Favourite Class 37 Depot

[scottishlocos]

All

 

What is your favourite depot where class 37's were based no surprise but has to be Motherwell for me .

 

The Ravenscraig pool locos were used on heavy trains and full power was used on a good portion of these journeys.With a good reliabillity rate.

Then there was the mid to late 90's i dont think other depots could have survived such a massive loss most of it's traffic wiped out.

Despite clouse under DBS it is now used by DRS and class 37's do still make it there every now and then.

 

True grit what a good depot but what is your favourite maybe you worked there or had a visit or open day. Please share post pics or anecdotes/stories what makes your class 37 depot

 

 

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[darrel]

Eastfield for me many a happy Saturday afternoon walking around there. Never refused entry Motherwell was not always so easy to get round though I did manage it. I once got asked to leave B&Q for writing down numbers in the garden centre overlooking the depot.

[mjkerr]

The question is a little biased, as most people will remember their local depot

However, I have to agree in the mid 1980s Motherwell was the depot to visit as almost all the locos were freight based
I never understood the inital and short lived renumbering of the Ravenscraig fleet to 373xx
It's fleet then almost trebled in size when Eastfield relinquished all the 37/4 locos and steel freight stopped using electric locos

Motherwell was easy to visit, a short walk from the station
Eastfield was more of a challenge
However, both were fairly visible from passing passenger trains

Many a holiday summer day spent with a Day Tripper passing all the depots, sometimes two or three times, plus two visits to Carstairs (AM and PM)

The closure of Ravenscraig pretty much sounded the death knell
At one point in the late 1990s EWS tried to operate (diesel) freight without a depot in Scotland, and it didn't really work

Edited September 1, 2015 by mjkerr

[br2975]

Not a depot, but a stabling point.

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Radyr.

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When I first started going there, rows of Canton allocated "six-eighters" could be found stabled in and around the steam shed.

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Then in the very early 70s the stabling point was moved to sidings alongside the station.

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However, the locos were later stabled in the yard proper.

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For a complex that no longer exists, it is hard to convey the intensity of operations in and around Radyr in the late 60s early 70s.

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Apart from the

(a) three yard pilots (Cl.08), three more were employed on local trips to (I) Ferry Road / PCN & Ely Paper Mill (ii) Roath Branch Jct. and Cathays C&W (iii) Treforest coal yard, Treforest Estate and Pontypridd Goods- .

(b) a very, very occasional 'Brush' hauled MGR

© foreign visitors on the Avonmouth coke hoppers, Normanby Park coal, the odd Acton working

 

Everything else was down to a 'six-eighter'.

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In the Cardiff valleys there were almost thirty local diagrams listed as C70 to C99, almost wholly coal trains (the Cardiff Division was still moving some 35,000,000 tons p.a.). 

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"Six-eighters" would queue up waiting to enter the yard with down trains.

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Some from 'up the valleys' and tripping to and from Nantgarw would arrive from the valleys and run around before departing 'up' the valley again.

 

Others would arrive through the yard, stop alongside the station then reverse their trains back into the yard. 

 

At least I've got my memories.

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Brian R

[br2975]

As a postscript to my post above, here's a typical example of a Radyr based Class 37 diagram during 1970-1971.

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The diagrams were subject to traffic demands e.g. colliery output, export needs, production levels at steel works and other major customers; and as a result certain 'legs' of the diagram may not be undertaken if there was no demand.

 

9C76 09:30 Radyr Jct. - Nantgarw arr. 09:54

9C76 10:43 Nantgarw - Radyr arr. 11:18 (REV.)

9C76 11:48 Radyr Jct. - Taffs Well arr.12:02

9C76 12:20 Taffs Well - Gyfeillon Upper arr. 12:48

0C76 13:10 Gyfeillon Upper - Ty Mawr Colly. arr. 13:18 EBV

9C76 13:58 Ty Mawr Colly. - Radyr arr. 14:38 (REV.)

9C76 15:00 Radyr Jct. - Nantgarw arr. 15:24

9C76 16:03 Nantgarw - Radyr arr. 16:42

9C76 17:55 Radyr Jct. - Gyfeillon Upper arr. 18:35

9C76 19:54 Ty Mawr Colly. - Radyr arr. 0:34

0C76 20:44 Radyr - Long Dyke arr. ??:?? EBV

9C76 21:31 Long Dyke - Radyr arr.22:23

9C76 23:40 Radyr Jct. - Ogilvie Colly. arr. 00:56

9C76 01:58 Ogilvie Colly. - Long Dyke arr. ??:??

9C76 05:25 Long Dyke - Radyr arr. 06:00

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Brian R

[Albie the plumber]

Coming from Newport , it would have to be Ebbw Junction depot .

It really was class 37 heaven ! monotonously so sometimes !

It will also be the subject of a future modelling project helped in no small way by the existence of the Bachmann brick built diesel depot which looks uncannily similar to Ebbw.

