I had a couple of spare hours between household and gardening duties on Wednesday 11 April 2007 and decided to pop over to Hatton North Junction. I anticipated seeing 4 freights, including 4M55 with 57004 in charge. I knew this was running late so arrived with a likely wait of about 30 minutes. I had already made up my mind to take my pictures from the footbridge rather than in the field and this proved to be a good choice. Within a couple of minutes of arriving I heard an old-fashioned squeaky horn and looked around to see 37406 coming under the Shrewley Road bridge. It was later reported that the train was the retimed 6O12 11.36 from Bescot to Didcot which was unable to run in its normal path because of the lack of a crew. The locomotive returned with 6M65 from Didcot but didn't apparently pass Hatton until 20.50, probably as a result of the signalling problems in the area.
I'm not a huge fan of railtours and tend not to go far for one. However a pair of EPS 37s, which one report I have read suggest may be be transferred to DRS and thus repainted, were rostered from Didcot for a Pathfinder tour from Southampton to York on Bank Holiday Monday, 7 May 2007 and as the weather was a bit on the dull side I was able to take a shot at Hatton North Junction. If had been sunny I should have had to have gone north of Birmingham as the sun between Leamington Spa and Birmingham would have been completely wrong. Here are 37603 + 37604 just about topping the 1/100 climb of Hatton Bank in quite misty and drizzly conditions. The load was increased by the weight of 47805 dead-in train at the rear - the locomotive that led the train from Southampton - and the extra weight was reflected in the speed of 1Z37, not to mention the exhaust noise of the tractors. Thankfully, a combination of the weather and the stock rostering put paid to simian behaviour by any of the participants.
This photograph was taken on 13 April 1997 at Croome Perry, often erroneously called Besford, during the afternoon of 13 April 1997. It shows 37717 with 6V14, the 08.35 Hull Saltend to Baglan Bay empty acetic acid tanks. This location wasn't really all that well-known, except by locals, at that time and the vegetation in the foreground was intact and made an attractive frame. It was noticeable that after a picture of a Deltic taken here was published it suddenly became more popular and the inevitable result was that a lot of undergrowth was removed by those who wanted to take their pictures at almost a right angle to the track regardless of the poor composition that this entailed.
A stock move from Bescot to Long Marston was planned for Tuesday 12 June 2007, but this was put back for a week and ran on 19 June. The motive power was 37410, which must arrived have very recently arrrived at Bescot as I had seen no reports on any email lists that it was there. The locomotive had no effect on my decision to photograph the train as I would have gone out regardless of whatever was on the front because of the booked consist which made the train look like a real old-fashioned pick-up freight. 6Z80 was booked to leave Worcester at 09.03 which is really about an hour early for the best of the light on the Cotswold Line as the sun is plumb on the front at that time. Fortunately, there was some high cloud around and this softened the light and avoided the harsh shadows that would otherwise have been present. I chose to go to Fladbury and the train is here seen passing the site of the long-closed station.
I wasn't sure whether I would make it to Long Marston before 6Z80 arrived because of roadworks around the village. In the event, I ignored the "Road Closed" signs as there was clearly nothing happening, and this, coupled with a late-running down passenger train, meant there was no problem. 37410 came into view on the branch at around 10.10 and arrived at the road bridge just one minute later. As far as I know, this is the first EWS red class 37 to have used the branch from Honeybourne for some years and is first of the 37/4 sub-class since 37418 did a Long Marston to Didcot on 15 October 2001. Apart from the colour of the locomotive, this could easily have been the trip freight from Worcester which ran here up until the early 1990s. Click on this hyperlink to have a closer look at the train's consist. I was slightly surprised to have been alone here for the arrival of 6Z80 and would have thought, given the popularity of 37s these days, even when doing a light engine trip, that one or two others would have been present. A few local friends did arrive shortly afterwards who had been a little further down the branch at a foot crossing. Thanks to Ron Kosys for the information about 37418 in 2001.
There wasn't a lot of time wasted getting 37410 uncoupled from the stock and it was soon making its way back along the branch to Honeybourne to await a path back to Worcester and thence Bescot. It's a shame there wasn't a trainload to come out on such a sunny morning, although the light would have made it a slightly difficult proposition on the branch and the main line at this time of day. The gate is already being shut by one of Motorail Logistics' staff who will return to the headquarters in the background on HNRC 0-6-0 No. 12082, which was stabled just out of sight.
In 1987 there were several Speedlink Coal Network (SCN) workings around the Birmingham area conveying household coal for domestic use. A regular flow was that from Washwood heath to Didcot and an example of this is here seen behind 37691 on the evening of 4 August of that year. I think this may have been an additional or late-running working as I don't recall seeing it on any other occasion. The location is the 3 arch bridge a few hundred yards south of Hatton station, which was quite a busy location at that time. This shot is still possible but undergrowth on the cutting sides has made it a tighter shot. This shot was taken on Kodachrome 64 and at the time, Kodak were having processing problems the result of which is the very poor quality especially evident in the sky. Shortly after this date I switched to the much superior (in my opinion) Fuji 100 in its various evolutions, a film with which I stuck until I started using digital equipment.
Not all of the Cotswold Line, from Worcester to Oxford, runs through verdant countryside. There are pockets of industry such as can be found at Chipping Campden and here is a SERCO train on 12 March 2007 passing some of the buildings associated with Campden Reseaarch Ltd. The train, running as 1Z14 09.56 Derby RTC to Oxford and Worcester was in the charge of 37608 and 37607 and was photographed shortly after passing the site of Chipping Campden station spot on time at 12.54. The station lay on a about a mile of level track at the summit of a 1/100 climb from Honeybourne and the start of a gentle descent to Oxford which covers around 30 miles. In steam days, the frequent freight trains on the then double track were usually banked from Honeybourne to Chipping Campden. Passengers trains didn't usually need assistance as the loadings were kept within the class limits for the various locomotives. GWR Castles were the largest express locomotives used on the line and those shedded at Worcester were renowned for their clean condition right to the end of steam. Hymeks replaced most of the steam by the mid-1960s, which in turn gave way to class 47s and latterly class 50s on the Paddington to Hereford runs. Locomotives were phased out in favour of HSTs and currently, most train are formed of class 180 Adelanti although Thames Turbos do appear from time to time.
In the summer timetable of 1989 there were several trains to and from Paignton booked for class 31/4 haulage. One of these was the Paignton to Liverpool and on 3 June of that year I was waiting near Stoke Works Junction, Bromsgrove to photograph this train. It was quite late and when it appeared the reason was apparent - the brakes on 31446 were stuck on and flames were coming from the trailing bogie. There was no way this would be allowed any near the Lickey incline so a quick trip round to Bromsgrove station was made. Sure enough, the train had been looped and   31424 + 31446 were in the process of being taken off - note the smoke and haze from the 2nd locomotive's rear bogie. The Lickey bankers, 37223 + 37242 were, of course, on site and they were soon tied onto the stock and took the train forward, to the delight of any bashers on board. The scene at Bromsgrove has dramatically changed in the intervening years; the oil depot has gone and a second platform has been built to avoid an awkward crossing movement for down local trains.
