Class 37/5 to 37/9

• 37507 powers through Tipton with 6E28 Wolverhampton - Lackenby at 13:17 on Monday 1st May 1989. The mission on this day had been to photograph 37350 on the "Power to the Tower" tour as it went around Oxley Chord. That shot was bagged at 11:47, but on the way out we'd seen 507 in Wolverhampton Steel Terminal. The obvious move was therefore to take the local train back to Brum and stop off at Tipton for the platform-end shot of 6E28, a reliable Bank Holiday runner. As is often the way with these things the opportunistic shot turned out to be better than the planned one.
• Tuesday 1st May 2007 produced a 6Z37 Stoke Gifford - Ashford special, a stoneblower hauled by 37510. The train ran the long way round, via Cheltenham, Birmingham and the WCML, presumably for pathing or (more likely) route knowledge reasons. Having arrived early in the Birmingham area 6Z37 was held for its path at Water Orton West. It's seen here just about to pass under the M42 at 12:39. Another two trains with DRS 37 power ran through the West Midlands on this day: a Crewe - Oxley ECS with 37229, and the Bridgwater - Crewe flasks with 37038+37218.
• The rain had just cleared and the sun was re-appearing when this shot was taken at 17:06 on Wednesday 15th April 1992. It shows 37521 and 37162 taking the Walsall branch at Bescot with the 6V32 Albion - Waterston empty tanks. The Albion Oil depot was located in Oldbury on the Stour Valley line, a little way north of Sandwell & Dudley station. Trains propelled into the depot having arrived from the Wolverhampton direction, and the empties were obliged to depart southbound. When I was a lad these trains were routed via Hereford and Shrewsbury, and the empties had to return to Wolverhampton the long way round via Soho, Perry Barr and Portobello Jct, providing what was at the time the relatively uncommon sight of 37s at Bescot (not that we called them 37s then). However 6V32 is heading south via Sutton Park, Washwood Heath and the Lickey route.
• Twelve years on from the previous shot and 37521 is back at Bescot. Now painted in EWS livery it's seen here acting as the pilot loco in the Virtual Quarry on Saturday 20th March 2004. This job was booked for a Class 08, but the duty had just been abolished as part of the 2004 EWS shunter cull. Main-line locos were used for a while, but latterly the south end pilot tends to do the shunts. Trains are loaded here using the Caterpillar-tracked "grab" loader visible to the right of the engine. In this shot it's patting down the ballast to level it off. The sunshine makes it look like a pleasant spring afternoon, but there was a gale blowing sufficiently strongly that trees were being uprooted in the West Midlands. In fact all trains through Bescot were suspended when this photo was taken at 14:41, which was unfortunate as there was a Trent Valley diversion in progress at the time.
• 37602 and 37605 top-and-tail a 1Z14 Derby-Worcester-Oxford-Worcester Serco test train as it returns west through Charlbury at 14:44 on Monday 11th September. In railway terms Charlbury is probably most famous for being the home station of Sir Peter Parker when he was Chairman of the British Railways Board between 1976 and 1983, and there's a small plaque on the platform in his memory.
• 37609 and 37218 slow for the junction at Aston with a 4Z32 Carlisle - Daventry special working. The consist was a dead 66712 and a rather disappointing short rake of empty flats. The train was running via the Grand Junction route due to engineering work on the Trent Valley line. 66712 returned north that evening double-headed with 66710 on 4S49 Daventry - Grangemouth, also diverted via the Grand Junction. This shot was taken at 15:48 on Monday 5th May 2003.
• 37609 works a rather more prestigious duty in this photo. It leads the 1Z37 "Wedding Belle" private charter past Leaton at 17.07 on Saturday 2nd April 2005. This train was a circular tour from Crewe via Chester, Wrexham, Shrewsbury, Oxley and Stafford. 37606 was trailing on the rear of a lovely set of carriages.
