DRS puts four Class 37s and two Class 57/0s up for grabs
DIRECT Rail Services continues to divest itself of the ‘off brand’ members of its locomotive roster. This process was evident on April 25 with the publication of a third tender document that includes, for the first time since 2016 – when spares donor No. 37194 was sold for scrap – examples of the heavily rebuilt Class 37/0 fleet. Nos. 37038, 37059 and 37259 are joined by a second Class 37/4, No. 37409, and a pair of Class 57/0s, Nos. 57003 and 57007. The closing date is May 23.
All six locomotives had recently been added to the XDSP disposal group, all previously stored XWSS. Curiously No. 57003, which has spent the best part of six months out of action in the Royal Dock sidings at Norwich with wheel flats, was briefly transferred to the XHSO supply chain operations pool, while recently active No. 57002 Rail Express had been temporarily allocated to XDSP (ex-XHSO) during the same period, suggesting a mistake and subsequent correction.
The sale will leave DRS with just No. 37218 (XHSO) representing the Class 37/0 sub class in active service, with
No. 37069 stored XWSS. Also XHSO are Nos. 37401, 37419, 37422, 37424, 37425 and 37716 – although only four are operational – while XWSS includes Nos. 37402, 37407 and 37423. Nos. 37602 and 37605 remain XDSP, but have yet to find their way onto the tender list, meanwhile the addition of the two former Freightliner ‘Bodysnatchers’ will leave just No. 57002 from the original 12-strong fleet on the roster.
There have also been major changes to the DRS Class 57/3 fleet, with the return of all five locomotives from longterm hire with Rail Operations Group. On the transfer back, non-operational Nos. 57301 and 57303 went from GROG to XWSS, while Nos. 57305, 57310 and 57312 are now XHSO. Nos. 57301 and 57305 were still at Derby RTC at the end of April, while the Nos. 57310 and 57312 ran to Crewe Gresty Bridge on April 11 and 12 respectively to join No. 57303. This leaves ROG with its six-strong flock of Europhoenix-liveried Class 37s to hold the fort until the highly anticipated Stadler ‘tri-mode’ Class 93s arrive.
Separately, No. 37716 spent just a matter of weeks at Peak Forest before moving to Eastleigh for repairs, where it remained at the end of April.