Here's a busy scene near Stenson Junction, north of Burton-upon-Trent, on 2 September 1994. 37098 is standing at the signal waiting to turn right onto the Castle Donnington line with its Bardon Hill to Healey Mills ballast train whilst 37886 powers south down the main line with 6V14, the MWFO Hull Saltend to Baglan Bay empty acetic acid tanks. Note the scrap wagons tagged onto the end of 6V14; these are probably heading to Cardiff. On the right is 58035 which has just left Willington power station with a rake of empty HAA hoppers.
Pathfinder Railtours ran a special train, The Bard 'n Birch, from Bristol to the Birch Coppice Branch, Stratford-upon-Avon and Quainton Road on 17 February 2007. The original idea was to have DRS 37s on this train, but in the event 37425 and 37411 were brought out of retirement and performed faultlessly after a trial run the previous night on a tank train from Westerleigh to Margam. It was a particularly dull and misty morning in Stratford, so I shelved my plans to chase around for three or four shots and settled on a five minute walk from my home to picture the train arriving at the station so as to have something solid in the background rather than just a bank of mist. The train was double-headed as far as Birch Coppice, but the locomotives were then split for the run to and from Stratford-upon-Avon to avoid the hassle of running round here, at Oxford and Princes Risborough. Here is 37425 leading the ensemble into Stratford, pictured from the Alcester Road bridge.
Passengers on the Bard 'n Birch were given an hour break at Stratford-upon-Avon and from what I could see made full use of a nearby fish and chip shop! After departure, 37411 led away form the town and is here seen leaving the Stratford branch at Hatton South Junction. There is evidence of re-signalling work on the trackside and this caused a 40-odd minute delay. The train was apparently too long and occupied two track circuits, meaning that the four sets of points had to operated and locked by a Network Rail man sent by van. If this is not a temporary problem whilst the work is ongoing, then Network Rail have made a bit of a silly mistake as locomotive-hauled trains to Stratford-upon-Avon are not all that unusual. This was as far as I went for the tour in view of the poor light. I have photographs of "real" trains on all the other lines visited and was happy to obtain no more than a few record shots on my local patch. I sort of dislike photographing popular railtours because of the number of bodies at the decent locations and the accompanying name dropping and general "bull".
After the delay mentioned above, the train now running as 1Z38 was given the road and 37411 moved it forward over the points onto the up main line. I took this picture only to have a record of a class 37 in the Stratford Branch platform at Hatton which, after all, is not an everyday occurrence. The station here is is rather messy, but that, to me, inceases the appeal of a photograph. When the area was manually signalled there was a box on the platform together with a canopy on each side for passengers' shelter and these made the framing of pictures more difficult than today. The challenge has simply changed over the years and when I look back over my pictures from the past 25 or so years it is interesting to see what impact the changes have had on how photographs can be taken. There were more photographers around Hatton station for this working than I have ever seen before. Passers-by would have assumed that a steam train was on the way...
6M67, the Bridgwater - Crewe nuclear flask train was running in the region of an hour early on 2 November 2007 when it came north past Defford in Worcestershire, passing Defford at 13.38 behind 37510 + 37194. I can't admit to getting fired up by these very short trains, despite the in-vogue motive power, but a bit of variety is OK on a sunny afternoon I suppose...
The perfect morning of 12 April 2003 saw 37698 + 37712 tackling the 1/37 climb from Bromsgrove up to Blackwell with Pathfinder's 1Z37 Reading to Knowsley, The Wizard Express. Whilst the Lickey is a great spot for video and audio entertainment in general, it is pretty poor for still photography, being almost featureless. This shot, taken from a public footpath near Vigo, exemplifies the lack of any interesting features. The video recording I took at the same time is a different matter with the two locomotives being worked at full power and being audible for long after they had gone out of shot.
The regular SERCO train was around again during the week of 12 October being scheduled on that day to run from Westbury to Eastleigh, but in the event this leg was cancelled and it ran back to Derby via Didcot, Oxford, Hatton and Birmingham. As I was on the scene I stayed out for the train, which is here seen at Hatton North Junction top-and-tailed by scruffy 37602 and slightly smarter 37611, not that the latter is visible.
37425 was around Didcot for several days in June 2003 and was predictably used to the fullest extent by the local crews. Its last working in the area was on 6M65, the Didcot to Carlisle service on 16 June, which the tractor worked as far as Bescot. The train was already on the way when I received the news so had to make do with the closest location to home, Hatton station. I should like to have taken the picture at Hatton North Junction but would not have had the time for the walk. With only a light load of two vans and some flats in tow, there wasn't a lot of noise, or indeed warning of the train's approach so this turned out to be very much a grab shot.
One of several freights no longer running on the line through Hatton is 6O72, the Wolverhampton to Hoo Junction empty steel train. By the date of this photograph, 23 May 2002, the motive power was usually a class 66, although occasionally a 60 and very rarely a 37. For it to be rostered a pair of tractors was most unusual so when 37109 + 37248 were reported on the overnight loaded run from Hoo it was uncertain whether they would stick to diagram and return south. Fortunately, the Bescot driver booked on the turn is an enthusiast and asked for the locomotives to stay on. Here is 6O72 passing Hatton West Junction with much horn blowing.
On 21 June 2002 celebrity 47, 47840 failed while on route to Bristol. Fortunately, DRS was running a road learning job at the time with 37606 and the blue tractor was requisitioned to rescue the errant Virgin loco. It is pictured here at Defford with the return 1S93 with the dead 47840 partially visible on the back on the train.
Another shot from Defford is this taken during the evening of 11 August 2002. 37521 + 37114 were booked to work a Cardiff to Liverpool footex, which turned into an ad-hoc railtour. I nearly didn't go out for this at all because the weather at home was dreadful and picked up just the Mamiya 645 containing black and white film. My wife said, "Why not take the one with colour - you never know?", so I grabbed my OM1 and drove off. As you can see, the black clouds blew away just in time...
New   Class 37s looked excellent in the Loadhaul livery as demonstrated by this picture of 37517 with 6G78 Toton to Bescot at Whitacre Junction on 12 August 2003. This shot was taken before the roadbridge was replaced with a new one with much higher parapets making photography here much less comfortable, as steps are required to see anything at all. The nanny states' favourite, pallisade fencing has also been liberally applied although careful framing can avoid most of it.