• 37609 again, this time heading a 4Z10 Derby - Skipton Serco train as it takes the Stoke line at North Staffs Jct. 37611 was at the rear, and this shot was taken at 11:20 on Tuesday 28th February 2006. The number of these movements seems to increase almost by the day, only an hour earlier 31105 and 31602 had worked a similar train from Derby to Crewe.
• 37612 passes Hamstead at 12:04 on Monday 2nd October 2006 with a 6Z65 Crewe - Kidderminster train conveying a Stoneblower. A similar train had been scheduled for the previous Friday but didn't run.
• 37669 climbs away from Ryecroft Jct with the 6G36 Bescot - Birch Coppice trip at 10:03 on Monday 14th February 2005. I was slightly surprised to see 669 out on this day as it had been in trouble the previous day, failing to work the ballast train to which it was allocated. G36 was running a bit late on this occasion, and that helped with the light which had been a bit erratic earlier on.
• What a nice morning this was. There was crisp bright sunshine on Monday 23rd February 2004, and I headed to Lea Marston to photograph 37682 on 6G36 Bescot - Birch Coppice. A Freightliner had derailed at Washwood Heath and no passenger trains were running between Birmingham and Tamworth, so freights to and from Walsall had the line to themselves. 37682 was eventually bagged at 09:50, but before it came I got word that 37674 was heading south with 6G32 Toton - Bescot. Normally it's touch-and-go whether a train like this will get routed via Whitacre Jct, or come down the main line through Lea Marston - but with no passenger trains around I was pretty confident it would come main-line. And it did, passing me at 10:29. So I was there for an hour, I saw two trains, and they were both 37s. Brilliant.
• 37676 climbs away from Walsall with the 6L78 Bescot - Parkeston tanks. This shot was taken at 17:55 on Sunday 25th June 1995. The Carless tanks came south from Longport on Saturday afternoon and were recessed at Bescot until the railway had finished its weekend gardening, which in those days was at tea-time on Sunday.
• 37694 coasts downhill through Leamore (Walsall) with the 6G55 Bloxwich - Bescot trip at 11:59 on Thursday 18th December 2003. Although the sun is as high as it will get on this day it's only just illuminating the southbound track in the shallow cutting near Green Lane - but at least it's casting quite a good 37-shaped shadow. Mixed wagon consists like this are mainly a thing of the past on the Bloxwich trip now, just like 37s in fact. The standard fare is now a uniform rake of VGA/VKAs.
• 37707 and 37801 pass Burton-on-Trent with 6M15 Toton - Round Oak at 10:33 on Monday 25th September 2000. The steel traffic on this flow emanated from the port of Boston. BYA wagons were still fairly new at this time and their distinctive shaped hoods meant that they were immediately nicknamed "Pigsheds" in my neck of the woods. The cloud to the north is somewhat deceptive because the following southbound trains also passed Burton in the sun on this morning: 60040 on the Burton - Bescot trip (10:27); 58045 on the Chaddesden - Bescot spoil empties (11:14); 60089 on the Kingsbury tanks (11:44); and 47849 on a Cross-Country passenger service (12:06). This selection shows that as recently as 2000 it was still possible to spend a morning at the lineside and drop something of interest. Not something you'd manage now.
• From the days when EWS 37s were used on RHTT trains, this is 37707 leading the Sunday 1Z96 Nantwich job back into Bescot at 13:30 on 24th October 2004. 37895 was the trailing loco. Both of these 37s were withdrawn from traffic at the end of the 2004 RHTT season, then briefly re-instated before being withdrawn again in January 2005. Four years on both are still rotting away at Bescot, awaiting their eventual disposal. 37707 started life as D6701; one of the very earliest Class 37s delivered new to Stratford in December 1960. It therefore lasted 44 years in traffic, and the way things are going it may still survive to see out its half-century.
