the roof rather than built into the nose of the locomotive. This difference was the reason for the double change in numbers when implementing the TOPS
scheme described earlier.
s, Class 50
and Class 37s are intechangeable), the fuel capacity was doubled (by using the redundant boiler water tanks) but no other changes were made.
With ETH (Electric Train Heating) replacing 'steam heated' coaches, some of this class received ETH Supply when refurbished at Crewe Works
during 1985 and 1986. During this refurbishment, the locomotives also received regeared CP7 bogies and the English electric generator was replaced with a Brush
BA1005A alternator
. Extensive re-wiring, as well as a full repaint into BR Large Logo was undertaken. The modifications allowed the 're-built' locomotives to work passenger trains all year round, with the 31 strong fleet being split between Wales
and Scotland
, Scotland receiving the first 25 and Wales the next six.
After the extensive refurbishment, the locomotives were allocated the 37/4 sub-class, following the trend of renumbering 'ETH' fitted locomotives xx/4s, (e.g. 47 4xx and 31 4xx).
The next chapter saw the entire sub-class pass to Trans-Rail
, which was one of the three regional freight operating companies prior to the privatisation of the entire British rail network.
Over the years, the locomotives have received a large number of liveries: BR Green, Regional Railways, Trainload Grey, EWS
maroon, Trans-Rail
, BR Large Logo and Mainline, to name a few.
The North Wales Coast Line
, The Rhymney Valley Line, Fort William
and Oban
, South Wales Main Line
, and the West Country
all benefited from the use of 37/4s. They are were operated by EWS and often found use on Railtours and aluminium traffic. EWS used to cycle 37/4s in and out of traffic on a regular basis, depending on demand. All have subsequently been sold to DRS by EWS's successor DB Schenker (see below).
Loco hauled operations have taken a big hit within the past couple of years, thanks to the widespread introduction of diesel multiple units, and the replacement of loco hauled trains by multiple units, although the sub-class did hold out on the Cardiff - Rhymney
trains for Arriva Trains Wales
latterly. 37411 and 37425 were painted especially to mark the end of loco hauled service on the line in April 2005, these repaints being funded by Arriva.
In Late 2010, DB Schenker put all of its remaining 37/4s up for sale with many examples expected to be sold for scrap. DRS have since bought the remaining class 37/4s as of April 2011.
Eurostar (UK) Ltd.
(at the time European Passenger Services) had twelve locomotives modified (all ex-37/5) as Class 37/6, with the intention that they would haul overnight international trains ("Nightstar
") over the non-electrified sections of their routes in Britain. However, these services were never introduced, and, in 1997, Eurostar sold six of its locomotives to DRS
, with a further three sold in 2000. The remaining three locomotives were retained by Eurostar for a variety of tasks, including driver training, route learning, and for rescuing failed Class 373
units. Once Eurostar moved its operations to its new depot at Temple Mills, its Class 37 locomotives became redundant and they were sold to DRS in 2007.
The Class 37/7 is a sub-class of the Class 37, intended primarily for heavy freight.
Again, as part of the major refurbishment scheme of the Class 37 locomotives in the 1980s, another freight dedicated fleet of 44 Class 37s was created; the Class 37/7 subclass which was identical to the 37/5 subclass except for the addition of a ballast weight to give extra 'pulling power' when hauling heavy freight trains such as the metals trains in South Wales. Again, like the 37/5s, there were two batches completed; from phase 1 and phase 2 Class 37/0 locos. The batch numbered 37701 upwards were from phase 1 build locos and have the flush front ends and the batch numbered from 37899 downwards were rebuilds from phase 2 locos, having the central headcode box (plated over). A further complication was created; locos numbered 37796-37803 had a different type of electrical equipment fitted as part of a trial and differ from the other locos in the subclass internally.
When EWS
introduced its 250 Class 66s
from 1998, many of the sub-class were put into store. Some have since been involved in construction work in France and Spain building new high-speed lines. 15 were sent to Spain; an additional two were sent to Italy.
EWS has been selling off the sub-class. Four were purchased by West Coast Railway Company
for overhaul and main line charters; these are 37706, 37710, 37712 and 37717. 37717 has since been sold for scrap while 37712 returned to traffic before a serious internal fire. 37706 is now the only operational 37/7 in the UK.
MB275T engine and Brush
alternator for the proposed Class 38, and were numbered 37901-4. These were followed in 1987 by 37905/6, converted from 37136/206, and fitted with the alternative pairing of a Ruston
RK270T engine and GEC alternator. All six locomotives were fitted with new bogies, and had ballast weights to increase their overall weight to 120 tons
. Although intended as a testbed for the Class 38, the two power units fitted were those considered for the Class 60
, which was eventually delivered with an enlarged version of the Mirrlees MB275T.
All six Class 37/9s were delivered in Railfreight Grey livery and operated as part of the British Rail
Heavy Metals sector, being based in South Wales
and hauling trains normally rostered for the much more powerful Class 56
such as the Port Talbot Steelworks
- Llanwern Iron Ore tipplers. During the late 1990s, use of the Class 37/9s declined due to availability of the newer and more powerful Class 66s
and problems maintaining such a small number of non-standard locos, with all six officially designated as being in storage in 1999.
This was not, however, the end of the sub-class. In July 2000, 37906 was designated as part of the EWS heritage fleet but has since been sold into preservation, joining 37901 and 37905. 37902 was sold to Direct Rail Services
in 2003, but was scrapped and cut up in 2005 after a review by DRS. 37904 was cut up at Booths in Rotherham
in November 2004 and 37903 was scrapped at Crewe Diesel TMD
in April 2005.
, the Class 37s found use on both passenger and freight workings, being one of the mainstays of the BR fleet. While freight use was widespread, passenger work was predominantly in the Eastern Region with use on London - Norwich and Cambridge services, the latter through to the 1980s.
In the early 1980s, the remaining steam-heat capable locomotives gravitated to Scotland, replacing both Class 27s
on the West Highland Line
and Class 26s
on the Far North
and Kyle
lines.
The other notable use was of nominally freight locomotives to Aberystwyth over the Cambrian line, in this case taking over from Class 25s
on the holiday trains.
Also in the early 1980s, British Railways wanted to test a design for self-steering bogies, for use on the West Highland Line
to Fort William and Mallaig. 37175 was used as the test-bed loco and carried what were known as "CP5" bogies for this purpose. The West Highland trials were found to be successful, but to alter or manufacture such bogies on a large scale was deemed unjustified.