New   In the days when the weedkilling train was locomotive-hauled I always hoped 1) that one of the Stratford-upon-Avon signalmen would remember to tell me about it, and 2) that the morning of the annual visit would be sunny. The normal arrival time at the terminus was around 05.45 so that the station area could be sprayed before the first passenger train to Birmingham left at 06.20. On 6 June 1984 one of the regular bobbies was on holiday in Australia and although the other regular man told me about the working, the relief signalman forgot about it and arrived late. I had been waiting by the box and could hear the bell ringing as the occupant of Bearley box tried to obtain the road for the train standing at his starter signal. The signalman arrived at his normal time and set to work by allowing 37164 and its vintage-looking train into the section. Here it is crossing from platform 1 to the up main photographed from the air raid shelter - a large concrete pipe covered with turf. If one stood on this spot today, albeit aided by levitation as the shelter has gone, the scene would be completely unrecognisable.
New   This photograph was taken from the westernmost end of the closed platform of Manchester Exchange station on 27 February 1986 and shows 37122 with some containers presumably from a refuse collection centre passing Deal Street signalbox. I always liked the industrial background to this area and tried to show it to best advantage on my visits here.
New   This picture was taken on 11 March 1993 and shows 37003 passing the station building at Moira, on the Coalville line. The train is the morning Bardon Hill to Doncaster ballast working. At Bardon Hill itself, the usual industrial shunter was out of use and 09104 had been hired-in to cover the shortage. Use   this hyperlink to see the 09 crossing the A50 road after collecting the empty hoppers from the exchange sidings, and   this one taken an hour or so later when they had been loaded and were on the way back to the main line.
New   In the middle 1980s, I used to visit Bescot quite frequently because of the variety of motive power then on offer. Class 37s were so common that a number of enthusiasts ignored them but I have always believed that one should take photographs of anything that moves, on the basis that nothing stays the same and at some not too distant future point it will have gone. Here is 37124 passing the station with a short steel train from the Walsall direction. I imagine that this was heading to Wolverhampton steel terminal; the circuitous routing being necessary because the junction with the main line is not accessible from the north. Note the plate above the drawhook; the lettering "HST" shows that this was one of the locomotives modified to make it suitable for hauling HSTs as and when necessary.
New   In the early 1990s class 37s found employment on a number of freightliner services between Crewe, Birmingham and Southampton. This picture shows 37185 + 37218 just north of Lapworth on 17 December 1992 with a very short Southampton to Crewe Basford Hall train. I was in the area and drove to a few bridges in the locality really just to have a look for any decent locations when this train appeared. At the time of day at which the picture was taken, just after midday, the sun was just a bit too straight into the lens for a good photograph, but at least the exhaust smoke shows up well...
New   Here is another shot of a pair of 37s on a freightliner train, this time a Lawley Street to Southampton working. It is seen approaching a signal check at Leamington Spa behind 37298 + 37238 on 9 March 1993. It was far from uncommon for freights to be checked here in order for a cross-country passenger to pass and on this occasion, 47810 came from the Coventry line, stopped in the platform and then went on south towards Poole.
New   To complete the story started with the shot of 37298 + 37238 in the picture above, here is 47810 passing the freightliner at Leamington Spa as it recommences its journey to Poole. 47810 is, at the beginning of 2007, still active within the Cotswold Rail fleet carrying the Virgin Trains red livery. I make no apology for including another shot in this location as I do like to show some trains in an identifiable setting. It is, of course, only possible to take this sort of passing shot in a station environment and I never regret having spent some time here in order to obtain these photographs.
New   The Longbridge to Cowley vans was one of the longest non-MGR trains to traverse the line between Birmingham and Oxford, regularly conveying load 23. The motive power was variable, seemingly being anything handy at Saltley at the right time, but I rarely saw a class 37 in charge. However, 37265 complete with Highland Terrier motif was used on 30 July 1985 and it is here seen accelerating out of "the dip" and towards Leamington Spa station. The heavy load made the locomotive work hard up the climb to Whitnash and I can still remember standing there listening to the racket as the train climbed the bank. One often reads today that 37s produce "top thrash" on the Mickey Mouse SERCO trains. Believe me, they don't when compared to a proper train!
Here is one of the re-engined class 37/9 locomotives, 37902, at Whitacre Junction on 13 May 1992. The first section of the train was a rake of scrap wagons from March heading for Margam in South Wales. The vans at the back of the train are more of a mystery and I suspect that these were added somewhere en-route. As always, I'd be pleased to here any additional informatiion via the "Contact" link on my index page. Added 16/02/2006. It is likely that these vans are empty VCAs returning from the Metal Box factory at Wisbech to the British Steel tinplate plant at Trostre, Llanelli. This traffic was the basis of one of the earliest Air-Braked Network freights, even before the start of Speedlink, and by the time the photo was taken was running as a dedicated 'Metals' sector train. Thanks for Brian Williams for this information. 645
One of the first locomotives adorned with a corporate livery was 37501, which received the light blue house colours of British Steel, latterly Corus. The locomotive is seen here passing Washwood Heath No. 5 signalbox in the company of sister loco 37502 with a lightweight Cardiff to Scunthorpe empty steel train. The date of this photograph is 14 May 1988 - the last Saturday of class 31s on Birmingham to Norwich services. The light did not get any better than very hazy all day, but as this is my only even half-decent picture of 37501 in this livery...645
Every couple of weeks the NMT HST runs on Friday afternoon from Swansea to Derby. On 28 July the scheduled run, 1Z94, was in the hands of DRS class 37s, 37607 and 37612 as the NMT power cars were unavailable. I had mixed feelings about this, as although the colour contrast between the blue and yellow locomotives and stock is attractive, I haven't, through various circumstances, managed to get a decent shot of the full HST on this working. Still, I expect that an opportunity will present itself before the nights start to draw in again. Whilst most of the afternoon had seen unbroken sun, at around 17.00 quite a bit of cloud began, as usual, to spill off the Malvern Hills a few miles to the north west. A large patch had just cleared as 1Z94 came into view, much to the relief of the small gallery.
In recent years the SERCO test train has made regular runs over the Cotswold Line between Worcester and Oxford. Today, 11 September 2006, it was powered by DRS class 37s, 37602 and 37605. Here is the return working from Oxford to Worcester passing the site of Wyre Halt in the village of Wyre Piddle, near Pershore. In the middle background are the villages of Lower Moor and Fladbury with the limestone escarpment of the Cotswold Hills being visible through the afternoon haze. The patchwork of fields is typical of the Vale of Evesham, with many market gardens and smallholdings being in evidence. There is also free fruit in abundance and I spent a pleasant hour picking blackberries from the hedgerows around Lower Moor. There were some brownie points from Mrs T. then......
The SERCO train, 1Z14, was booked to run from Derby to Oxford via Worcester and then back to Worcester on 27 November 2006. I haven't really taken the photograph of this train I wanted over the past couple of years so hoped that this run would be different. It was the train I wanted and didn't much care what the motive power was but it turned up, as usual, with DRS 37s, this time 37610 + 37607. Strangely for a class 37 job, I saw no postings until it reached Norton Junction, only about 10 minutes from where I was waiting, just north of Evesham station. The train appeared in the distance and absolutely crawled towards the signal box, just as a very large and dark bank of cloud was racing towards the sun. Luckily, it all worked out fine for once...
