POWER BY THE HOUR

There are currently two operational unrefurbished EE Type 3s on the DRS roster, which is expected to increase to three as No. 37038 gives up parts to keep No. 37218 running.

DRS shuffles Class 37/0s; Glum future for former special livery HST power car.

Refurbished Class 37 No. 37409 Lord Hinton is one of a pair of such locos owned by DRS but currently stored (at Carlisle Kingmoor). Captured working before being placed into storage, it passes through Carnforth on January 11, 2019. CA850/ Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

SINCE No. 37194 was retired in January 2015 and subsequently cut up at CF Booth, Rotherham, in February 2017, the DRS Class 37/0 fleet has been remarkably static, with no further withdrawals or disposals. However, with the Kingmoor-based operator transitioning away from the iconic English Electric machines, it seems unlikely that this situation will remain the same for much longer.

As of the end of July, the fleet of unrefurbished machines totalled five, with Nos. 37038, 37059 and 37069 still in the XHNC ‘active' pool – although sadly No. 37038 did not make it out of June in operational condition – and Nos. 37218 and 37259 stored XHSS at Carlisle Kingmoor.

There was the first sign of a reshuffle of the operational roster in August with the move of

Nos. 37038 and 37218 from Kingmoor to Gresty Bridge on the 5th, along with No. 37069 and 37419, behind

No. 66301 working as 0Z37. While

No. 37069 was readied for railtour duties at the Crewe depot, Nos. 37038, 37218 and 37419 formed the 0Z38 to Eastleigh Works the following day (6th), with No. 68002 for motive power. No. 37038 will be a spares donor, which includes bogies/ wheelsets and other parts, for

No. 37218 which is expected to receive a ‘C' Exam and a reprieve for the railhead treatment train (RHTT) season.

REFURBED CLASS 37 UPDATE

The remainder of the 23-strong fleet comprises 10 Class 37/4s, of which Nos. 37405 and 37409 remain stored, six long-stored

Class 37/6s and a pair of Class 37/7s; No. 37703 loaned to the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway and No. 37716, probably the unlikeliest survivor in the fleet and a clear favourite of many, judging by the number of photos circulating online. Only the latter ‘heavyweight', Nos. 37402 and 37425 have been working during the period under review, with Nos. 37401, 37422 & 37424 receiving attention at Gresty Bridge, No. 37423 at Kingmoor and Nos. 37407 & 37419 at Eastleigh Works.