• 37707 on the Nantwich job again, this time leading the train away from Bescot at 09:33 on Sunday 14th November 2004. Regular partner 37895 was still the trailing loco. I had planned to chase the train for further pics on this occasion, but a great swathe of dark cloud was blowing in from the north, visible to the left in this shot. Consequently I didn't bother in the end.
• 37712 storms away from Wednesbury with the 6V69 steel empties to Cardiff. This shot was taken at 18.46 on Tuesday 9th August 1988, in warm evening sunshine. The tight framing is by accident rather than design. I'd intended to take something like my standard shot for this location, but in the event I fired a bit early - probably over-excited by the sight of the clag. The original slide has the loco bang in the centre of the frame and to position it more favourably required a significant crop.
• 37717 blasts away from Brierley Hill with 6M40 Cardiff - Wednesbury at 08:23 on Thursday 30th August 1990, with 37293 banking at the rear. 6M40 was booked for a banking loco at this time, and the load on this occasion certainly merited one. On a still day the sound of Class 37s on full power would be audible for a good five minutes until they reached Dudley tunnel. Imagine living in the nearby houses and being treated to the sound of this every weekday morning while eating your breakfast. Fantastic while it lasted. This stretch of line is still open to serve Round Oak steel terminal, and pairs of 37s have occasionally been to Round Oak in recent years. Such workings would be very rare nowadays but the pairing of 37669 and 37670 made two visits in the spring of 2006 with trains from South Wales.
• 37718 climbs towards Golds Hill crossing with 6V43 Wednesbury - Margam at 09:00 on Tuesday 21st February 1989. This shot is a little mis-framed but I'm still quite fond of it. To the left is part of the forest of pylons emanating from Ocker Hill power station, and to the right are the spires of St Mary's and St Bart's churches in Wednesbury. During the late 1980s economic boom rail-borne steel traffic was particularly buoyant. Wednesbury had two trains from South Wales each weekday, in addition to a number of other services. The morning train was 6M40 from Cardiff, returning as 6V43 to Margam; and the afternoon train was 6M12 from Cardiff, returning as 6V69 to the same place.
• 37798 and 37707 draw up to signal SY288 at Water Orton with a 6P07 Wilnecote - Bescot engineers train. The time is 12:47 on Sunday 16th January 2005, and I've been more than a little fortunate to get this shot in the sun. The engineer's possession finished about 400 yards to the rear of this spot, just under the M42 motorway. When the train drew up there the sun had just gone behind a big black cloud. But the formalities took a couple of minutes, and SY288 was at red so the driver approached it slowly. All this meant that the sun had found another hole in the cloud by the time the locos reached me. In fact this was the third shot I managed to get off as the train drew to a stand. It consisted of 20+ fully loaded JNA wagons, and it stood here for 15 minutes before the signal came off for it. Incredibly, given that this was a Sunday, it was being held for two freight trains (not engineer's trains) heading towards Nuneaton. The 37s eventually departed at 13:03, arriving at Bescot at 14:20. Clearly neither of these locos had been properly cleaned since coming off spraying duties in the autumn, hence their filthy condition. Postscript: In the event this turned out to be the last working for both of these locos - and they were switched off, probably for the last time, when they reached Bescot. 37798 was moved to Margam for storage shortly afterwards, while 37707 was still stored at Bescot in November 2008.
• 37893 approaches Ryecroft Jct with 6P36 Burton - Bescot in this photo taken at 09:43 on Friday 27th February 2004.
• Same engine at the same location, just a few days later. The time was 10:24 on Tuesday 2nd March 2004, and on this occasion the train is a Chaddesden - Bescot conveying what looks to be sand. For some reason I badly mis-framed this shot and a big crop was required to produce this image. 37893 was also withdrawn from service in January 2005 and in early 2007 was still stored in Bescot Yard.