The arrangements for the single lines from Norton Junction to Evesham and from Evesham to Moreton in Marsh have recently been changed meaning that a token exchange at the signal box at Evesham is no longer necessary. The train therefore crawled along, still in sun, to get into the up platform at the station to await the passage of a northbound passenger service from Paddington. Here it is edging forward past some rather untidy clutter in the small yard.
Before the token arrangements were changed at Evesham, it was possible to take a long lens off the camera after a shot by the 'box and replace it with something wider to obtain a shot of the train passing the forlorn-looking signal gantry with its one remaining arm. Now that the train doesn't need to stop at the signal box there isn't time to do the lens swap, so I took both cameras armed with the appropriate lenses in order to get this final image. I can never decide which of the options I prefer so have uploaded all three, this third view showing the rapidly approaching dark sky somewhat better than those taken with a longer lens.
4L46 Ditton to Purfleet has been one of the "must-have" trains for many enthusiasts since Easter 2006, except for me, as I hadn't even seen the train until today. For most, the locomotives have been the only point of interest about the working - class 37, despite having been in service for around 40 years seems to have an almost slavacious following. I don't often bother with them now, but as today's working with 37059 + 37069 was reported as being the final run, I decided to swallow my principles and have a pop at it. It is seen here, as poorly loaded as normal, crossing to the up slow at Tamworth Low Level heading, no doubt, towards a bevy of cameras further up the WCML.
Class 37s 37669 + 37670 have been quite active in the weeks since reinstatement. Today, 4 April 2006, saw them on a longish run from Margam to Round Oak when they were diagrammed for 6M41. This train is booked at Abbotswood Junction at 16.45, making it a conveniently respectable time for an early departure from work. It is seen here approaching the junction at 16.54, having made up some time from being around 30 minutes late earlier in the afternoon. What a pity it couldn't have been just a couple of minutes later, when the sun would have been fully out...
The empty coaching stock from a railtour from Rugby to Whitby and return to Coventry ran from the latter location to Old Oak Common on Sunday 30 April 2006. The locomotives from the tour, 37419 + 37425, were booked to do the job. I remembered that I hadn't bothered to go out and get a picture of 37425 since repainting so thought, as it was so close to home, that I'd better make the effort. 37419 was also reported as being a candidate for storage after the run and this was the final incentive I needed. The weather was a bit on the dull side which is displayed in this picture of 5Z46 climbing the bank away from Leamington Spa station.
New   On 6 May 1989 the Growler Group ran a railtour from Wolverhampton to South Wales, where several colliery lines, including the threatened branch to Tower, were traversed with the help of 37702 added to the rear at Radyr. The train is seen here passing Longbridge behind 37355 after running from its starting point via Bescot, New Street, St. Andrews Junction and the Camp Hill freight line. 645
One of my favourite lines in the Midlands is that running from Stenson Junction, between Burton-on-Trent and Derby and Sheet Stores Junction near Toton. In 1993 it carried quite a variety of traffic and it was usual to see representatives of classes 31, 37, 47, 56, 58 and latterly 60 on a daily basis. This picture shows 37515 with a heavy ballast train from Stud Farm en-route to Healey Mills. This train was often 47-hauled so it was good to see and hear a heavyweight tractor on 25 October 1993.
In 1993 class 37s were still an everyday sight in South Wales and were so commonplace that one tended only to photograph them in good conditions. Here, on 18 November, is 37191 about to propel a short ballast train from, I guess, Machen quarry into the yard at East Usk near Newport. The so-called "Dutch" livery wasn't one of my favourites, but it did suit 37s slightly better than 33s and 56s.
Looking the other way from the shot above, but on the same day, this is 37802 heading west with a rake of hooded MGR hoppers. This train of empties had originated at Llanwern steelworks, visible in the background. It was fascinating to see, on occasions, great gouts of flame coming from the convertors at the steelworks. This must have been even better in the dark. The semaphore signal in the middle ground protects the exit from the Uskmouth branch. At this time there was but one trip each to and from the Orb steelworks, but in 2006 it is somewhat busier with several trains on some days going to the reopened power station.
Stud Farm quarry on the Coalville line provides a great deal of the railway ballast used in the Midlands. In 1995, class 37s were the primary motive power used here and here is 37051 leaving the loader with a long rake of hoppers bound for Northampton. This locomotive was one of the later survivors of the class in general use. 645
37308 was repainted into BR blue and immediately becams something of celebrity. The loco is seen here at Whitacre Junction on 14 August 2003 with 4P15 Daventry to Hams Hall intermodal flat move. I was "round the corner" at Lea Marston when a call to one of assembled gallery announced this move. A mass exodus naturally took place and we all arrived in time to get this shot. 37308 was indentifiable not only by its paintwork, but by a loud whine which came presumably from one of the traction motors. 645
An earlier picture from Whitacre Junction is this one taken on 13 May 1992. It shows 37213 passing the junction with a rake of HTAs from Daw Mill colliery which is en-route to Gobowen. In my opinion, the coal sector markings were the most attractive of the sub-sector decals and suited 37s especially well. 645
This picture, and the one below are from my one and only trip to the Barnetby area. Here are 37106+37381 in matching metals sub-sector colours with a load of imported iron ore heading for the steelworks at Scunthorpe on 13 January 1990.645
I couldn't decide if I preferred this picture at New Barnetby or the one above, so as the locomotives are in different liveries and have different front ends, I opted to upload both. This one is of 37377+37225 with another load of iron ore.645
On 18 June 2005 a Pathfinder Railtours train ran from Sheffield to Pwllheli behind 37406. Actually, it should have run to Pwllheli but ended up in Blackpool for reasons far too tedious to list here. [A full description of the travails suffered by the punters on 1Z56 can be found by clicking this link and navigating via the Railtour Files to 18/6/2005  Six Bells Junction]. The multi-coloured train is here seen passing Kingsbury just a little late in poor light.
The Hallen Marsh (Bristol) to Immingham train of fertiliser vans was a regular Saturday morning runner until the early 1990s. The motive power was usually a class 47 by this time, 45s having been displaced a few years earlier, but on the frosty morning of 3 November 1990, 37359 was provided. The ensemble is seen here, just catching the low winter sun, passing the now-closed Rover factory at Longbridge in the West Midlands. The scene here has been transformed by the erection of overhead catenary used by the Redditch to Lichfield Cross City services.