From 1985, the 37/4 subclass took over on the Scottish lines although the use of original 37/0s continued in the summer when train supply was not required. The Welsh allocation in turn took over from the 37/0s on the Cambrian as well as from Class 33s
on Crewe - Cardiff workings.
Over time they were displaced from most passenger work by new build DMUs such as the Sprinter
units, though they still found work in the summer and on secondary services from time to time through the 1990s as traffic demand required. This saw use both on the North Wales Coast and, most remarkably, Cardiff - Rhymney
local services through to 2006.
The final daily work in Scotland was the Fort William sleeper train, this ending in June 2006.
Their freight work similarly reduced, being displaced by higher powered locomotives such as the Class 56
and Class 58
locomotives on coal trains, though they continued on other cargos such as oil tankers for longer.
In the 1980s many locomotives were refurbished, which has meant the Class 37 fleet is one of the longest surviving classes on British railways. However, the introduction of new Class 66
locomotives has meant many 37s have been withdrawn or scrapped. EWS
(English Welsh & Scottish) and Direct Rail Services
operated small fleets, with several other examples also operated by spot-hire companies. However, second-hand Class 37s have also proved popular in the export market, with some examples operating in Spain
and France
(serving the construction of these countries' high-speed railway networks).
As of January 2009, Direct Rail Services
(DRS) operate around twenty-five Class 37s. They haul nuclear trains, and during autumn have also seen use on sandite
trains on behalf of Network Rail
. DRS locomotives tend to be used in pairs as a precaution in case one fails en route.
Pairs of locomotives have also recently been used on scrap metal trains due to their longer range than the newer Class 66
.
DRS also have several more non-operational Class 37s, which are in store, or undergoing overhaul. These locomotives are either at Brush Traction
, Carlisle Kingmoor or Crewe Gresty Bridge.
A few of the DRS fleet of Class 37s have yet to return to traffic after being stored due to a lack of OTMR (On-board Train Monitoring Equipment).
By mid 2008, only three Class 37s were still in regular use on the mainline (37401, 417 & 422). 37422 was placed in WNTS tactical store in September leaving only 37401 and 417 in traffic. On 16 December, 37417 failed and was sent to Eastleigh for storage, resulting in 37401 the only Class 37 to remain in traffic into the new DB Schenker era.
The former EWS, DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd. had one operational Class 37/4, 37401 at the time of its creation on 1 January 2009. DB Schenker also has hired locomotives for temporary duties, such as 37423 from Direct Rail Services (DRS) to cover for failed 37417. DB Schenker 37401 (and DRS's 37423) were on snowplough duty at Inverness for the winter months. 37401, DB Schenker's sole operational English Electric type 3, was reported sounding rough, and was later stored although this did not last long as it was soon sent to Toton TMD for repairs along with 37406 "The Saltire Society".
37401, DB Schenker's most reliable Class 37, was repaired and is currently back in mainline service. 37406 was returned to service, failing on its first working. 37670 was also returned operational.
37419 was prepared for a return to traffic and saw itself repainted into DB Schenker livery, however its long time in store did not help its power unit and it failed with a serious engine fault on its trial run. The locomotive remains stored.
DB Schenker had the largest route for railhead treatment trains for Autumn 2009 and required Class 37 haulage due to their route availability. Much speculation was surrounding the return of several Class 37s, however DB Schenker were eventually given clearance from Network Rail to use Class 66s and 67s on the routes instead, resulting in the Class 37 plan being ditched despite several of the machines having their air horns moved onto the nose to resolve clearance problems.
Reliability problems plagued 37670 during its short time in traffic and the loco was eventually stored unservicable.
With the storage of 37670, this meant that once again 37401 was the sole operational Class 37 in active service under DB Schenker. To take the load strain off 37401, 37425 "Pride Of The Valleys" was fitted with OTMR safety equipment and was returned fully operational. The locomotive remains in BR blue large logo livery, however like 37670 it is also plagued with unreliability.
As of March 2010, DB Schenker Rail UK ceased using Class 37s.
(WCRC) purchased four locomotives from Ian Riley Engineering
in 2004. The two operational locomotives (nos. 37197 and 37261) were used on charter trains or as standby locomotives for "The Jacobite" steam-hauled
excursion services from Fort William
to Mallaig
during 2005. These two, along with non-operational 37423, have since been sold to DRS. The fourth (no. 37235) was for spares.
In late 2007, WCRC purchased several non-operational Class 37/5 and Class 37/7s from EWS: nos. 37517, 37668, 37676, 37685, 37706, 37712 and 37710. Of the acquired locomotives 37710 will be used as a source of spares, 37676 and 37712 were the first two returned to mainline. 37676 was named 'Loch Rannoch' at a special event in Carnforth
Steamtown. 37712 suffered a fire on an empty coaching stock move and was subsequently stored. It is known that major work will need to be done on 37712, however demand exists for chartered Class 37s.
At the end of 2010, WCRC had four Class 37s running in service: nos. 37516, 37676, 37685 and 37706.
As of 2011, members of the class are still in mainline service despite some being 50 years old.
are currently in the process of restoring four Class 37s as part of the European Rail Traffic Management System
(ERTMS) trial project on the Cambrian Line
. The site of the restoration is the Barrow Hill Roundhouse, where ex-HNRC
locomotives 37100, 37170, 37178 and 37217 have been taken in. The restored Class 37s for ERTMS use have been re-designated as Class 97/3
, numbered 97301, 97302, 97303 and 97304.
The class was chosen because of its original fitment with both air and vacuum braking, a feature which will allow it to pull both modern freight trains as well as steam specials. The main work of the locomotives will be to pull on track machines (such as tampers
) through the ERTMS section.
The 97/3s are to be based at the newly constructed Coleham Depot for the duration of the ERTMS testing on the Cambrian Line, thereafter they will be used to pilot trains not fitted with the ERTMS signalling system.
These locos are effectively refurbished, having been completely stripped down to bare steel, with reconditioned engines, somewhat updated cabs, all new signalling systems installed (ERTMS in this instance) and extensive re-wiring.
s or by enthusiast
groups. Notable examples saved include the first-built locomotive, no. D6700, the last built locomotive 37308, Mirrlees-engined prototype no. 37901, and both Ruston
-engined prototypes nos. 37905 and 37906. One locomotive, 37372, has been procured by a group called the Baby Deltic Project for conversion into a replica of a Class 23 Baby Deltic
.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan.
