PRESERVATION

Telford Steam Railway's ‘Growler' emerges from 18-year restoration.

Grey ‘37' makes preservation debut; New owner for Dutch ‘EM2'; Class 120 buffet changes hands; Unique ‘4-DD' cars to be reunited; Former HST buffet car arrives at Wensleydale Railway.

DEPARTMENTAL grey-liveried No. 37263, which is based at the Telford Steam Railway, made its first passenger runs in preservation on June 13 when it was used with No. 08757 Eagle CURC on a ‘Gronk and Growler' event organised in conjunction with the Branch Line Society. The debut working, arranged at less than a week's notice, was attended by over 100 people and the BLS presented the railway with a cheque for £3,000.

No. 37263 is one of only 22 Class 37s to have carried departmental grey in BR service and is the first to operate in this livery in preservation. Painted at Laira in November 1989, it ran in plain grey until March 1991, when it gained the more widespread Civil Engineer's ‘Dutch' colour scheme.

Purchased from EWS by the 37263 Loco Group in late 2003, it was initially moved to the Dean Forest Railway for restoration, being transferred to Birmingham Railway Museum (Tyseley) in September 2012. A change of ownership, which saw it bought by four individuals in 2016, was followed by a move to Telford for completion of its restoration.

STILL WAITING

Eight Class 37s purchased for preservation have yet to run (see table). Some, such as No. 37108, are regarded as long-term projects, while others, for example No. 37679, have not had any work carried out on them for many years.

Alistair Grieve No. 37263 makes its first run in preservation, also the first time departmental grey has been carried by a preserved '37', at the Telford Steam Railway on June 13.

Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) DJH Photography/ Í No. 37108 is one of eight ‘37's that has yet to operate in preservation. Restoration is clearly underway at Crewe Heritage Centre on June 25, 2016.