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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. Today class 37's are mainly operated by Direct Rail services and West Coast Railway company with a few on preserved lines.

Current operators

DRS

DRS Class 37s used to make regular trips to Scotland on the Nuclear flask trains to Hunterston and Torness but until 2016/2017 these duties are now covered by Class 66s and the modern Class 68s.

From the start of 2019 as part of a new FOC region agreement with Network Rail, DRS resumed duties on infrastructure test trains for Network Rail in Scotland after Colas Rail took over in 2015.

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
DX: Deep Blue with Large Light Blue bodyside panel and Green DRS Compass logo branding.
DU: Deep Blue with no branding at all (Unbranded).
BL: British Rail Large Logo - Blue with Yellow cabs, Grey roof, large numbers and full bodyside height BR Logos.
IC: Intercity Livery

Number	Livery	Pool	Name	Status
37038	DX	XHNC		Operational
37059	DX	XHNC		Operational
37069	DX	XHNC		Operational
37218	DX	XHNC		Operational
37259	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37401	BL	XHAC	Mary Queen of Scots	Operational
37402	BL	XHAC	Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013	Operational
37403	BL	XHAC	Isle of Mull	Operational - on long term loan from Bo'ness
37405	DZ	XHAC		Operational
37407	BL	XHAC		Operational
37409	BL	XHAC	Lord Hinton	Operational
37419	IC	XHSS	Carl Haviland 1954-2012	Stored at Loram Derby
37422	DU	XHAC		Operational
37423	DX	XHAC	Spirit of the Lakes	Operational
37424	BL	XHAC	Avro Vulcan XH558 (37558 on sides)	Operational
37425	DZ	XHAC	Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob	Operational
37602	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37603	DZ	XHSS		Stored at MoD Longtown
37604	DZ	XHSS		Stored at MoD Longtown
37605	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37606	DZ	XHNC		Operational
37609	DX	XHSS		Stored at MoD Longtown
37703	DU	XHSS		At the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, operational - renumbered 37067
37716	DX	XHNC		Operational

West Coast Railways

WCR operate a small number of Class 37 locomotives

Fleet list

Liveries

WCR:West Coast Railway Company - All over Maroon with Yellow ends and WCRC branding.

Pool code

AWCA:West Coast railway company operational diesel locos

Number	Livery	Pool	Name	Status
37516	WCR	AWCA	Loch Laidon	Operational
37518	WCR	AWCA		Operational
37676	WCR	AWCA	Loch Rannoch	Being prepared for return to service
37668	WCR	AWCA		Operational
37669	WCR	AWCA		Operational
37685	WCR	AWCA	Loch Arkaig	Operational
37706	WCR	AWCA		Operational

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

Colas Rail

In 2014, Colas Rail purchased a number of class 37s from preservation. The following locos currently in service/under repairs are:

37025 (on loan from the Bo'ness and kinneil railway), 37057, 37099, 37116, 37175, 37219, 37254, 37421

Rail Operations Group

Rail Operations Group own a handful of Class 37s leased from Europhoenix:

Pool Code & Livery

GROG:Rail Operations Group, operational diesel locos
EPX: Europhoenix & Rail Ops branding +silver/grey colours with partial yellow ends.

Number	Livery	Pool	Name	Status
37601	EPX	GROG	Perseus	Operational
37608	EPX	GROG	Andromeda	Operational
37611	EPX	GROG	Pegasus	Operational
37800	EPX	GROG	Cassiopeia	Operational
37884	EPX	GROG	Cepheus	Operational

Two of these locos are relevant to Scotland: 37800 as well as 37884 see regular use on EMU drag duties for Scotrail in and out of Glasgow Works as well as Kilmarnock Wabtec Works. This is due to the fact they feature the appropriate coupler adapters for the easier movement of units.

Previous operators

DBS

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

They also seen use 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 were based at Toton, and when required in Scotland were usually moved north 'dead in train' on regular freight trains.

As of 2011, DBS no longer own any 37/4s. they are now with DRS.


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

Preservation

Scotland plays host to several 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. 37175 has now been sold to Colas Rail in 2014.

37025 at Boness

37097 at Brechin

37175 at Boness

37674 arrived on the Strathspey Railway in November 2021 in an operational state.

See Also

External Links

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