The Class 37 became a familiar sight on many parts of the British Rail network, in particular forming the main motive power for Inter-City
InterCity (British Rail)
InterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services ....
services in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
and within Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. They also performed well on secondary and inter-regional services for many years. The Class 37s are known to railway enthusiasts as "Tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
s", a nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
derived from the similarity of the sound of the locomotive.
Background
As part of the large scale dieselisationDieselisation
Dieselisation or dieselization is a term generally used for the increasingly common use of diesel fuel in vehicles, as opposed to gasoline or steam engines.-Water Transport:...
brought about by the British Rail modernisation plan a need was identified for a number of type 3 locomotives of power output 1500 hp to 1999 hp. English Electric had already been successful with orders for type 1 and type 4 diesels, and had produced locomotives of similar power to that which was required for railways in East Africa. A design based on the exported locomotives was put forward and accepted. The design was for a general purpose locomotive and initially found service in British Rail's Eastern Region.
Building
The Class 37 locomotives were built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the order split between English ElectricEnglish Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
's Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
at Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows is a small market town within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is situated about midway between the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, to the east of St Helens, to the north of Warrington and to the south of...
, and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.-History:The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in...
of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
. 309 locomotives were produced in total, originally numbered in the range D6700-D6999 and D6600-D6608. The bodywork bears a strong family resemblance to other English Electric designs such as the Class 40
British Rail Class 40
The British Rail Class 40 is a type of British railway diesel locomotive. Built by English Electric between 1958 and 1962, and eventually numbering 200, they were for a time the pride of the British Rail early diesel fleet...
and Class 23 'Baby Deltic'
British Rail Class 23
The British Rail Class 23 were a class of ten Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives built by the English Electric Company in 1959. The power unit used was a Napier Deltic T9-29 9-cylinder engine of driving an EE generator, which powered the four traction motors...
.
Duties
The class was designed for both passenger and freight work and was as much at home hauling heavy goods trains as it was on passenger services (indeed, in 1966 the Western RegionWestern Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
even tried modifying some of its 37s for 100 mi/h operation). Many of the original locomotives were fitted with boilers for steam heating
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
. With the withdrawal of many Type 2 and Type 3 locomotives in the 1980s the 37s were selected as the standard Type 3 and many of the fleet were given a heavy overhaul to prolong their life into the 1990s and beyond. Some were fitted with electrical train heating
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
(ETH) equipment in the 1980s to become the 37/4 sub-class, initially for use on the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
and Far North lines but later seeing use in other parts of the country.
Rebuilding
A number of locomotives were rebuilt as Class 37/9 in the late 1980s to evaluate Mirrlees and RustonRuston (engine builder)
Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam...
engines for possible use on a new Class 38 freight locomotive. These 'Slugs' were heavily ballasted to improve traction and had excellent load-hauling capabilities, but the Class 38 (understood to be a 'modular' locomotive based on the approach that gave rise to the Class 58
British Rail Class 58
The British Rail Class 58 is a class of Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight. Introduced in 1983, they followed American practice of modularisation. From new they were painted in grey Railfreight Sector livery, instead of BR blue...
and the unbuilt Class 88 electric loco) was never built.
Axle load
The Class 37 has a relatively low axle loading for its size and power. With the withdrawal of most of the smaller types of diesel locomotive, this left them as the only mainline type available in significant numbers for lines with weight restrictions, and for a number of years they handled almost all locomotive-hauled services on the West Highland Line, the lines north of InvernessInverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
(Far North Line
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick.- Route :...
) and in parts of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The Class 37 has Route Availability
Route availability
Route Availability is the system by which the permanent way and supporting works of the National Rail network of Great Britain are graded. All routes are allocated an RA number between 1 and 10....
5 and this is one of the main reasons they are still in use on the network.
TOPS renumbering
As with many diesel classes, the TOPSTOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
renumbering was implemented in a straightforward manner, with the locomotive numbers remaining in sequence. Thus 6701 became 37001 and D6999 became 37299; while D6600 - D6608 became 37300 - 37308. The remaining locomotive, D6700 became 37119 instead of D6819 which became 37283. As members of the class were altered later in their careers, they were renumbered
BR Class 37 renumbering
The 309 members of the class 37 underwent many changes in their long career on British railways. Under the TOPS system each change was reflected in a change of identity. This table attempts to catalogue those changes....
, some more than once.
D6983 had been withdrawn in December 1965 following a fatal collision with a derailed Class 47
British Rail Class 47
The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
, number D1671, in South Wales, near Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
as the result of a landslip. D6983 was the first EE Type 3 to be withdrawn and as a result, the only locomotive in the entire class not to receive a TOPS number. The remains of both locomotives were sold to local scrap merchants R.S. Hayes and cut up the following year.
Sub-classes
In the 1980s the Class 37 locomotives were extensively refurbished - from that point 37/0 refers to the original version. The work took place at BRELBREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
in Crewe except for the 37/3 subclass whose bogies were replaced at various depots.
| Sub-class | Description |
|---|---|
| 37/0 | Locomotives which remained unmodified after other sub-classes were created |
| 37/3 | Locomotives which were rebogied but not refurbished |
| 37/4 | Refurbished, rewired, English Electric generator replaced with Brush alternator, electric train supply (ETS) fitted |
| 37/5 | Refurbished, rewired, English Electric generator replaced with Brush alternator |
| 37/6 | Locomotives from Class 37/5 further modified with through ETS wiring and RCH jumper cables |
| 37/7 | Refurbished, rewired, English Electric generator replaced with GEC G564AZ or Brush alternator, additional weight added |
| 37/9 | Refurbished, rewired, English Electric generator replaced with Brush alternator, new engines: Mirrlees MB275Tt or Ruston RK270Tt |
Class 37/0
This designation covered all 309 locomotives as built, but with such a large number of locomotives and with two companies involved in the building, there were several differences within this sub-class alone. The most visible external difference was that the first 119 locos had a "split" headcode box; for these locos the four digit Train reporting numberTrain reporting number
A train reporting number is used by railway staff in Great Britain to identify a particular train service. It consists of:* A single-digit number, indicating the class of train* A letter, indicating the destination area...
was shown in two square boxes containing two digits and separated by a pair of doors designed to allow the train crew to be exchanged while in motion. Later locomotives had a single centrally placed headcode box, and also had the horns mounted on the roof rather than built into the nose of the locomotive. This difference was the reason for the double change in numbers when implementing the TOPS
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
scheme described earlier.