The layout and length ( or lack of length ! ) of the real thing makes it easily modellable .

Add to that the 4 track mainline running along side, Alexandra Dock Junction yard opposite and no fewer than 3 branch line junctions within a one mile stretch of line .............

Oh and a road bridge at either end just like the real thing .

What more could a class 37 aficionado ask for ?

[JohnH]

Fort William in the 1980's was one of my favourites.

 

There wouldn't be many 37's there, maybe between one and four, but there was something special about the sidings and the backdrop of the spectacular scenery. Depot staff were always friendly too. I loved the chalk board with the days diagrams scrawled on with the trains allocated locos - who needed a TOPS report...

[Arun Sharma]

Has to be Stratford in 1962-3 as the first 30 D67xx were based there and could be seen charging through Stratford station on [i assume] Norwich expresses

[TEDDYBEAR D9521]

Radyr for me 37's and Teds

 

From my collection

 

Cheers GARETH

[Albie the plumber]

Radyr for me 37's and Teds

 

From my collection

 

Cheers GARETH

 

Bet half those Teddy Bears were  barely run in such was their lack of work .

Still, having a couple of them running round on a layout would be great.

Looking forward to putting sound in mine ......eventually !

[russ p]

For me it has to be Thornaby especially with all the special liveries in the 80s, but the depot itself was superbly laid out with all movements flowing through the depot on a west to east direction

[griffgriff]

Surprised no one has said BZ... but for me it has to be TI.... RF tractors rule!

 

Griff

[br2975]

Bet half those Teddy Bears were  barely run in such was their lack of work .

Gareth's photo above is dated 15th March, 1966

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Of the three 'nine-fivers' seen,

 

D9548 - 26/07/1965 New to Cardiff, Canton, 18/01/1967 to Hull, Daireycoates, 01/04/1968 Withdrawn

D9531 - 02/02/1965 New to Cardiff, Canton, 16/05/1965 to Swansea, Landore, 15/01/1966 to Bristol, Bath Rd. 15/01/1967 to Cardiff, Canton, 30/12/1967 Withdrawn.

D9513 - 06/10/1964 New to Cardiff, Canton, 31/05/1967 to Swansea, Landore, 30/06/1967 to Cardiff, Canton. 10/03/1968 Withdrawn

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Radyr had three booked duties for its' Canton allocated 'nine-fivers' at this time.

(a) Trips to Aber Jct.

(b) Trips to Cathays C & W / Gabalfa Coal Yard / Stanton & Staveley

© Trips to Treforest Coal Yard / Maritime Colliery & Pontypridd.

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Brian R

[caradoc]

Depot: Healey Mills, lovely dirty freight 37s (and 40s)

Stabling point: Also Wath. What a place that was to visit on a Saturday or Sunday, despite, pre-car owning days, having to get a bus there from Rotherham !

[Albie the plumber]

Gareth's photo above is dated 15th March, 1966

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Of the three 'nine-fivers' seen,

 

D9548 - 26/07/1965 New to Cardiff, Canton, 18/01/1967 to Hull, Daireycoates, 01/04/1968 Withdrawn

D9531 - 02/02/1965 New to Cardiff, Canton, 16/05/1965 to Swansea, Landore, 15/01/1966 to Bristol, Bath Rd. 15/01/1967 to Cardiff, Canton, 30/12/1967 Withdrawn.

D9513 - 06/10/1964 New to Cardiff, Canton, 31/05/1967 to Swansea, Landore, 30/06/1967 to Cardiff, Canton. 10/03/1968 Withdrawn

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Radyr had three booked duties for its' Canton allocated 'nine-fivers' at this time.

(a) Trips to Aber Jct.

(b) Trips to Cathays C & W / Gabalfa Coal Yard / Stanton & Staveley

© Trips to Treforest Coal Yard / Maritime Colliery & Pontypridd.

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Brian R

 

Thanks for the info Brian !

I suppose that demonstrates my point .

A shocking waste really , but ultimately very useful locos if work had been found for them ,though I understand they weren't the most reliable of machines !

[AdamD98]

Absolutely has to be TE Thornaby for me. All that Teesside steel hauled by so many 37's over the years.

 

Gone but most certainly not forgotten!

[porkie]

Another Thornaby depot fan.

[br2975]

Radyr, Sunday 18th. June, 1967 

2T80 was ther SuO Cardiff General - Treherbert (Passenger & News) which returned ECS to Canton.

The loco ran light from Radyr to Cardiff General and light back from Canton.

Normally, this was the only Sunday working at Radyr.

[45125]

Polmadie was always my fav when it had an allocation. Other than my local depot when it had its allocation, as there was always odd changes with 678x and 679xs.

Al Taylor.

[adb968008]

Inverness and Buxton… i’m an 80’s kid.

[darren chpamn]

Definitely has to be thornaby   then buxton