This is a train that nearly escaped through the net. 37612+37606 were on a 4Z10 St.Phillips Marsh to Derby RTC. No advance postings appeared until my BlackBerry beeped at 12.35 to say that the train had just passed Aynho Junction. A bit of indecision followed, because of 1) the awful light and 2) not knowing what was the booked route from Leamington Spa. Guessing that it would be heading back to Derby meant that a quick drive to the nearest spot was in order, where it appeared at 13.14, right behind the Chiltern service to Stratford-upon-Avon. The light was even worse than at home but 400asa, 1/1000 at f2 produced a reasonable image after a bit of post processing. Thanks to the gen posters and those with access to certain computer systems for the requisite information.
I am not a great fan of the static shot, but now and again one comes along which asks to be taken. 37042 is seen here stabled at Didcot along with 37897, 60099 and 66052. It was remarkable that 37042 survuved as long as it did; no doubt this was due to it being fitted with RETB which allowed its use on ballast and special trains on the Cambrian line. 645
Locomotive-hauled trains are not all that common on the Cotswold line and a working that is always worth looking out for is the regular SERCO test train. This picture of 37372 and 37674 was taken on Monday 16 February 2004 near Pershore. Class 37s were in use because the next stage of the diagram starting the following day involved a trip to West Wales where heavier locos, including the class 67s now almost solid power for the SERCO train, are banned. A working earlier this year saw 67s in use on the Monday on the Derby - Oxford - Worcester section, but these were replaced with 47s for the rest of week, including West Wales. 645
I was at work on the morning of 15 February 2001 when a signalman friend rang to say that 37799 had earlier taken a trainload of cars to Southampton and would be coming north on the early afternoon 6M49. As it was a beautiful day, I awarded myself the afternoon off for good behaviour and decided on Hatton North Junction as a suitable location. Not only did 37799 appear on cue, but I also photographed Loadhaul 60059 on the 6M01 from Hinksey to Stud Farm and 47334 in place of usual class 57 on the 4M55 Southampton to Lawley Street freightliner. The other two shots are in the appropriate sections of this site. The picture shows Hatton North Junction before remodelling and the removal of the boarded crossing in favour of a new footbridge. 645
Some golden late afternoon sunshine catches 37131 as it pauses at a signal check in Moreton Cutting, Didcot on 17 January 1989 with 6V32, the Speedlink Coal Network train from Chessington, a location long since taken off the freight map. 645
This is 37515 passing Tutbury & Hatton on the Uttoxeter line on 13 April 1995 with an additional working from Tees to Etruria. The shot was taken using a 210mm lens in order to compress the perspective and bring the interesting background into clearer view. Since the closure of the steelworks at Etruria, freight on this line has become rather patchy, which is a shame because there are some lovely locations all the way from North Staffordshire Junction to Stoke-on-Trent. This picture is slightly cropped for impact and you may find that a left click will improve it if you are viewing on a small monitor. 645
Much to my regret, I did not make many trips to the South Wales valleys. One of the few was to photograph 37412 on 10 May 1996 when it was unusually rostered to work to Pontycwmmer on the Blaengarw branch with a rake of HAAs to be filled and taken to Aberthaw Power Station. Here, the mechanical grab is at work filling the 2nd hopper with reclaimed coal from the former opencast site. 645
I couldn't decide whether I preferred the tighter shot of 37412 shown above or this wider view, so have included both. 645
37408+37411 at Croome Perry with a 6T95 09.30 Bescot - Newport ADJ train on Saturday 11 December 2004. The working was used to return the 2 ETH machines to South Wales for use on the Rhymney line. For once, the sun co-operated and the driver, somehow sensing that a video camera may have been waiting here for his train, gave the locos a handful of power as he came under the occupation bridge at the rear of the train. The sun had been in and out all morning and judging from reports on various mailing lists the 4 of us at Croome Perry were among very few who had the luck to photograph the train in this glorious winter light. 37411 is still in South Wales but has been repainted into a 1960s style green livery.
The summer of 2001 saw Freightliner experience some motive power shortages, especially on the routes to Southampton via the Midlands. Several trains were 37 hauled, some by EWS tractors and others by 37/6 ex - "Euro-Tractors". One of these I photographed was 37605 on the 4M55 Southampton to Lawley Street. I had been near Burton-on-Trent on 17 August 2001 and was nearly home when my 'phone rang. I pulled into a lay-by near Bearley to be told by a signalman friend that this huge working had just passed Banbury. A rapid turnaround and quick drive to the nearest available location found me at Hatton station. I just had time to set up my still and video cameras when the unmistakeable noise of a 37 being thrashed being audible. The train was not moving very rapidly given that it was towing some 1300 tonnes and the resulting video footage was rather tasty.
On 5 July 2001 the 4O27 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton had 37051 in charge and the train is pictured here climbing towards Harbury tunnel between Leamington Spa and Fenny Compton. This was not an especially good location for railway photography given the amount of intruding undergrowth, but at this time of day, 13.34 there isn't a lot of choice if the sun is shining. The trailing load was in excess of 1200 tonnes and the ruling gradient 1/187 following a speed restriction through Leamington Spa station. The train was travelling at little over walking pace and the noise was enormous. Yes, I do have the video evidence this time! 645
Another of these noisy workings ocurred on 7 September 2001 when 37605 again worked 4M55. I had more warning this time and went to another location on Hatton Bank with some video footage in mind. Once again, the train was audible for some time before it appeared and could be heard well beyond Hatton station as it passed the summit of the climb from Warwick.
For a change on 21 September 2001, 37605 worked a southbound liner, the 4O24 09.37 from Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton. It was originally booked to be on an earlier service, 4O14 which arrived in the sun behind a class 47. By the time this train passed Whitnash, near Leamington Spa, the sun had gone, but once again black & white film and video did what was necessary. Trains here face quite a stiff southbound climb from Leamington and have a speed restriction around the curves just beyond the station. This meant that the video footage was again the highlight of the morning's entertainment.
The final shot in this short sequence of 37-hauled freightliners is this of 37038 assisting 37605 on 4O27 11.13 Crewe Basford Hall to Southampton on 15 September 2001. The location is Harbury Cutting, a location again chosen mostly for the chance to get the train on videotape. The still shot wasn't too bad, except for the leading locomotive just missing the sun.
This train was one of those marvellous one-off opportunities that appear all too infrequently. I received a text message from a contact in South Wales during the afternoon of 19 August 2002 saying that a pair of tractors was heading for Didcot with 1350 tonnes of Welbeck Colliery's finest. An MGR to Didcot from Nottinghamshire was rare enough at this time but with 37s at the front....! I passed the "gen" on to some local contacts who promised to keep me updated and waited for news. Strangely, the train, running as 6Z88 ran via Leicester and Nuneaton rather than Burton thus catching a few out. The weather was dull in the extreme so I decided that video was the best bet and Whitnash the location to take advantage of the steep climb south of Leamington Spa. I heard 37695+37707 leave Leamington at 19.28 after a signal stop and took this shot 4 minutes later. The noise was tremendous and the video sequence is one of my all time favourites. I had to take the black & white rather earlier than I would have liked because a shutter speed of only 1/250 was available so the shot has had to be cropped slightly.