Class 37/3
These locos were rebogied at various depots with the regeared Cast bogie frame type 'CP7 Bogie' (bogies from the English Electric DelticBritish Rail Class 55
The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
s, Class 50
British Rail Class 50
The British Rail Class 50 is a diesel locomotive built from 1967-68 by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry Works in Newton-le-Willows. Fifty of these locomotives were built to haul express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe,...
and Class 37s are intechangeable), the fuel capacity was doubled (by using the redundant boiler water tanks) but no other changes were made.
Class 37/4
Crewe Works
Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. It is located in the town of Crewe, in the county of Cheshire....
during 1985 and 1986. During this refurbishment, the locomotives also received regeared CP7 bogies and the English electric generator was replaced with a Brush
Brush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
BA1005A alternator
Alternator
An alternator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current.Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field but linear alternators are occasionally used...
. Extensive re-wiring, as well as a full repaint into BR Large Logo was undertaken. The modifications allowed the 're-built' locomotives to work passenger trains all year round, with the 31 strong fleet being split between Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Scotland receiving the first 25 and Wales the next six.
After the extensive refurbishment, the locomotives were allocated the 37/4 sub-class, following the trend of renumbering 'ETH' fitted locomotives xx/4s, (e.g. 47 4xx and 31 4xx).
The next chapter saw the entire sub-class pass to Trans-Rail
Trans-Rail
Transrail Freight Ltd. was a trainload railfreight operator based in South West England, Wales, the North West and Scotland. It was formed in 1994 prior to the privatisation of British Rail...
, which was one of the three regional freight operating companies prior to the privatisation of the entire British rail network.
Over the years, the locomotives have received a large number of liveries: BR Green, Regional Railways, Trainload Grey, EWS
EWS
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
maroon, Trans-Rail
Trans-Rail
Transrail Freight Ltd. was a trainload railfreight operator based in South West England, Wales, the North West and Scotland. It was formed in 1994 prior to the privatisation of British Rail...
, BR Large Logo and Mainline, to name a few.
The North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
, The Rhymney Valley Line, Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
and Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
, South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
, and the West Country
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
all benefited from the use of 37/4s. They are were operated by EWS and often found use on Railtours and aluminium traffic. EWS used to cycle 37/4s in and out of traffic on a regular basis, depending on demand. All have subsequently been sold to DRS by EWS's successor DB Schenker (see below).
Loco hauled operations have taken a big hit within the past couple of years, thanks to the widespread introduction of diesel multiple units, and the replacement of loco hauled trains by multiple units, although the sub-class did hold out on the Cardiff - Rhymney
Rhymney Line
The Rhymney Line is a commuter rail line running from Central Cardiff through the Rhymney valley via Heath and Llanishen in the north of the city, to Caerphilly, Bargoed and Rhymney.-History:...
trains for Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
latterly. 37411 and 37425 were painted especially to mark the end of loco hauled service on the line in April 2005, these repaints being funded by Arriva.
In Late 2010, DB Schenker put all of its remaining 37/4s up for sale with many examples expected to be sold for scrap. DRS have since bought the remaining class 37/4s as of April 2011.
Class 37/5
This class were updated in similar fashion to the 37/4 subclass, except they did not receive Electric Train Heating and some were fitted with Sandite ports.Class 37/6
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
(at the time European Passenger Services) had twelve locomotives modified (all ex-37/5) as Class 37/6, with the intention that they would haul overnight international trains ("Nightstar
Nightstar (train)
The Nightstar was a proposed overnight sleeper service from various parts of Britain to continental Europe, via the Channel Tunnel. To run alongside the Eurostar and north of London day time Regional Eurostar services, the Nightstar was the last part in a round the clock passenger train...
") over the non-electrified sections of their routes in Britain. However, these services were never introduced, and, in 1997, Eurostar sold six of its locomotives to DRS
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
, with a further three sold in 2000. The remaining three locomotives were retained by Eurostar for a variety of tasks, including driver training, route learning, and for rescuing failed Class 373
British Rail Class 373
The British Rail Class 373 or TGV-TMST train is an electric multiple unit that operates Eurostar's high-speed rail service between Britain, France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel...
units. Once Eurostar moved its operations to its new depot at Temple Mills, its Class 37 locomotives became redundant and they were sold to DRS in 2007.
Class 37/7
Again, as part of the major refurbishment scheme of the Class 37 locomotives in the 1980s, another freight dedicated fleet of 44 Class 37s was created; the Class 37/7 subclass which was identical to the 37/5 subclass except for the addition of a ballast weight to give extra 'pulling power' when hauling heavy freight trains such as the metals trains in South Wales. Again, like the 37/5s, there were two batches completed; from phase 1 and phase 2 Class 37/0 locos. The batch numbered 37701 upwards were from phase 1 build locos and have the flush front ends and the batch numbered from 37899 downwards were rebuilds from phase 2 locos, having the central headcode box (plated over). A further complication was created; locos numbered 37796-37803 had a different type of electrical equipment fitted as part of a trial and differ from the other locos in the subclass internally.
When EWS
EWS
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
introduced its 250 Class 66s
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
from 1998, many of the sub-class were put into store. Some have since been involved in construction work in France and Spain building new high-speed lines. 15 were sent to Spain; an additional two were sent to Italy.
EWS has been selling off the sub-class. Four were purchased by West Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railways, also known as West Coast Railway Company, is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire, on the site of the old Steamtown heritage depot...
for overhaul and main line charters; these are 37706, 37710, 37712 and 37717. 37717 has since been sold for scrap while 37712 returned to traffic before a serious internal fire. 37706 is now the only operational 37/7 in the UK.
Class 37/9
In 1986, four Class 37s, numbers 150/148/249/124, were converted to test the MirrleesMirrlees
Mirrlees may refer to:* Hope Mirrlees* James Mirrlees* MAN B&W Diesel, current owner of the diesel engine manufacturer, Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day...
MB275T engine and Brush
Brush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
alternator for the proposed Class 38, and were numbered 37901-4. These were followed in 1987 by 37905/6, converted from 37136/206, and fitted with the alternative pairing of a Ruston
Ruston (engine builder)
Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam...
