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Traction & Rolling Stock Recognition - Illustrations

Class 37

See Technical Data

Class 37 general layout, showing Class 37/0 above with its No. 1 end on the left and a Class 37/4 below with its No. 1 end on the right:- A-cooler group with fan unit on roof, B-engine/generator (alternator) compartment with hinged/ removable roof sections above, C-electrical compartment, D-fuel tanks, E- nose section housing traction motor blower and air compressor, F-air horns behind grills on locos built with split headcode boxes, on locos with solid headcode boxes horns on the roof (as shown below) or on the bonnet top, G-headlight, H-marker lights, I-sandbox filler port (4), J-tail light, K-nose section, housing traction motor blower and vacuum exhauster, L-hinged roof sections to allow removal of power unit, M-fire bottle pull handles. No. 37023 above is in original EW&S livery at Toton, while No. 37421 is shown below at Doncaster in Regional Railways colours, applied to a few Class 37/4s used for passenger hire work. CJM.

Class 37 front end layout, this nose design is applicable to phase 2 locos, originally numbered above 37120, but most parts are in the same locations for all locos. A-warning air horns (this position on phase 2 locos, some are now repositioned on sides of nose section to reduce overhaul height, B-radio aerial, C-marker light panel (former four-character headcode box, D-headlight, E-tail lights (2), F-sandbox filler port, G-Fire pull handle (behind persepx screen), H-ETS jumper cable, I-brake pipe, J-main reservoir pipe, K air control pipe,L-coupling and shackle, M-ETS jumper receptacle, N-Blue star jumper cable. CJM.

The Class 37/3 sub class covers unrefurbished locomotives fitted with regeared CP7 bogies, the locos are usually used alongside the Class 37/0 fleet. This example No. 37375 is painted in civil engineers 'Dutch' livery and has a Stewarts Lane (Battersea power Station) logo on the cab side. This example has roof mounted horns, a central headlight and marker lights in the former headcode box. CJM.

Refurbished No. 37509, is a convert from a former split headcode box loco, with its former central nose end door now plated over sporting a headlight. Two sealed beam marker lights have been fitted where the original headcode boxes were fitted. No. 37509, seen at Peak Forest from its No. 2 end is painted in Railfreight triple gray livery. CJM.

The fleet of 12 Class 37/6s were originally built for Eurostar UK Ltd to power non-electrified sections of Nightstar sleeper trains from Plymouth/Swansea to London for onward electric haulage to Mainland Europe. For this work a major conversion of a batch of 37/5s took place at Doncaster Works where RCH jumpers, revised power jumpers and air connections were added. As well as powering the Nightstar trains the locos were to act as 'Thunderbird' power for Eurostar sets. All locos were painted in Channel Tunnel triple gray livery. After the Nightstar operation was canceled, nine locos were sold to Direct Rail Services for freight operation. Apart from being repainted into DRS house colours the six locos 37602/605-612 have been modified with revised front jumpers and several now have Group Standard head and marker light clusters with a roof mounted marker light. No. 37605 in EPS livery is seen left with a Nightstar generator 'set', while modified DRS No. 37607 is seen right. Both: CJM.

The Class 37/7 sub-class, emerging after the 1980s Crewe refurbishment, covered freight only locos fitted with extra ballast weight to improve adhesion. These locos are often referred to as 'heavyweights'. All are operated by EWS and many sport the EWS house colours of maroon and gold, shown here on No. 37707 emerging from Whiteball Tunnel near Tiverton, Devon with a Merehead-Exeter ballast train. CJM.

The Class 37/9 sub class covering just six locos also emerged from the 1980s refurbishment at Crewe and covered a trial re-engining programme using Mirrlees MB275T engines (37901-37904) and Ruston RK270T engines (37905-37906). While the project worked quite well, two small sub-classes within a big fleet soon became a problem to the operators and the project was non continued. No. 37906 in ex-works 1980s Railfreight large logo gray livery is illustrated. CJM.

Following its useful life for BR and EWS, the pioneer loco of the fleet No. D6700 was presented by EWS to the National Railway Museum at York for retention in the National Collection as a landmark design of British diesel loco. EWS returned the loco to original green livery prior to handover and applied a small yellow warning end to allow it to operate over the Railtrack network. CJM.

DRS No. 37609 with modified front end. CJM

Class 37 driving cab. Main equipment items marked. 1-train brake valve, proportional on loco, 2-straight air brake valve (loco only), 3-main display panel, showing speed, traction amps, bogie brake pressure and air supply, 4-AWS (automatic warning system), 5-power controller and master switch, 6-cab radio, 7-Class 37/6 train supply panel. CJM.

Last Updated: 30 August 2006