37350 was, in 1988, selected to receive green livery similar to that carried when the class was first introduced. The locomotive is seen heading through Kings Norton, Birmingham on 10 September 1988 with 1Z36 Reading to Middlesborough, which is overtaking a 3 car DMU on a local passenger service.. The train was routed along the GWR main line to Bristol Temple Meads and thence via via Gloucester to Birmingham. This scene has somewhat changed since this shot was taken with the advent of electrification on the Cross City line.645
The memorable Basingstoke Open Day, held on 26 September 1987, included a couple of local railtours using motive power rare for the area, at least on passenger trains. 37116 was used on several trips and this one is seen during the afternoon at Worting Junction while returning from Andover.645
This is a train upon which I had no intention of using my Saturday evening, until a signalman friend telephoned to say that GWR Hall 4936 had problems whilst returning from Didcot on its first public run from Tyseley and required assistance. Much to the disgust of most of the photographers waiting for the train on 17 June 2000 and to my enormous delight, 37668 was provided. The train is seen here alongside an uncharacteristically quiet M40 near Rowington in a nice bit of evening sun.645
Turning around from the shot of the 37 assisting a GWR Hall shown above and going back in time some 6 years, here is the very popular Saturday evening Leeds to Southampton freightliner. I remember this one well, as the train had been checked at a signal just around the bend and the locomotives, 37298+37225 were really making themselves heard across the Warwickshire countryside. This shot has virtually disappeared now that the infant trees planted as a sound barrier have grown up. 645 See this digital image taken on 20 June 2005 for a comparison  67020 on 5X61
A few miles to the south of the previous shots is Hatton bank, for many years a favourite location for railway photography. 37139 is seen climbing the bank and only just catching the sun on 6 May 1988 with the afternoon Didcot to Washwood Heath spreedlink service, mostly consisting of various types of coal hoppers. 645
This is the sort of train that would today get the BlackBerries buzzing and mobile phones ringing all over the country. 37372 was collared at Birmingham New Street on 20 July 1991 to take a Manchester to Bristol train forward. This was presumably because the diagrammed class 47 was unavailable. I wonder if any of the admiring enthusiasts and bashers recognise themselves?
Another black white image shows 37223 descending the bank from Dudley towards Great Bridge with a short rake of coal hoppers from Pensnett. The shot was taken on an exceptionally dull 15 June 1987. I took several pictures in the area during the day, all on 35mm negative film and not one was anything properly exposed, so poor were the lighting conditions.
A third monochromatic image depicts 37417+37370 leaving Hereford with the Sunday Burngullow to Irvine china clay slurry train, following a crew change in the through road. At this time, the tanks were relatively new and deserved the popular name, "The Silver Bullets" afforded to them by the popular railway press.
On 23 July 1999 the Baglan Bay to Humber discharged LPG tanks had not succumbed to class 66 haulage. 37709 is seen here near Up Hatherley on the outskirts of Cheltenham with this working at the time of day when the sun was at its highest and least suitable for photography. 645
As mentioned elsewhere in this section, I liked the old-style railway atmosphere around Wednesbury, although I did not visit it as much as I should have liked. This picture of 37197 heading south towards Cardiff on the evening of 22 June 1990 was taken from the former GWR line which had crossed at this point. For anyone interested in the traffic in this area in the 1970s, have a look at the "Wednesbury" section of this  Andy Williams Railway Photos  for some superbly researched details from 1970s signalbox registers.
The weekend of 31 May and 1 June 2003 saw a couple of Pathfinder specials working to the Crewe open days. The first ran on Saturday and is pictured here storming away from Leamington Spa on the single line to Coventry behind 37517+37695.645
The second of the Pathfinder trains to the Crewe open day ran on Sunday 1 June 2003 and is seen here leaving Droitwich on line to Kidderminster and Birmingham The locomotives are 37674+37503 and were photographed from a convenient lay-by on the A38 trunk road.645
Into the heart of the Black Country for the next photograph. This is 37263 on the now-closed Stourbridge Junction to Bescot freight line near Dudley Port with the morning Radyr to Bescot train. I spent a few hours here on the morning of 17 May 1991 and although the weather was pretty awful there was a decent variety of trains, including 2 37s, a pair of 20s, a 47 and a track machine.
I revisited the area shown in the picture above a couple of months later and took this image of 37048 from the bridge visible in the background. This time the train was the Round Oak to Boston empty steel working pictured on 26 July 1991. This train had recently gone over to 37 haulage from pairs of class 20s. Unusually for one of my trips to the Black County, the weather wasn't too bad and, as can be seen from the slight shadow thrown by the 37, the sun was trying to make an appearance.
This photograph was taken at the now-closed Charringtons oil depot at Brownhills in Staffordshire, which was situated on the remaining part of the Ryecroft Junction to Lichfield line. It was always a bit tricky to get well-lit photographs here as, by and large, the trains ran only in the winter months, arrived in the dark and usually left after 15.00. On 13 November 1997 37220+ 37158 were allocated to the train, 7L60, and are seen sitting in the last remaining patch of very weak sunlight in which the train crew were kind enough to place the train for me. On this occasion, the train was late leaving because there were 6 or 7 unlagged tanks in the consist which meant that the heavy oil had become less liquid meaning in turn that it took much longer for the steam heating mechanism at the depot to soften it sufficiently for it to be pumped out.
This shot was taken on the same day as the one above before the train crew arrived at Anglesea Sidings, Brownhills by van from Toton and while the sun was reasonably strong. 37220+37158 were stabled in a siding while the heavy oil from Thameshaven heated by the steam just visible, was unloaded in 2 separate roads. The depot staff at Brownhills were always most friendly and accomodating when I visited and were quite happy for me to wander around at will to take my photographs. The former through line from Ryecroft Junction, currently under investigation as a candidate for re-opening, is just visible between the bush and telegraph post on the extreme left of the picture.
This train was source of a certain amount of confusion on the morning of 18 March 2005. The word was out that 37427 was allocated to a Washwood Heath to Hinksey working conveying concrete sleepers but was running about 4 hours late - in fact so late it hadn't left. The booked route was via Coventry to Leamington Spa but with such a delayed departure I suspected a new schedule may have been concocted and that it would follow the normal route for this working - via Hatton. I duly arrived there at around 8.30am but by 9.20 was beginning to doubt my hunch and was about to pack up and bolt over to Tile Hill on the Coventry line. No sooner had this thought entered my head than I heard an unmistakeable noise in the distance as 37427, by now heading for Eastleigh after Hinksey, rounded the curve about a mile away at Hatton North. Yet again, the light wasn't up to much, but with so few 37s left.............