• 37893 is seen again a few days later - departing from Bescot with 6D44, the afternoon trip to Toton on Tuesday 2nd March 2004. The train was running a little late on this occasion, not leaving Bescot until 15:00. This was the day on which 37667 and 37674 were booked for 6V70 Cliffe Vale - St Blazey, but that didn't exactly go to plan. The V70 engines came back light from Stoke after a problem with their train. 37893 was therefore the consolation prize on a day which produced plenty of 37 activity in the West Midlands. 37893 had worked a Chaddesden trip in the morning; 37308 had worked the Burton trip (pic above) and then done a light-engine trip to Saltley and back; and 37047 worked the Bloxwich trip (but came back light). 37893 was taken out of traffic in the summer of 2004 and spent some time out of use at Bescot. It was subsequently re-instated for the autumn 2004 water-cannon trains, working off Wigan (see pics below). In December it was withdrawn again, only to be re-instated briefly in January 2005.
• For the first time Bescot had two water-cannon trains worked by top'n'tail 37s during the autumn of 2004. Unfortunately they mostly worked at night. Hence my visit to North Wales on Friday 8th October to have a go at one of Wigan's workings. The weather was fairly grim on the way up, but Conwy Bay was clear, so I found myself at Llanfairfechan for 4Z07 Wigan - Holyhead. 37893 and 37706 came past at 12:44, water jets on the go and the driver looking back to check something. 4Z07 didn't actually go all the way to Holyhead very often, and it didn't make it on this day. The turnback point was usually Gaerwen. 37893 is looking a bit grubby in this shot, and it's wonky horns are still in place (see previous picture).
• I made another trip to North Wales on Saturday 9th October. The weather forecast looked promising, and in addition to the regular Arriva 47 diagram there was a second 47 out on a footex, plus the water cannon. In the event there was a lot of cloud on the coast, but all four of the trains I was after came past in the sunshine. Two were close shaves, including the water cannon which belted through Abergele at 12:20 with 37893 and 37706 doing the honours again. It came so fast that I fired slightly later than planned, but I was fairly happy with the outcome. Once again it didn't go to Holyhead, turning short at Gaerwen instead.
• 37894 waits by the loading pad at Pontycymer while a mechanical shovel is used to load its train. The last pit in the Garw valley (Garw Colliery) was a little further north of this spot. It closed in 1985, and when this picture was taken in 1996 the railway went only as far north as the opencast disposal point in Pontycymer. I'd been to Pontycymer on Tuesday 16th July - a glorious day on which 37704 worked the trip which was then running on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. While photographing 37704 at Tondu one of the locals confirmed that the train was definitely running on Saturday 20th, and as the fine weather held out I decided to make a second visit, this time with a friend. The Garw trip ran in the afternoon, so at lunchtime we went to Barry to wait for it to move. 37894 was the loco, and when it left Barry we had time to beat it to Pencoed and then Pontyrhyl on the way out. This shot at Pontycymer was taken at about 14:45, and we also got shots at Pontyrhyl and Tondu on the return. A very pleasant day out.
• 37895 trails on the back of the 1Z96 Bescot - Shrewsbury - Nantwich water cannon as it returns south through Cosford on Sunday 24th October 2004. This picture was taken at 13:01 so it was pretty much on time. Although this train was booked to run to Nantwich the trailing crossover there is worked from a ground frame, so in practise 1Z96 went to Crewe to reverse. On this day the outbound working stood in the platform at Nantwich for about five minutes, for reasons that weren't obvious. I must admit to a little digital manipulation with this image. This shot is taken from Cosford station's westbound platform, and the up starter signal (a semaphore) stands behind 37895. It's not really in the optimum spot from a photographic viewpoint, and my attempt to minimize its nuisance value by shooting from a low angle and losing it behind the train didn't really work. So I let the clone stamp loose on it. Such are the joys of digital imaging.
• Another shot of 37895, this one taken earlier in 2004. At this time the Bescot - Birch Coppice trip was still a solid 37 turn, and had yet to become a job creation scheme for an underemployed Class 67. 37895 worked it on Monday 24th May 2004, and is seen here in the cutting near the Kingsbury Link industrial estate at 09:59.