RK270T engine and GEC alternator. All six locomotives were fitted with new bogies, and had ballast weights to increase their overall weight to 120 tons
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
. Although intended as a testbed for the Class 38, the two power units fitted were those considered for the Class 60
British Rail Class 60
The British Rail Class 60 is a class of Co-Co heavy freight diesel-electric locomotives built by Brush Traction. They are nicknamed Tugs by Rail Enthusiasts.-History:...
, which was eventually delivered with an enlarged version of the Mirrlees MB275T.
All six Class 37/9s were delivered in Railfreight Grey livery and operated as part of the British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Heavy Metals sector, being based in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and hauling trains normally rostered for the much more powerful Class 56
British Rail Class 56
The British Rail Class 56 is a type of diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. It is a Type 5 locomotive, with a Ruston-Paxman power unit developing 3,250 bhp , and has a Co-Co wheel arrangement...
such as the Port Talbot Steelworks
Port Talbot Steelworks
Port Talbot Steelworks is an integrated steel production plant in Port Talbot, Wales capable of producing nearly 5 million tonnes of steel slab per annum. The majority of the slab is rolled on-site at Port Talbot and at the Newport Llanwern site to make a variety of steel strip products. The...
- Llanwern Iron Ore tipplers. During the late 1990s, use of the Class 37/9s declined due to availability of the newer and more powerful Class 66s
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
and problems maintaining such a small number of non-standard locos, with all six officially designated as being in storage in 1999.
This was not, however, the end of the sub-class. In July 2000, 37906 was designated as part of the EWS heritage fleet but has since been sold into preservation, joining 37901 and 37905. 37902 was sold to Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
in 2003, but was scrapped and cut up in 2005 after a review by DRS. 37904 was cut up at Booths in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
in November 2004 and 37903 was scrapped at Crewe Diesel TMD
Crewe Diesel TMD
Crewe Diesel Traction Maintenance Depot or Crewe Diesel TMD was a diesel-electric locomotive Traction Maintenance Depot situated to the south of and visible from Crewe railway station. The depot is owned by EWS. The depot code is CD...
in April 2005.
British Rail
During the time of British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, the Class 37s found use on both passenger and freight workings, being one of the mainstays of the BR fleet. While freight use was widespread, passenger work was predominantly in the Eastern Region with use on London - Norwich and Cambridge services, the latter through to the 1980s.
In the early 1980s, the remaining steam-heat capable locomotives gravitated to Scotland, replacing both Class 27s
British Rail Class 27
British Rail's Class 27 comprised 69 diesel locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company during 1961 and 1962. They were a development of the earlier Class 26; both were originally classified as the BRCW Type 2.- Usage :...
on the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
and Class 26s
British Rail Class 26
The British Rail Class 26 diesel locomotives, also known as the BRCW Type 2, were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company at Smethwick in 1958-59. Forty seven examples were built, and the last were withdrawn from service in 1993...
on the Far North
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick.- Route :...
and Kyle
Kyle of Lochalsh Line
The Kyle of Lochalsh Line is a primarily single track railway line in the Scottish Highlands, running from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh. The population along the route is sparse in nature, but the scenery is beautiful and can be quite dramatic, the Kyle line having been likened to a symphony in...
lines.
The other notable use was of nominally freight locomotives to Aberystwyth over the Cambrian line, in this case taking over from Class 25s
British Rail Class 25
The British Rail Class 25 diesel locomotives were also known as Sulzer Type 2 and nicknamed Rats, as it was alleged they could be seen everywhere in Britain, and hence were "as common as rats"...
on the holiday trains.
Also in the early 1980s, British Railways wanted to test a design for self-steering bogies, for use on the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
to Fort William and Mallaig. 37175 was used as the test-bed loco and carried what were known as "CP5" bogies for this purpose. The West Highland trials were found to be successful, but to alter or manufacture such bogies on a large scale was deemed unjustified.
From 1985, the 37/4 subclass took over on the Scottish lines although the use of original 37/0s continued in the summer when train supply was not required. The Welsh allocation in turn took over from the 37/0s on the Cambrian as well as from Class 33s
British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
on Crewe - Cardiff workings.
Over time they were displaced from most passenger work by new build DMUs such as the Sprinter
Sprinter (train)
The Sprinter is a family of diesel multiple unit trains in use on the UK railway system. They were built in the 1980s and early 1990s by BREL, Metro Cammell and Leyland. Most are based around a Cummins engine with Voith hydraulic transmission, although some class 158s have a Perkins engine...
units, though they still found work in the summer and on secondary services from time to time through the 1990s as traffic demand required. This saw use both on the North Wales Coast and, most remarkably, Cardiff - Rhymney
Rhymney Line
The Rhymney Line is a commuter rail line running from Central Cardiff through the Rhymney valley via Heath and Llanishen in the north of the city, to Caerphilly, Bargoed and Rhymney.-History:...
local services through to 2006.
The final daily work in Scotland was the Fort William sleeper train, this ending in June 2006.
Their freight work similarly reduced, being displaced by higher powered locomotives such as the Class 56
British Rail Class 56
The British Rail Class 56 is a type of diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. It is a Type 5 locomotive, with a Ruston-Paxman power unit developing 3,250 bhp , and has a Co-Co wheel arrangement...
and Class 58
British Rail Class 58
The British Rail Class 58 is a class of Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight. Introduced in 1983, they followed American practice of modularisation. From new they were painted in grey Railfreight Sector livery, instead of BR blue...
locomotives on coal trains, though they continued on other cargos such as oil tankers for longer.
Post privatisation
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
locomotives has meant many 37s have been withdrawn or scrapped. EWS
EWS
DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British...
(English Welsh & Scottish) and Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
operated small fleets, with several other examples also operated by spot-hire companies. However, second-hand Class 37s have also proved popular in the export market, with some examples operating in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(serving the construction of these countries' high-speed railway networks).
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
(DRS) operate around twenty-five Class 37s. They haul nuclear trains, and during autumn have also seen use on sandite
Sandite
Sandite is a substance used on railways in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands to combat leaves on the line, which can cause train wheels to slip and become damaged with flat spots...
trains on behalf of Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
. DRS locomotives tend to be used in pairs as a precaution in case one fails en route.
Pairs of locomotives have also recently been used on scrap metal trains due to their longer range than the newer Class 66
British Rail Class 66
The Class 66 is a six axle diesel electric freight locomotive developed in part from the British Rail Class 59, for use on the railways of the UK. Since its introduction the class has been successful and has been sold to British and other European railway companies...