37401 was allocated to the Birch Coppice working on 17 March 2005. The outward train ran via Lea Marston while I was on the Kingsbury Loop but I was luckier with the return which passed this location on the Kingsbury Jct to Whitacre Jct slow line quite early at 11.14. Once again, the sun refused to appear but the shot just had to be taken given the celebrity status of this locomotive. The signal protecting the junction had cleared to green as the train left the long straight and the driver was just "giving it some welly" as my shot was taken.
On Monday 21 March Bescot again turned out 37401 for the 6G36/6G42 Birch Coppice trip. The first shot shows the train just beyond Kingsbury Junction slowing for the right-hand turn onto the Kingsbury branch. This shot was taken in hazy light at 09.40.
The next picture was taken at 09.54 near Piccadilly on the outskirts of Kingsbury and clearly shows that the first wagon in particular has received some attention from local artists.
Once the wagons had been exchanged for the rake taken into Birch Coppice last Friday, the return working departed and was pictured passing the Kingsbury Link industrial estate near Wood End at 10.30.
The final shot in this short sequence was taken at Whitacre Heath on the slow lines between Kingsbury and Whitacre Junctions at 11.17. If I had been more on the ball another shot would have been possible as the train was held on the branch for some minutes before being allowed to pass Whitacre Junction. From where I was standing waiting for the 6V40 Lackenby to Llanwern steel slabs I heard 6G42 make an impressively loud departure towards Coleshill.
The North Warwickshire line sees few locomotive hauled trains so when I was told that weedkiller was due to visit on 22 July 1998 I decided that my shot had to be taken somewhere recognisable rather than in an anonymous piece of countryside. Henley-in-Arden was the obvious choice given that is still has a signalbox (albeit switched out in the afternoon) and semaphore signals. 37114 is seen topping the weedkilling train, which was tailed by 37431, in the early afternoon.
37706 is pictured here approaching Basingstoke station at 08.50 on the up slow line during the lovely morning of 28 September 1990. The train was certainly a Micheldever to Ripple Lane working and as nothing was shown in the WTT for this time of day I assume it was an overnight job running very late. I was waiting for the 09.20 Class 442 to Waterloo on my way to Kent - the shot in my Class 33 section of 33033+33063 between Bexley and Crayford was taken later on so the weather, for once, was perfect all day.
Enthusiasts in the Midlands were delighted when 37402 appeared at Bescot and worked some local trips. On 14 January 2005 it was allocated to a 6Z25 09.00 Bescot to Didcot job which, in the event, didn't leave the former until around 10.25. The late departure was an advantage as far the light was concerned and my shot shows it rolling down Hatton Bank at 12.08. Unsurprisingly, there were quite a few photographers out for this working although I was alone at my location. To see Andy Williams' shot taken from the roadbridge immediately north of Hatton station, use this link.... Andy Williams' picture.
A train that has long since stopped running is 6E21, the 08.20 Baglan Bay to Humber pressurised gas tanks. It is pictured here near Croome Perry behind 37708 at 14.25 on 23 May 1997.
One of the most likely turns for a class 37 has until recently been the 6G36/6G42 Bescot to Birch Coppice and return. On 14 March 2003 37114 was provided and is seen here running off the Kingsbury Loop at Whitacre Junction rather late at 12.53. The scene here has changed since this photograph was taken. The trees on the extreme right have disappeared and more recently, pallisade fencing has been erected on the same side. The bridge has also been replaced meaning that steps are required for most shots, although it is possible to photograph something coming off the Nuneaton line without extra height.
In 1990 the Gulf Albion oil terminal, just off the Birmingham to Wolverhampton near Dudley Port, was still open and receiving regular trains from Waterstone refinery in West Wales always with pairs of 37s in charge. The returning empties ran via the Sutton Park freight line and 37220+37215 are pictured here passing the long-closed station at Sutton Coldfield on 13 July.
The sunny Saturday morning of 27 March 1999 saw an ECS working from Tyseley to Birmingham New Street in connection with a railtour organised by Eagle Railtours. The attraction was obviously DRS's 37610+37607 in their attractive blue livery. The stock is seen here climbing from Bordesley to St. Andrews junctions in Birmingham. The curvature of the line here is such that the back of a decent length train is always lost. This location is yet another to have received the pallisade fencing treatment.
A Saturday morning Washwood Heath to Peak Forest was a popular working for enthusiasts around Birmingham in 1988 as it was virtually guaranteed to turn up with a pair of Buxton red-stripe 37/6s. Here, 37677+37684 thunder towards Water Orton on 24 September 1988. Compare the wagons on this train with those on the following shot of the same train taken earlier that year.
This is the shot mentioned above showing 37684+37676 on the Washwood Heath to Peak Forest stone empties just about catching the sun beyond Water Orton on the frosty morning of 6 February 1988.
24 May 1991 was unusual in that due to a broken rail at Bescot Curve Junction any trains from the south which normally would have run to Bescot via the Dudley freight-only line had to run via Langley Green and the Soho Junctions to reach Bescot. The Radyr - Bescot and return ran this way behind large logo 37264 but sadly, the light caved in completely for both these workings and even the black and white were not up to being published here. However, the loaded scrap wagons from 6T42 were left in the yard at Langley Green to be collected later as 6T55. Coal Sector 37055 was allocated this job and is seen below in glorious late afternoon light just leaving the yard and passing through Langley Green station.
Staying in the Black Country but going back 3 days from the previous pictures, here is a view of 37512 shunting at Wednesbury prior to heading south with the Brierley Hill - Cardiff train. What a fantastic railway landscape, which is now obliterated for ever by a depot constructed for the Midland Metro.
The area around Barrow Hill offered, in 1990, the opportunity to photograph quite a variety of motive power including 37s on trains such as the Tess - Margam and the Lackenby - Corby carrying steel coil. The latter is seen here approaching Barrow Hill yard behind steel sector's 37506+37512 on 22 August.
I have always liked freightliners and for obvious reasons they are particularly suited to colour photography. In 1993 and 1994 there were at least a couple of regular workings in the Midlands with class 37 haulage, the most popular of which was the Saturday afternoon Leeds to Southampton service. Between May and September, given some decent light, it was possible to go to one of several locations and photograph 3 southbound liners and with a bit of luck, a northbound coal train. The main focal point was, of course, the Leeds train and here is a view of it taken at Bentley Heath, near Dorridge. The exhaust smoke is testament to the work the locos were doing in recovering from a signal check while a DMU service terminating at Dorridge was shunted out of the way. The date was 30 April 1994, the time 18.03 and the locos 37131+ 37225. I wish I had owned a video camera in those days............
Another freightliner placed into the capable hands of 37s in the summer of 1993 was the early afternoon Lawley Street to Southampton train. This, from memory, did not load as well as the Leeds train and I recall it being very short on several occasions and once, at least, ran light engine as there was no traffic. However, on 7 May 1993, it was a full length set and is pictured below near Kings Sutton behind 37068+37261. I heard the train leave Banbury just after I arrived and was probably shaking by the time it reached me at 14.27. See my previous comments about a video camera!
