In the years before the privatisation of British Railways, the Provincial Sector (later Regional Railways), became responsible for local and secondary train services and initiated the refurbishment of 31 Class 37 locomotives. These were fitted with train heating equipment and designated Class 37/4 and were used to support the shortfall of DMU trainsets at the time. Their initial task was to work services on the Scottish lines radiating from Inverness and on the West Highland Lines, with a small batch based in Wales to operate Cambrian line services and trains from Cardiff to Shrewsbury and beyond.
These services were soon replaced by Sprinter trainsets thus releasing the fleet to other duties and at privatisation in April 1994, the fleet fell into the hands of freight operators.
The English Electric Class 37/4 Diesel Locomotives seeks to show this adaptability by detailing the reason for their initial creation and the various roles played by the class over the years. The advent of privatisation saw an increased demand for their ‘go-anywhere do anything’ ability which is also displayed by the range of photographs.
Once withdrawn from service some class members were purchased for preservation and – such was their adaptability – that preserved examples were hired by train operators to cover duties that no other class of diesel locomotive was capable of achieving.
Hardback. 128 pages, including 250 colour photographs.