.
DRS also have several more non-operational Class 37s, which are in store, or undergoing overhaul. These locomotives are either at Brush Traction
Brush Traction
This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-...
, Carlisle Kingmoor or Crewe Gresty Bridge.
A few of the DRS fleet of Class 37s have yet to return to traffic after being stored due to a lack of OTMR (On-board Train Monitoring Equipment).
DB Schenker (formerly EWS)
EWS usually used Class 37s in pairs, for freight workings. Additionally EWS used the Class 37s on railtours or charter hire to train operating companies. For example, in 2005 Arriva Trains wales used 37/4 haulage on the Rhymney valley line, from a pool of four locomotives, these locomotives being 37405 (EWS livery), 37425 (BR Large Logo), 37411 (BR green livery), 37419 (EW&S livery), This loco replaced 37408 "Loch Rannoch" which was involved in a collision with parked stock at Rhymney sidings, which was suspected to be caused by vandals. 37408 suffered from severe extensive damage and was written off at Toton TMD with its power unit removed and used to revive 37422. Its body was later scrapped at European Metals Recycling, Kinsgbury.By mid 2008, only three Class 37s were still in regular use on the mainline (37401, 417 & 422). 37422 was placed in WNTS tactical store in September leaving only 37401 and 417 in traffic. On 16 December, 37417 failed and was sent to Eastleigh for storage, resulting in 37401 the only Class 37 to remain in traffic into the new DB Schenker era.
The former EWS, DB Schenker Rail (UK) Ltd. had one operational Class 37/4, 37401 at the time of its creation on 1 January 2009. DB Schenker also has hired locomotives for temporary duties, such as 37423 from Direct Rail Services (DRS) to cover for failed 37417. DB Schenker 37401 (and DRS's 37423) were on snowplough duty at Inverness for the winter months. 37401, DB Schenker's sole operational English Electric type 3, was reported sounding rough, and was later stored although this did not last long as it was soon sent to Toton TMD for repairs along with 37406 "The Saltire Society".
37401, DB Schenker's most reliable Class 37, was repaired and is currently back in mainline service. 37406 was returned to service, failing on its first working. 37670 was also returned operational.
37419 was prepared for a return to traffic and saw itself repainted into DB Schenker livery, however its long time in store did not help its power unit and it failed with a serious engine fault on its trial run. The locomotive remains stored.
DB Schenker had the largest route for railhead treatment trains for Autumn 2009 and required Class 37 haulage due to their route availability. Much speculation was surrounding the return of several Class 37s, however DB Schenker were eventually given clearance from Network Rail to use Class 66s and 67s on the routes instead, resulting in the Class 37 plan being ditched despite several of the machines having their air horns moved onto the nose to resolve clearance problems.
Reliability problems plagued 37670 during its short time in traffic and the loco was eventually stored unservicable.
With the storage of 37670, this meant that once again 37401 was the sole operational Class 37 in active service under DB Schenker. To take the load strain off 37401, 37425 "Pride Of The Valleys" was fitted with OTMR safety equipment and was returned fully operational. The locomotive remains in BR blue large logo livery, however like 37670 it is also plagued with unreliability.
As of March 2010, DB Schenker Rail UK ceased using Class 37s.
West Coast Railway Company
The West Coast Railway CompanyWest Coast Railway Company
West Coast Railways, also known as West Coast Railway Company, is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator, based at Carnforth in Lancashire, on the site of the old Steamtown heritage depot...
(WCRC) purchased four locomotives from Ian Riley Engineering
Ian Riley Engineering
Riley and Son Ltd , is a railway engineering and spot-hire company, based in Bury, Greater Manchester.-Ian Riley Engineering:...
in 2004. The two operational locomotives (nos. 37197 and 37261) were used on charter trains or as standby locomotives for "The Jacobite" steam-hauled
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
excursion services from Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
to Mallaig
Mallaig
Mallaig ; is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line , completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".The village of Mallaig...
during 2005. These two, along with non-operational 37423, have since been sold to DRS. The fourth (no. 37235) was for spares.
In late 2007, WCRC purchased several non-operational Class 37/5 and Class 37/7s from EWS: nos. 37517, 37668, 37676, 37685, 37706, 37712 and 37710. Of the acquired locomotives 37710 will be used as a source of spares, 37676 and 37712 were the first two returned to mainline. 37676 was named 'Loch Rannoch' at a special event in Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
Steamtown. 37712 suffered a fire on an empty coaching stock move and was subsequently stored. It is known that major work will need to be done on 37712, however demand exists for chartered Class 37s.
At the end of 2010, WCRC had four Class 37s running in service: nos. 37516, 37676, 37685 and 37706.
Future
Network Rail ERTMS project
Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
are currently in the process of restoring four Class 37s as part of the European Rail Traffic Management System
European Rail Traffic Management System
The European Rail Traffic Management System is an initiative backed by the European Union to enhance cross-border interoperability and signalling procurement by creating a single Europe-wide standard for train control and command systems....
(ERTMS) trial project on the Cambrian Line
Cambrian Line
The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
. The site of the restoration is the Barrow Hill Roundhouse, where ex-HNRC
Harry Needle Railroad Company
The Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in...
locomotives 37100, 37170, 37178 and 37217 have been taken in. The restored Class 37s for ERTMS use have been re-designated as Class 97/3
British Rail Class 97
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...
, numbered 97301, 97302, 97303 and 97304.
The class was chosen because of its original fitment with both air and vacuum braking, a feature which will allow it to pull both modern freight trains as well as steam specials. The main work of the locomotives will be to pull on track machines (such as tampers
Ballast tamper
A ballast tamper or tamping machine is a machine used to pack the track ballast under railway tracks to make the tracks more durable. Prior to the introduction of mechanical tampers, this task was done by manual labour with the help of beaters...
) through the ERTMS section.
The 97/3s are to be based at the newly constructed Coleham Depot for the duration of the ERTMS testing on the Cambrian Line, thereafter they will be used to pilot trains not fitted with the ERTMS signalling system.
These locos are effectively refurbished, having been completely stripped down to bare steel, with reconditioned engines, somewhat updated cabs, all new signalling systems installed (ERTMS in this instance) and extensive re-wiring.
