Heavy Tractor Group to assist with the restoration of 37108
ANOTHER CLASS 37 has joined the growing locomotive fleet at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), with the movement of 37108 to Ruddington from its previous base at Crewe Heritage Centre.
Owned by the 37108 Group, the locomotive has been undergoing a comprehensive restoration since it arrived at CHC in September 2010 and has recently been given a repaint into BR green livery with full yellow ends. It departed from CHC on April 25 for display at the Model World Live 2024 exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham the following weekend, with it due at Ruddington following the end of the event. Its restoration is to be progressed at Ruddington with the assistance of the Heavy Tractor Group, which is responsible for the maintenance and operation of 37714 Cardiff Canton and the National Railway Museum’s pioneer Class 37 D6700 on the neighbouring Great Central Railway. A statement issued by the HTG in mid-april said that the two Class 37 owning groups have worked closely over the years and that this collaboration is the next step in 37108’s extensive restoration.
While the locomotive is still some way from becoming operational, many of its major components have already been overhauled and are currently in store, ready for refitting when internal work and painting is completed. The statement said that the restoration of the Class 37 will be comprehensive and to a high standard, with work expected to take place once the 37108 Group has established its new base at Ruddington and transferred its components and equipment from Crewe.
While the 37108 Group and the HTG will retain separate identities, full details of the restoration on 37108 will be regularly updated on the HTG’S Facebook page and website. No target completion date has been set.
The arrival of 37108 at Ruddington now means that when the GCR’S advancing project to reunify the two heritage railways is completed, there will be four Class 37s available for use on the railway, with D6700, English Electric Preser vation’s 37009, 37108 and 37714 all based on the expanded GCR route.
37108 was withdrawn by English Welsh & Scottish Railways in June 1996 and after a period in store initially moved to West Coast Railways Carnforth depot.
More information on the HTG can be found at www.heavytractorgroup.org