Later the same afternoon, at 17.32 to be precise, 37298 appeared heading north on the MOD train from Didcot, the traffic for which originated from Bicester COD. This was the last shot of the day and this 37 was the 10th loco-hauled in about 3.5 hours. You couldn't do that there today!
In 1996, one of my favourite trains, the Bath & Bristol to Calvert binliner was diagrammed for heavyweight class 37 haulage. Here, 37715 is shown making good progress along the freight-only Claydon Junction to Bicester line with 4V60, the returning empties. The date was 11 April 1996 and the time was 12.03 as the train approached Launton Crossing. It was running a little later than usual and the crew, from Didcot, were clearly keen to get to Bicester so as to be able to take up their booked path forward, which meant a 12.17 departure from the signal protecting London Road.
As with all railway-related matters nothing ever goes according to plan and on 9 December 1994 the usual heavyweight 37 was not available for the "Avon Bins" which led to a very welcome substition by 37012+37057. The light at Calvert itself was none too clever so the first colour shot was taken as the train accelerated away from Bicester London Road right on time at 12.20.
Now, be honest. Having just seen that spectacle at Bicester, wouldn't you have jumped into the car and thrashed down the A34 (pre-speed cameras!) to Didcot for another crack at the bins? I did, arriving with 3 minutes to spare only to find that some comedian in the signalling centre had decided to cross the train over onto the main line instead of the relief it usually occupied. Still, nothing to be done about it and the shot was taken at 12.57 in increasingly murky light largely the result of steam from the nearby power station on this cold day.
Didcot Power Station is well known for consuming vast quantities of imported coal from Avonmouth Docks. It also needs regular trains of fuel oil which until recently came from South Wales. On 18 February 1998 I photographed the then weekly train leaving the coal and ash loop behind 37889+47519, both under power, with the empty tanks. It just caught the last rays of daylight being photographed at 16.05.
Moving to the Birmingham to Cheltenham line on 11 May 2001 finds 37415+37503 running down the goods loop at Ashchurch with 6V52 Ironbridge Power Station to Cardiff Tidal empty oil tanks. The light was past the best by 17.35 when the train appeared as the sky had become rather hazy. Still, 37s on this train were not common by now and the picture had to be taken.
This picture, taken from the old roadbridge at Ashchurch, shows 37689 leaving the branch with flats from the MOD depot on 16 December 1999. The branch has only recently reopened to traffic and I believe this was the 2nd train to run from Didcot to the depot.
Chiltern Trains ran several railtours from, not surprisingly, some of the main stations on the Chiltern Line, usually using class 37 power. The excursion run on 26 March 1994 was of particular interest to me as it was allocated Regional Railways 37414 with mostly matching stock and was booked along the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line. The attraction for me was the chance to photograph something on Wellington station's down through line which was not much used at the time as can be seen by the layer of rust both on the up and down lines. Coincidentally, a Hertfordshire Railtours 125 tour also ran this way on the same day, giving the chance for a couple of different viewpoints.
Here is another shot taken at Wellington, this time on Saturday 7 September 1991. It shows 37418 in Petroleum Sector livery with the morning Cambrian line train to Birmingham as it pulls out of the station.
The next few pictures show a popular Saturday morning train (popular with me at least!) - the 6V70 Cliffe Vale - St. Blazey empty china clay working. It was booked for, and almost always produced a pair of 37/6 locos although on this occasion 37412 was the 2nd loco being led by 37673. The shot below was taken at Standish Junction, south of Gloucester on the frosty morning of 6 October 1993. Engineering work on the junction had caused a 20 mph speed restriction at this point and I recall the locos making some quantity of racket as they accelerated away towards Cornwall.
The next view of 6V70 was taken at Defford on 21 October 1993. Strangely, although this is a good southbound shot in the morning, I never saw another photographer here for this or any other train until the last few weeks of the Virgin 47s, when those disliking crowds gave up on Croome Perry (aka Besford). The locomotives on this occasion were 37674+37671.
Moving further south to Stonehouse in Gloucestershire 6V70, this time hauled by 37671+37670 is seen accelerating away from a signal check made necessary by a class 142 pacer being routed in front of the freight from Gloucester.
The final shot in this short sequence was a real piece of luck. Pam and I were on the way to our holiday cottage in North Devon and happened to arrive at Junction 27 of the M5 (Tiverton Parkway) at 12.35. Knowing that 6V70 was due there at about that time and that class 60 was about to take over this train, I obtained clearance (!) to park up in the lay-by and wait for a few (undefined number) minutes. At 12.41 a large yellow nose appeared in the distance and 2 minutes later this shot was obtained. The sun was perhaps a little too straight but beggars cannot be choosers and all that and, as far as I know, this was the final run of train with class 37 power. In case you are wondering, yes the weather was equally good for the whole of our Autumn break!
On Sunday 21 August 1994 both Pathfinder and Hertfordshire Railtours ran special trains to an open day at Crewe. I'm not a fan of these events but the opportunity to photograph a couple of diesel-hauled passenger trains on the WCML appealed, especially as it was a warm and sunny day. In the event, things didn't turn out quite as I had hoped but in retrospect the outcome was more interesting than envisaged. Pathfinder offered 37903+37906 from Bristol, the train being circuitously routed via Birmingham and Nuneaton. My choice of location was Tamworth Low-Level station in order to get a recognisable background. As you can see, the slugs were routed on the down fast line and 33208+33116 on Hertfordshire's train was looped into the platform line. The noise from the tractors was enormous as the driver opened up as he passed the 33s - a clearly intentional bit of taunting! A shot of the Cromptons appears in the Class 33 section.
In September 1995 a shortage of units resulted in some Cardiff to Birmingham trains being loco-hauled. The obvious choice of power was class 37/4 - usually 37412 - at least on the occasions I saw the working. Here is that locomotive rounding the curve at Stoke Prior, just south of Bromsgrove on 28 September 1995 with the 10.43 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff. As you can see from the sky, the sun was in and out but performed right on cue for this train.
The Cardiff to Birmingham train produced locomotive intermittently for a couple of weeks. Despite having no "gen", I went to Defford on the beautiful afternoon of 8 October just in case the 15.XX from Cardiff produced. As you can see, it did, and unusually included a RES van in the consist. The loco? 37412 again and the shot was taken at 16.43 - not bad for October. 645
No account of class 37 in the Midlands would be complete without a view of the 6V14 Hull Saltend to Baglan acetic acid tanks. This location has probably seen more photographs taken of the train than any other in the area and depicts 37708 at Croome Perry on the sunny afternoon of 23 May 1997.
37711 is seen hauling the 6V14 Hull to Baglan Bay "vinegar tanks" towards Burton-on Trent on 10 September 1997.