Preservation
Class 37 locomotives have proved to be very popular, with many examples saved for preservation on heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
s or by enthusiast
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
groups. Notable examples saved include the first-built locomotive, no. D6700, the last built locomotive 37308, Mirrlees-engined prototype no. 37901, and both Ruston
Ruston (engine builder)
Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam...
-engined prototypes nos. 37905 and 37906. One locomotive, 37372, has been procured by a group called the Baby Deltic Project for conversion into a replica of a Class 23 Baby Deltic
British Rail Class 23
The British Rail Class 23 were a class of ten Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives built by the English Electric Company in 1959. The power unit used was a Napier Deltic T9-29 9-cylinder engine of driving an EE generator, which powered the four traction motors...
.
| Pre TOPS TOPS Total Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system... |
Post TOPS |
Final | Name | Owner | Location | Notes or livery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6605 | 37305 | 37407 | ST4 | Churnet Valley Railway | Out of service. Transrail Grey | |
| D6607 | 37307 | 37403 | Isle of Mull | Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway is a Heritage railway in Falkirk, Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, and operates some 5 miles of track, virtually the entire Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway that became part of the former North British Railway on the Firth... |
Under restoration. BR Green | |
| D6608 | 37308 | 37274 | Pullman Rail,Cardiff Canton | BR Blue | ||
| D6700 | 37119 | 37350 | National Railway Museum National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001... |
National Railway Museum | First locomotive of class built. BR Green |
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| D6703 | 37003 | 37003 (37360) | Class 37 Locomotive Group. | Mid-Norfolk Railway Mid-Norfolk Railway The Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway.... |
BR Civil Engineers 'Dutch' Carried the nameplates First East Anglian Regiment but these were never unveiled (picture Railway Magazine Sept 1963 p667) |
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| D6709 | 37009 | 37340 | English electric preservation | Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre The Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre is a heritage centre based at Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, the terminus of the northern section of the Great Central Railway . The site includes locomotive and rolling stock workshops , as well as cafeteria and shops... |
Undergoing restoration. BR Green | |
| D6723 | 37023 | 37023 | Privately owned | Allely’s yard in Studley | Undergoing restoration. Mainline Blue | |
| D6725 | 37025 | 37025 | Inverness TMD Inverness TMD Inverness TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Inverness, Scotland. The depot, visible from Inverness Station, is operated by First ScotRail... |
The Scottish Thirtyseven GroupScottish 37 Group | Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway | BR Blue Large Logo. Restored in 2005. Currently out of service. |
| D6729 | 37029 | 37029 | Privately owned | Epping Ongar Railway Epping Ongar Railway The Epping Ongar Railway operates on a preserved railway along the final section of the old Great Eastern Railway and London Underground Central Line branch line between Epping and Ongar, with an intermediate station at North Weald... |
BR Green, small warning panel. | |
| D6732 | 37032 | 37353 | Mirage | Privately owned37032 (D6732) preserved-diesels.co.uk / Anglia type three associationClass 37 D6732 (37032) Midland and Great Northern joint railway society mandgn.co.uk | North Norfolk Railway North Norfolk Railway The North Norfolk Railway – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal town of Sheringham and Holt, It cuts through the countryside to the east of Weybourne with views of its windmill and passes through the well preserved country... |
BR Green. Undergoing restoration. |
| D6737 | 37037 | 37321 | (Gartcosh) | Devon Diesel Society | North Norfolk Railway North Norfolk Railway The North Norfolk Railway – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal town of Sheringham and Holt, It cuts through the countryside to the east of Weybourne with views of its windmill and passes through the well preserved country... |
BR Green. Nameplates now removed. |
| D6742 | 37042 | 37042 | Eden Valley Railway Eden Valley Railway The Eden Valley Railway was a railway in Cumbria, England. It ran between Clifton Junction near Penrith and Kirkby Stephen via Appleby-in-Westmorland.... |
"Almost Runnable" EWS Livery | ||
| D6775 | 37075 | 37075 | Privately owned | Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway The Churnet Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway to the east of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. The CVR has two main operational headquarters - Cheddleton station, where the motive power department is based and where the first trains ran, and Kingsley and Froghall station, where... |
BR Blue | |
| D6776 | 37076 | 37518 | Privately owned | East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
Operational. Railfreight red stripe livery. | |
| D6797 | 37097 | 37097 | Old Fettercairn | Caledonian Railway Diesel Group37097 "Old Fettercairn" crdg.co.uk | Caledonian Railway Caledonian Railway (Brechin) The Caledonian Steam Railway Ltd is a private limited company formed by a group of steam railway enthusiasts, the Brechin Railway Preservation Society, with the object of operating a railway service on the former Caledonian Railway line between Brechin and Montrose, Angus, Scotland... Caledonian Railway subsection Stocklist caledonianrailway.co.uk |
Under Overhaul BR Blue |
| D6799 | 37099 | 37324 | Clydebridge | Privately owned | Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire/Warwickshire Borders that has reopened the closed railway line between Laverton Halt and Cheltenham Racecourse railway stations in Gloucestershire/Worcestershire., it currently... |
BR Blue with large numbers. In working order 2000. |
| D6808 | 37108 | 37108 | Privately owned | Crewe Heritage Centre | Under restoration. BR Blue | |
| D6809 | 37109 | 37109 | Bury Diesel GroupEast Lancashire Railway diesel loco fleet burydiesel.freeserveco.uk | East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
BR Blue | |
| D6816 | 37116 | 37116 | Sister Dora | Chinnor & Princes Risborough RailwayChinnor & Princes Risborough Railway (Stock list) cprra.co.uk | Trans-Rail livery | |
| D6823 | 37123 | 37679 | Privately owned | Burton Wagon Works - Nemisis | Currently undergoing long-term restoration. Railfreight 3 Tone Grey: Unspecified Sub-Sector | |
| D6836 | 37136 | 37905 | Mid Hants Railway | Railfreight livery, Rebuilt with Ruston Ruston (engine builder) Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam... engine |
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| D6842 | 37142 | 37142 | Bodmin & Wenford Railway37142 bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk | |||
| D6846 | 37146 | 37146 | Stainmore Railway, Kirkby Stephen Stainmore Railway Company Stainmore Railway Company is a volunteer run non-profit company aiming to restore Kirkby Stephen East railway station in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England. The station was formerly on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway and the company aims to relay a short section of track to allow train... Diesels at Kirby Stephen East, Stainmore Railway company kirbystepheneast |
Light restoration, to be run in BR Blue livery | ||
