DRS Class 37, 37601, was named Class 37 - 'Fifty' in a short ceremony in the rain at the Mid-Norfolk Railway on Saturday 25th September 2010.

thumbs Thanks Perry

Lovely shot Perry.  What's the history of the loco ?

Now for the daft question why is it class 37 50 what is the 50 for?

Brian

Could it be 50 years old……………….:roll::roll: ?  I've no idea when these long-lived beasts came into service.

It's the Golden Jubilee of the Class 37 this year. See the Mid-Norfolk Railway link at:

http://www.mnr.org.uk/events/jubilee/


Perry

37 601 was built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry, being released to traffic in January 1961 as D6705 in BR Green and was allocated at March depot after acceptance testing.

The train heating boiler was removed during 1969 and in February 1974 it was renumbered 37 005.  By this time it had been painted in the greatest livery of all time, BR Blue.

After working all over the north and east of the country it was refurbished as part of the 1980s program to update the locomotives, which included dual braking, general overhaul and replacing generators with alternators and was then released as 37 501 and painted in a special British Steel light blue livery.  Final release to traffic was in the Spring of 1986.

After working in the Cardiff and Thornaby areas on steel related traffic during 1994 it was called in for further conversion work, this time to enable it to power the European Passenger Services night sleepers throughout the UK.  Now renumbered 37 601, these services ended up being cancelled before they even started and the highly-expensive coaching stock was sold off at knock-down prices to other countries having never been used.  This is what happens when politicians try and run railway services, but better not get me started on that…

The 37s were modified again, this time to work in pairs with barrier wagons to rescue dead Eurostars.

By 2007 it was decided there was no need for such a fleet and DRS bought the loco and modified it further for use on Nuclear Flask traffic.  The locomotive is still owned by DRS and used by them as required.

 

As a complete know-nothing about these things, I find it incredible that a loco has all that history and looks brand new from the factory.
Must use a good quality polish on those panels.

Thanks for the history Chris. :cheers  It's certainly a great history - shame about the "blue bit" !!!!

Whilst I realise they don't come close to my lovely steam locos (what could ?) but are the 37's the longest serving diesel ?

Class 20s are longer serving, and if you include shunters then the humble Class 08 has to be the oldest of all.

It can't have been many years since the 20's went out of service. This pair were photographed at Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, in mid-December 2006.




The Mid-Norfolk Railway still run one.

http://www.mnr.org.uk/stock/locos/d8069/

Perry

I wasn't including shunters Chris…………….I don't consider them "real" locomotives - a bit like those shunting tractors that load and unload trailers at ferry terminals.

It's strange but, whilst I know the Class 20's were incredibly successful machines, I never liked them.  They seemed a bit like a box on wheels and totally lacking any thought about design.  Do they have to be "boxy" to be successful ?

Class 20s are still in service today to the best of my knowledge, although only a handful are now left.

The finish available today with two-pack paint is amazing and very durable.  Some items of rolling stock are covered in vinyl stickers instead which looks great when new but doesn't last in tip-top condition (witness the class 319 units on the "Thameslink" route). 

I can't help thinking that this is a naming for the sake of one.  Nameplates are very far from cheap but what on Earth does "Class 37 - Fifty" mean?  Is it the fiftieth of the class for example?  The average person observing the locomotive is not a rail enthusiast and doesn't really care how old the loco is so long as it works.

The application of a name used to be a mark of distinction.  Locomotives were named after well-known people, places and the like.  I can even understand that locomotives might be named as part of a corporate deal with (usually freight) customers.

It's fine to respect the length of service of a type but why not "Class 37 - Fifty years of service"?  It's more meaningful to the average Joe.  And why hide the plate in an obscure corner of the loco when it has much more impact placed centrally on the body panels or even beneath the cab window?


"Ark Royal - Warship Class", "3rd Carabinier", "King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry" or "66 Squadron" all mean something even if the names may not mean a lot to younger generations.  "Class 37 - Fifty" somehow doesn't.


Rant over!

I agree Rick - it means nothing but as you rightly say about the cost, adding the "in service" may well have brocken the bank.

Regarding the placing of the plaque - maybe DRS wouldn't have been too pleased if it had been in the middle plus, looking at the overall paint job, it would have been lost in the multi-colour splurge.
Whatever happened to that lovely overall green paint job they used in the good old days ?:cheers

[user=316]Gwiwer[/user] wrote:

……………….It's fine to respect the length of service of a type but why not "Class 37 - Fifty years of service"?  It's more meaningful to the average Joe.  And why hide the plate in an obscure corner of the loco when it has much more impact placed centrally on the body panels or even beneath the cab window?……….

Perhaps, like with newspaper classified ads, they have to pay by the number of words! :cool wink

I have no idea why this ceremony was set up, and I also found the location of the plate a bit weird.

As far as Class 20's are concerned, I rather like their boxy, rather brutish appearance. I plan on having one on my layout in the fullness of time.

Perry

As far as Class 20's are concerned, I rather like their boxy, rather brutish appearance. I plan on having one on my layout

You might need two, Perry, as they usually seem to go about in pairs.  One to pull the train and the other to pull the first loco along.  Not that they're under-powered at all ………

[user=17]Perry[/user] wrote:

……………………………………………………………….As far as Class 20's are concerned, I rather like their boxy, rather brutish appearance. I plan on having one on my layout in the fullness of time.

Perry

If I had one Perry, you could willingly have mine………………………..:cheers

[user=316]Gwiwer[/user] wrote:

As far as Class 20's are concerned, I rather like their boxy, rather brutish appearance. I plan on having one on my layout

You might need two, Perry, as they usually seem to go about in pairs.  One to pull the train and the other to pull the first loco along.  Not that they're under-powered at all ………

Am I perhaps detecting a slight undercurrent of not liking 20's - or is it just diesels in general? :cool wink

Perry

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

[user=17]Perry[/user] wrote:

……………………………………………………………….As far as Class 20's are concerned, I rather like their boxy, rather brutish appearance. I plan on having one on my layout in the fullness of time.

Perry

If I had one Perry, you could willingly have mine………………………..:cheers

How kind! :cheers

Perry