CLASS 37/4s GALORE
Here's an extract from the TOPS rolling stock database on the morning
of Saturday 12 April (with acknowlegement to the the marvellous
Class 37 loco group
website):
LOCO POOL ORIGIN LAST LOCN COM DESTN STA
37401 WKBN BLACKBURN 291Z701512 U * CARDIFCEN N
37405 WKBN WARRTNARP 356D19C612 1 * HOLYHD AA N
37417 WKBN BLACKBURN 291Z701512 U * CARDIFCEN N
37411 WFMU WARRTNARP WARRTNLHS D
37422 WFMU WARRTNARP WARRTNLHS X
From this we see all the current live fleet of EWS Class 37 locos
located south of the Scottish border, with
37 401 and
37 417 Richard Trevithick double-heading
the Compass Tours railtour from Blackburn to Cardiff,
37 405 on its way to Holyhead with
the freight trip to the Anglesey Aluminium, while
37 411 Caerphilly Castle / Castell Caerffili
and
37 422 Cardiff Canton were standing at
Warrington Bank Quay stabling point in full view from passing trains. A
good excuse to have a page devoted to these fine machines, with a few
news items about some other 37s and heritage traction.
Heart of Wales Explorer - traveller's tale by Alan Crawshaw
Rowan and I were up early again on Saturday 12 April, this time to
drive to Chester for the 07:00 departure of the Heart of Wales Explorer
run by Compass Tours, connecting by train would have made for an even
longer day. We photographed the prompt arrival (above) of 37 401 and 37
417 hauling 13 coaches and were very happy to find our seats were in
the second bay behind the locos. The passenger stock comprised former
Virgin Mk 2s.
We enjoyed a great run along the Central Wales Line, mainly in
sunshine, with a pause at Llandrindod (above).
The frequent slows and climbs ensured a constant flow of English
Electric music then we reached the end and it was round the freight
Swansea and District line to join the former GWR main line into Cardiff
Central, arriving three minutes early (above).
After lunch we looked in the Ian Allan bookshop and walked over to
Queen Street station to experience the bubble car (
121 032) shuttle to Cardiff Bay.
At £1.60, the fare is a bit steep for four minutes there and four
minutes back, but worth it for the experience. The pictures show the
nostalgic interior of the unit. [No forward view, sadly.]
The three-and-a-half-hour break was fast eroding so we had no time for
the waterbus shuttle round the bay and to the Severn Barrage but
there's plenty to see by remaining on land - the pier head building,
the Opera House, Norwegian church or just enjoying the holiday
atmosphere.
Our train was listed as departing from platform 2 but a late change saw
it routed into 1 as a unit was still occupying 2 - hence the lamp post
in my approach shot. The route meant we were still at the front of the
train for the return journey as we swung north through Chepstow with
lovely views of the Severn and its bridges. The pair didn't falter up
the Lickey Incline, then we took a slow, curvy and fascinating path
around the Birmingham area, including the freight line through Sutton
Park. We rejoined familiar tracks at Wolverhampton for the homeward run
through Shrewsbury to the first set down stop at Wrexham then we
alighted at Chester. Timekeeping was exemplary throughout this
marvellous outing, it's a pity that two booked passengers missed it by
rashly jumping aboard the Voyager to Holyhead when it arrived 15
minutes before the charter.
|
Mirrlees
Pioneer on the Move
Martin Perry's picture from 14 April shows 37 901 Mirrlees Pioneer on a low loader
carefully making its way through Llangollen town centre en route to the Severn Valley
Railway. It then moves in early May to the East Lancashire Railway at
Bury for three months. |
Heart of Wales #2 - report by David Hennessey
Here are four pictures taken on Saturday 12th April, of Compass Tours'
"Heart of Wales Explorer", with EWS 37 417
Richard Trevithick and 37 401
putting on a hellfire show from Blackburn to Cardiff. The pictures are
of the 37s at Warrington Bank Quay (where I boarded),
... 37 417 at Chester ...
... 37 401 at Cardiff Central ...
... and also Arriva 'Bubblecar' 121 032 at Cardiff Queen Street. For
more pictures, check out
my
Fotopic pages.
Flashbacks
Inspired by our item about
37 418
being saved for preservation, John Powell sends this picture taken
at Bangor on 27 August, 1998. John writes: 'I had travelled from
Crewe behind 418, and this was her ready to return to Crewe after
running round.'
In a similar vein, as
37 109
featured in the recent East Lancashire Railway diesel weekend reported
here,
Alan Crawshaw provides
this view of 37 109 at Bangor working the 07:43 from Holyhead to Crewe
on Tuesday 25 July 2000 - and looking in rather better external
condition that it does at the moment. A shortage of serviceable 37/4s
was being experienced at the time, as the relevant
page from our archive
shows. Note that both the above locos carry the original version of EWS
livery with the ampersand in E W & S and Arial typeface rather than
the later Gill Sans Bold.
Time to dip into our old slide box: here is
37 407 Loch Long at Stockport in 1989,
drafted in to work Cardiff - Manchester services when the then-new
Class 155 railcars had to be withdrawn for attention after their doors
began opening of their own accord.
Heart of Wales #3 - report by Mark Riley
37 417 and 37 401 double head the 12 April railtour away from Wrexham
General The light isn't good at Wrexham at this time of the
mornng (07:15) with the sun behind the units on the retail park.
The two 37s in a patch of low sun power the train away.
With the Aluminum trip, 12 April - pictures by 'Corrie'
37 405 on the inward working from Warrington passing through Rhosneigr.
Standing at Holyhead.
The wider angle.
This view shows the shunting mirrors which EWS have fitted to
this loco.
Drwaing forward into the neck to run round.
Working out to Anglesey Aluminium.
37 405 on the return working at Tywyn Trewan Common.
37/4s in Staffordshire
Ian Bowland writes to tell us
that recently-preserved
37 407
(ex-
Blackpool Tower, ex-
Loch Long) is scheduled ('subject
to transport') to appear at
The
Churnet
Valley Railway's Diesel Gala which is 30 May - 1 June.
37 424 is also scheduled although we
don't
think that one ever
ventured along the Coast, except on its test run from Crewe works when
first converted to a 37/4. The two 37s will be, we believe, static
exhibits only, but Deltic
D9016
will be a working visitor alongside the railway's resident diesels
The ownership of 37 407, like several of the recently-sold locos,
is somewhat mysterious; it was thought it had been bought as a source
of spares. It seems surprising that it is suitable for restoration, as
it has not run since 2000, and has been stored in the open air at
various sites. However, one can understand the discretion involved in
this kind of thing. It is reported that both 407 and 424 are to be
based at the Churnet Valley for restoration work.
Richard Fleckney's view of
37 405 making its way to Holyhead on
12
April.
37/0 section
DRS Class 37s also appear on the Coast line from time to time. These
two views taken by
Eifion Hughes
on 16 April using a zoom lens across the old goods yard at Bangor show
37 038 and
37 069 amid the foliage with a
Nertwork Rail measurement train.