| D6850 | 37150 | 37901 | Mirrlees Pioneer | Privately owned | East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
Railfreight livery, Rebuilt with Mirrlees engine |
| D6852 | 37152 | 37152 | Privately owned37152 peakraildiesels | Peak Rail Peak Rail Peak Rail is a preserved railway in Derbyshire, England, which operates a steam service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales.... |
InterCity Swallow livery, in working order (Sept. 2006) | |
| D6869 | 37169 | 37674 | St Blaize Church 1445-1995 | Stainmore Railway, Kirkby Stephen Stainmore Railway Company Stainmore Railway Company is a volunteer run non-profit company aiming to restore Kirkby Stephen East railway station in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, England. The station was formerly on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway and the company aims to relay a short section of track to allow train... |
Trans-Rail Trans-Rail Transrail Freight Ltd. was a trainload railfreight operator based in South West England, Wales, the North West and Scotland. It was formed in 1994 prior to the privatisation of British Rail... Grey livery. To be restored as D6869 in BR green |
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| D6875 | 37175 | 37175 | W. S. Sellar (named 2nd July 2011) | Privately owned | Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway is a Heritage railway in Falkirk, Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, and operates some 5 miles of track, virtually the entire Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway that became part of the former North British Railway on the Firth... |
BR Blue Large Logo |
| D6888 | 37188 | 37188 | Privately owned37188 peakraildiesels | Peak Rail Peak Rail Peak Rail is a preserved railway in Derbyshire, England, which operates a steam service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales.... |
Undercoat Black | |
| D6890 | 37190 | 37314 | Dalzell | Class Forty Appeal37314 Class Forty Appeal | Midland Railway Butterley Midland Railway Butterley The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:... |
Large Logo Blue (Eastfield) |
| D6906 | 37206 | 37906 | Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route... Fleet status :UK locomotive database - subsection "31-37" wnxx.net |
With Ruston Ruston (engine builder) Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam... RK270T engine. Railfreight livery |
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| D6907 | 37207 | 37207 | William Cookworthy | Plym Valley Railway Plym Valley Railway The Plym Valley Railway is part of the closed South Devon and Tavistock Railway near Plymouth, a branch line of the Great Western Railway in Devon.The Plym Valley Railway is currently rebuilding the Marsh Mills to Plym Bridge section of the line... |
BR Blue. Under final stages of repairs (2008) | |
| D6915 | 37215 | 37215 | The Growler Group http://www.thegrowlergroup.org.uk/ | Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire/Warwickshire Borders that has reopened the closed railway line between Laverton Halt and Cheltenham Racecourse railway stations in Gloucestershire/Worcestershire., it currently... |
In working order 1998. | |
| D6916 | 37216 | 37216 | Private | Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway in South Wales, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.The line is the highest... DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES AT BLAENAVON pontypool-and-bleanavon.co.uk |
Mainline Blue livery. Undergoing restoration to BR Green | |
| D6919 | 37219 | 37219 | Shirly Ann Smith | Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway | Mainline livery | |
| D6927 | 37227 | 37227 | Battlefield RailwayAn Introduction to the Battlefield Line Railway - Loco's - diesel ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ChrisSimmons/ | under restoration | ||
| D6940 | 37240 | 37240 | Llangollen Diesel Group http://www.llangollen-diesels.org.uk | Llangollen Railway Llangollen Railway The Llangollen Railway is a volunteer-run preserved railway in Denbighshire, Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Carrog; at long, it is the longest preserved standard gauge line in Wales and operates daily in Summer as well as weekends throughout the Winter months using a wide variety of... |
In working order 2010. BR Blue | |
| D6948 | 37248 | 37248 | (Loch Arkaig) | Privately owned - in custodianship of 'The Growler Group' http://www.thegrowlergroup.org.uk/ | Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire/Warwickshire Borders that has reopened the closed railway line between Laverton Halt and Cheltenham Racecourse railway stations in Gloucestershire/Worcestershire., it currently... |
Under overhaul. WCRC Maroon livery. Nameplates now removed. |
| D6950 | 37250 | 37250 | ||||
| D6954 | 37254 | 37254 | Driver Robin Prince MBE (named July 2009) | Privately owned, maintenance funded by the '37254 fund'The 37254 fund : about us 37254.co.uk | Spa Valley Railway Spa Valley Railway The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to... |
Civil Engineers |
| D6955 | 37255 | 37255 | Privately ownedLocomotives of the Great Central Railway : 37255 gcrailway.co.uk | Great Central Railway | Civil Engineers. | |
| D6963 | 37263 | 37263 | Dean Forest Railway Dean Forest Railway The Dean Forest Railway is a long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and... |
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| D6964 | 37264 | 37264 | North Yorkshire Moors Railway North Yorkshire Moors Railway The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line... |
BR Large logo Blue | ||
| D6967 | 37267 | 37421 | Privately owned | Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway The Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway in South Wales, running trains between a halt platform opposite the Whistle Stop public house southwards to the town of Blaenavon via a two-platform station at the site of former colliery furnace.The line is the highest... |
EWS EWS DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British... |
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| D6971 | 37271 | 37418 | Pectinidae | Privately owned | East Lancashire Railway East Lancashire Railway The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended... |
Out of service.EWS EWS DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British... |
| D6975 | 37275 | 37275 | Barrow Hill Engine Shed Barrow Hill Engine Shed Barrow Hill Roundhouse & Railway Centre, until 1948 known as Staveley Roundhouse & Train Centre, is a former Midland Railway roundhouse in Barrow Hill, near Staveley and Chesterfield, Derbyshire .-History:... |
BR Blue | ||
| D6976 | 37276 | 37413 | Privately owned | Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway The Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway is a Heritage railway in Falkirk, Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, and operates some 5 miles of track, virtually the entire Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway that became part of the former North British Railway on the Firth... |
Under restoration EWS EWS DB Schenker Rail , before 2009 known as English, Welsh and Scottish Railway is a British rail freight company. EWS was established by a consortium led by Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation in 1996 by acquisition of five of the six freight companies created by the privatisation of British... |
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| D6979 | 37279 | 37424 | ST4 | Churnet Valley Railway | Out of service. Transrail Grey | |
| Emboldened engine number indicates current number carried by preserved locomotive | ||||||
External links
- Class 37 Locomotive Group Class 37 - 37003 (37360)
- The Growler Group Class 37 37215, 37248 (custodians)
- English Electric Preservation Class 37 - D6709