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Introduction

The Class 37s are 1750hp diesel locomotives and were built by English Electric between 1960 and 1965.

Class 37s were first allocated to Scottish Region depots in 1966 and for the next 14 years were mostly used on freight trains in the Central belt. However, in the early 1970s, class 37s were occasionally used as substitutes for class 27s on the Edinburgh - Glasgow Push-pull service; air brake fitted locomotives being in short supply. During the early 1980s steam heat fitted examples replaced class 27s and class 26s on passenger trains on the West Highland and Far North Lines.

As part of the general refurbishment program in the mid 1980s, thirty-one class members were additionally equipped with Electric Train Heating (ETH) equipment and renumbered in the 37/4 sub-class. This facilitated the end of steam heating, and brought to an end the use of ETHELs on the Fort William sleeper.

The 37s were largely replaced on the West Highland and Far North Lines by class 156 DMUs in 1989, but continued to see use on Summer services into the mid 1990s, when they also featured on Inverness - Edinburgh / Aberdeen routes. From 1992 to 1995 pairs of class 37s (with a generator coach for ETH) were used on the Intercity Sleeper trains north of Edinburgh to Inverness and Aberdeen.

At privatisation of BR, the majority of the Class 37 fleet passed to EWS, including all the Scottish based locos, then concentrated at Motherwell depot. The introduction by EWS of class 66 locomotives meant a drastic reduction in the requirement for class 37s on freight and engineers trains. Class 37/4s continued to haul the Fort William portion of the Caledonian sleepers until replaced by class 67 locomotives in 2006.

DBS

DB Schenker (formerly EWS) have retained a small number of locomotives for use on engineering and charter trains to Oban, Mallaig, and Kyle where other DBS locomotives have not been permitted to operate due to low Route Availability.

They have also been used during the winter months on Snow Plough duties out-based at Inverness and Aberdeen, but reliability during 2009/10 was a major problem.

The remaining operational locomotives are now based at Toton, and when required in Scotland are usually moved north 'dead in train' on regular freight trains.



At the start of 2008 DB Schenker won a contract to move potatoes from Elgin to Laurencekirk, this train has run twice so far and both times it has produced a class 37

Fleet List

WKBN - Network Class 37 (RETB fitted) Allocated to Toton TMD (TO)
WFMU - WFMU Fleet Management Unit Non-sector Allocated Locos Allocated to Crewe and Toton
WBSN - Sandite and RHTT Pool
WNXX - DB Schenker Stored

Below is a table of the current active DB Schenker class 37s. Although a loco is shown in pool WFMU, it may not be operational.

Number	Livery	Pool	Name	Status / Location
37401	EWS Red and Gold (Basic)	WFMU		Part of Fleet Management Unit
37410	EWS Red and Gold	WNTS	Aluminium 100	At Macroft Stoke
37411	BR Green	WNTS	Caerphilly Castle / Castell Caerffili	Tactical Stored at Eastleigh
37419	DB Red	WFMU		Part of Fleet Management Unit at Toton
37422	EWS Red and Gold	WNTS	Cardiff Canton	Tactical Stored at Toton
37425	BR large Logo Blue and Yellow	WFMU	Pride of the Valleys / Balchder y Cymoedd	Part of Fleet Management Unit

DRS

DRS Class 37s make regular trips to Scotland on the Nuclear flask trains to Hunterston and Torness but these duties can also be covered by Class 66s or Class 20s.

Fleet List

Liveries

DR: Deep Blue with Light Blue or Dark Grey roof & DRS branding
DZ: Deep Blue with Large Turquoise bodyside panel and Green DRS Compass logo branding

Number	Livery	Pool	Name	Status
37038	DR	XHNC		Operational
37059	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37069	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37087	DR	XHNC	Keighley and Worth Valley Railway 40th Anniversary 1968 - 2008	Operational
37194	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37197	DZ	XHHP		Stored at Brush Loughborough
37218	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37229	DZ	XHNC	Jonty Jarvis 8-12-1998 to 18-3-2005	Operational
37259	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37261	DR	XHSS		Stored serviceable at Eastleigh
37423	DZ	XHNC	Spirit of thre Lakes	Operational
37510	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37601	DZ	XHNC		Opeational
37602	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37603	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37604	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37605	DR	XHSS		Stored serviceable at Eastleigh
37606	DR	XHSS		Stored serviceable at Eastleigh
37607	DR	XHNC		Operational
37608	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37609	DR	XHNC		Operational
37610	DZ	XHNC	T.S. (Ted) Cassady 14.5.61 - 6.4.08	Operational
37611	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37612	DR	XHSS		Stored serviceable at Eastleigh
37667	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37682	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37683	DZ	XHHP		Under overhaul at Barrow Hill
37688	DZ	XHNC	Kingmoor TMD	Operational

West Coast Railways

WCR operate a small number of Class 37 locomotives

A regular duty in recent years has been as second locomotive on the Royal Scotsman Western tour.

The locomotives also see use on charter trains, particularly on routes not cleared for class 47s, such as Crianlarich to Oban.

Preservation

Scotland plays host to three preserved Class 37s.

37025 Inverness TMD is located at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway and has recently undergone restoration. The locomotive made its first passenger runs in preservation at the Bo'ness Diesel Gala on Saturday 29th September 2007

37097 is located at the Caledonian Railway (Brechin). It has been operational since 2006 and recently received a repaint into BR blue. It was named Old Fettercairn at the CR's 'Sulzerfest' diesel gala on the 6th of May 2007 - the name comes from a local distillery's brand of whisky. The Fettercairn distillery provided sponsorship for the restoration of the loco.

37175 is located at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway and after being purchased from EWS (now DB Schenker) in 2006 has recently been made operational. The locomotive deputised for the unavailable 37025 at the Keighley & Worth Valley Diesel Gala in June 2007, making its first passenger runs in preservation. It then moved to the East Lancs Railway for three months and arrived at Bo'ness in September 2007 in readiness for the diesel gala. It is now a resident loco at Bo'ness and is currently undergoing a full power unit overhaul and return to mainline certification.

37025 at Boness

37097 at Brechin

37175 at Boness

See Also

External Links

• Wikipedia: Class 37
• Class 37 Locomotive Group. Featuring a comprehensive database.
• Scottish 37 Group. Owners of 37025.