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Pre Tops BR Blue Western Region Class 37s


Clarky1000
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I would be really grateful if anyone could help me identify Class 37s based on the Western Region (so all would be Centre Head Code machines) which were already carrying BR Blue Livery by mid 1970.

 

(Specifically by mid 1970, not by THE mid 1970s)

 

All help very gratefully appreciated

 

I've found 6875, and possible 6975, but I'm really struggling to find others!

 

G

Edited by Clarky1000
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Here's the ones I know of, and the dates they were first noted in blue. Many of the early repaints were in the non-standard style with logos under the windows rather than a single central logo. Check with a photo if possible. Many of these had also been transferred off the WR by 1970 (to the ScR and ER) so you'd need to check allocations against them to make sure which remained. You'll note a lot of the later built examples remained in green past 1970 as they didn't need repainting by then.

D6819 by 4/69; D6820 by 5/70; D6823 by 4/69; D6828 by 3/70; D6829 by 6/69;

D6831 by 12/68; D6833 by 6/68; D6835 by 2/69; D6836 by 2/69;

D6845 by 11/68; D6846 by 9/70; D6848 by 11/68;

D6852 by 9/70; D6853 by 5/70; D6858 by 6/69;

D6865 by 6/69;

D6870 by 6/69; D6872 by 8/69; D6873 by 8/69; D6875 by 7/70; D6877 by 5/70; D6878 by 5/69; D6879 by 5/70;

D6882 by 9/70; D6883 by 9/70; D6885 by 1/69; D6887 by 9/70; D6889 by 6/68;

D6891 by 9/70; D6894 by 3/70; D6895 by 3/70; D6896 by 5/70; D6897 by 5/70; D6899 by 7/70;

D6900 by 7/70; D6901 by 5/70; D6902 by 7/70; D6904 by 4/72;

D6911 by 3/70; D6916 by 11/69;

D6922 by 4/70;

D6937 by 6/68;

D6945 by 1/68; D6947 by 9/70;

D6957 by 9/70; D6958 by 9/70;

D6960 by 5/70; D6962 by 7/70; D6964 by 8/70; D6966 by 8/70; D6968 by 9/70;

D6979 by 12/69;

D6992 by 8/68.

 

Enjoy!

 

Hywel

 

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You may wish to pay close attention to the pattern of "arrows of indecision" in your model, as these vary. Some have one each side, central bodyside, others two each side under the cab windows. D6831 is in this category, although an ER example, there's a pic on the Brush Veteran Flickr site referred above.

 

John.

 

Just looked at the photos, D6992 has the four arrows, a WR one.

Edited by John Tomlinson
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Thanks John

 

You are of course absolutely right!

 

I would like to do them all with the single arrow amidships, which I think looks better (just personal choice)

 

I've managed to find a few photos of 6875, so I'm sure she was like that.

 

...........but as you say, I do need to be careful!

 

G

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16 minutes ago, Clarky1000 said:

They did indeed!

 

Pulverised Fly Ash from South Wales in HAA Wagons.

 

And it was throughout 1970 and later, so the timescale is spot on!

 

There were always South Wales based 37s around Bristol. but they became more prevalent in the mid 70s.

 

G

 

 

I remember seeing South-Wales allocated 'six-eighters' on block coal trains to Filton and Wapping Wharf, brick traffic to Lawrence Hill, and sometimes on cement traffic to Lawrence Hill from Aberthaw or Rhoose. This would be 1973, so perhaps a bit late for the OP.

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9 minutes ago, Clarky1000 said:

Hi Brian

 

............I wouldn't be able to resist having a 37 on a train of Cement Presflos though!

 

That would just be perfection!

 

G

There were both Presflos and 12t Vanfits on these trains, which ran on behalf of Blue Circle Cement and Aberthaw; the vans often had posters advertising their loads; these are available from Hollar, but are also available as a free download from one of the finescale groups (Scalefour?).

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On first seing them, the ones with the four cab arrows seem strange, a bit too busy looking but i like them.

That, and the other variations/colours, are reminders that the 'corporate image' took years to settle down and show what a minefield the transition era is for modellers.

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1 hour ago, Clarky1000 said:

They did indeed!

 

Pulverised Fly Ash from South Wales in HAA Wagons.

 

And it was throughout 1970 and later, so the timescale is spot on!

 

There were always South Wales based 37s around Bristol. but they became more prevalent in the mid 70s.

 

G

 

 

Some made it to the S&D!

M5 spur 6606 & 6985 empty flyash hoppers from M5 spur 10 7 71.jpg

M5 spur 6907 & 6981 empty flyash hoppers from M5 spur 5 7 71 b.jpg

M5 spur 6907 & 6981 empty flyash hoppers from M5 spur 5 7 71.jpg

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It really is a minefield!

 

In Brush Veteran's Class 37 photos is a super pic of 6921 with BR Logo amidships and sans serif numbers.............look perfect corporate blue, but its actually green!

 

0F74 would be a good head-code  for me - Light Engine to Bristol (Bath Road)

 

G

 

 

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I got into South Wales a couple of times on a WR railrover during the last week of July 1970 (only twice? Well we did do London twice and extensions to Crewe Works and Toton, it was a busy week!)

 

The VAST majority of South Wales Class 37s were in green full yellow (Gfye) livery with the old block serif numbers and no D prefixes. But there were exceptions:

 

D6604/5, D6973/5 still had their Ds

6886, 6910/21 were Gfye but with the later style numbers (6921 had originally been outshopped by Doncaster with Ds and double arrows but both had been painted over by this time so it was 'ownerless')

D6992 was in blue full yellow (Bfye) with numbers over large cabside arrows

6883 was Bfye with large cabside arrows and bodyside numbers

6885/92 were in standard Bfye with single central(ish) arrows (I had noted 6892 as ex-works)

 

These were the locos I actually saw, but there were other known examples around in 1970:

 

D6932 was outshopped as per D6921, had almost certainly lost the Ds by mid-70 but retained its arrow logos on green long enough to gain TOPS numbers (37232) in this condition.

D6889 was as per D6992 but had lost its Ds by 31/10/70 - on this date it was also fitted with miniature snowploughs and a headlight on a beam mounted on the headboard brackets (this one would be an interesting project!)

6883 also had a partner, 6882 - both were outshopped by Crewe in April/May 1970 in a manner very similar to the old Tri-ang Hornby model in original blue, however this livery cannot be accurately represented on that model because on one corner (B end driver's side) the grille is too close to the door (tooling error) so the number won't fit, even without a D - no such problem on the Bachmann model of course. Why Crewe persisted with the two-arrows-per-side layout on these and Class 25s 5184, 7562, 7609 (and maybe 7599?) having been pushing out Class 47s with single arrows for a year, is anyone's guess, but it makes life that bit more interesting for us modellers. If 6882/3 appeal as a modelling project, be aware that Crewe may have only painted two this way but applied the data panels in different places!

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One comment I'd like to make. In the late 1960s/ early 1970s, some loco windscreens , most notably on EE Type 3 and Brush Type 4, had a purple tinge to them. This was apparently some sort of de-icing film. My friend, the Rev Lewis, replicated it by going over the model screens with a black 'magic marker', then wiping most of it off. 

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20 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

One comment I'd like to make. In the late 1960s/ early 1970s, some loco windscreens , most notably on EE Type 3 and Brush Type 4, had a purple tinge to them. This was apparently some sort of de-icing film. My friend, the Rev Lewis, replicated it by going over the model screens with a black 'magic marker', then wiping most of it off. 

Reputedly a very thin film of gold!!!

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