Class 37 to donate parts for overhauled Network Rail ‘97s’

Network Rail has confirmed that 37198 will be used as a spares donor for the overhaul of its Class 97 fleet.

There had been speculation that the locomotive was to be stripped and scrapped once it moved to Derby, but NR says that will not be the case.

Network Rail spokesman Dan Donovan told RAIL on January 26: “It’s now being used as overhaul cover for three Class 97s which operate in the Cambrians area. When one of the Class 97s comes in to be overhauled, the parts from 37198 will be used.”

The three NR Class 97s are 97302-304. A fourth (97301) is fitted with different signalling systems and is not part of this programme.

Donovan added: “It may well be sold or leased after the parts have been borrowed for the service exchange. However, this hasn’t been decided yet, as the overhauls will last at least two years.”

The Class 37 has just been repaired following an accident at the Great Central Railway in 2014, when it ran away from Quorn and hit a rake of travelling post office vehicles at Loughborough. It had been sent to the GCR for testing duties in 2011, with NR using the heritage line for such purposes.

It arrived at LORAM UK’s Derby workshops on January 25, moving by road from Nemesis Rail’s Burton workshops.

The locomotive had been repaired by Nemesis under contract as part of an insurance scheme, with NR not having to pay additional costs.