Banger blue 37s in the late 80s

[sub39h]

Hi all,

 

I model the late 80s, no specific region but most interested in ECML traffic in Yorkshire and WCML traffic in the West Midlands. I have gotten hold of one of Bachmann's 37 041s in BR Blue. I have seen a video of a BR Blue Class 37/0 on the ECML in the late 80s but didn't catch the number.

 

Which blue 37s were still around in the late 80s please? And when did the 37s lose their buffer beam cowlings?

 

Thanks 

[Matt]

I would say most 37s lost their cowlings in early 80s, I suspect as part of a heavy overhaul, but there were some that retained much longer.  Certainly my Scottish 37s book shows no late 80s blue 37s with cowlings, but a few at start of decade. 

 

37116 seemed to keep her cowlings much longer than most, at least into early 90s and I'm sure I've seen some of her in more modern liveries still retaining cowlings. 

 

There were still quite a few banger blue 37s around in late 80s but not many with cowlings by that stage.

 

M

[Butler Henderson]

37083 with bufferbeam cowls at Newcastle, stated as being on 29-5-86 (Modern Locomotives Illustrated 171 page 25)

[david ellis]

37116 was reported as being the last loco with buffer beam cowlings & as far as I remember was modified in 1996 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/5812266243/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/queenfanjohn/6695928155/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/4928891340/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/neil_harvey_railway_photos/8305585026/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/darrenreay/12442660404/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/roddymacphee/9371640870/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37190-dalzell/10024740726/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37190-dalzell/13871220585

[russ p]

I don't know which a##ehole sanctioned it having 37/5 nose mods so late but a sad waste

[37114]

I don't know which a##ehole sanctioned it having 37/5 nose mods so late but a sad waste

Agreed, it would have been easy to put it back in green as built. It is a big job to rebuild the nose ends now, to the best of my knowledge there are no spare sets of nose doors kicking around..

[royaloak]

I don't know which a##ehole sanctioned it having 37/5 nose mods so late but a sad waste

Uh it was a working loco not a museum piece, the cowls were cut away to make it easier for the shunters and groundstaff to go inbetween to couple and uncouple which is more important than what some train spotter thinks it looks like.

 

And I say that as a train spotter myself.

Edited July 22, 2018 by royaloak

[royaloak]

Agreed, it would have been easy to put it back in green as built. It is a big job to rebuild the nose ends now, to the best of my knowledge there are no spare sets of nose doors kicking around..

A couple of bits of sheet steel and some hinges, not that difficult in the grand scheme of things.

[russ p]

The cowling doesn't make much difference when getting in between.

Ploughs are much worse especially if two locos have them.

It had survived so long with cowling and 37 were been withdrawn in 96 I think it was a strange decision

Doors are alloy bye the way

[royaloak]

The cowling doesn't make much difference when getting in between.

Ploughs are much worse especially if two locos have them.

It had survived so long with cowling and 37 were been withdrawn in 96 I think it was a strange decision

Doors are alloy bye the way

Do the replacements have to be?

[jonny777]

Here's a couple in August 1989. 

 

37046 and 37042 at Newport. 

 

 

[russ p]

Do the replacements have to be?

If you want them to looks right then it needs to be alloy as they are quite a complex shape for sheet metal.

Fibreglass could be replacement

[ChrisWaring]

When did the 37/0 start getting cut away bufferbeam cowlings? Ie when did the first one get cut?

[37114]

1 hour ago, ChrisWaring said:

When did the 37/0 start getting cut away bufferbeam cowlings? Ie when did the first one get cut?

Circa 1979, seemed to go hand in hand with plating of the headcode boxes but there are examples of locos having just the skirts removed but glass headcode left in place or the headcode box plated but cowling still in place.

[PieGuyRob]

 

Plenty of videos on youtube at various locations around the country.

 

 

 

 

Each of these Youtubers have hours of footage from all around the country. Admittingly it would mean watching all of them, but, there maybe something in there that will help with your original question. I watched most of them at work, I got paid too watch these!

 

the names of the youtubers are:-

spompeytransportvideo

electrarailfilms

soi buakkhao

old oak trains

lineside video productions.

Edited April 19, 2024 by PieGuyRob

[keefer]

@jbg06003has some cracking 1980s videos on YouTube (though possibly getting more into Large Logo era for the 37s).

His channel is here: 

https://youtube.com/@jbg06003?si=kHhlEGWLdskqswQ_

[acourtrail]

On 21/07/2018 at 23:36, russ p said:

I don't know which a##ehole sanctioned it having 37/5 nose mods so late but a sad waste

 

I was told an interesting story about this back in 1996 (but as I don't know how true it is, I cannot be sure what I am about to describe is the real reason or not).

 

What I do know is that in late 1995/ early 1996, several unrefurbished 37s still in decent condition (37116 among them) were chosen for substantial overhauls at Toton, with all bar one being done there.  Doncaster wanted to do some of the 37s too (being given 37116 to do, but they didn't get any more 37s).

 

The story I was told was that allegedly the person in charge of the team at Doncaster doing the overhaul had an axe to grind with class 37 enthusiasts, and realising that 37116 was a "special" 37 because it was still in practically as built condition (as in still had glass fronted headcode boxes, gangway doors and skirts), gave 37116 flush nose ends out of spite.  Likewise, the blue livery was applied and then corrupted with the Transrail "Big T" logos was done deliberately to upset the 37 enthusiasts.

 

I know that around the time, one of the magazines stated that it was a shame that 37116 didn't get sent to Toton, because the 37s done there had retained most if not all of their original nose end fittings still in situ at the time of their respective overhauls (eg 37372 managed to keep it's glass fronted headcode boxes).

[37114]

13 hours ago, acourtrail said:

 

I was told an interesting story about this back in 1996 (but as I don't know how true it is, I cannot be sure what I am about to describe is the real reason or not).

 

What I do know is that in late 1995/ early 1996, several unrefurbished 37s still in decent condition (37116 among them) were chosen for substantial overhauls at Toton, with all bar one being done there.  Doncaster wanted to do some of the 37s too (being given 37116 to do, but they didn't get any more 37s).

 

The story I was told was that allegedly the person in charge of the team at Doncaster doing the overhaul had an axe to grind with class 37 enthusiasts, and realising that 37116 was a "special" 37 because it was still in practically as built condition (as in still had glass fronted headcode boxes, gangway doors and skirts), gave 37116 flush nose ends out of spite.  Likewise, the blue livery was applied and then corrupted with the Transrail "Big T" logos was done deliberately to upset the 37 enthusiasts.

 

I know that around the time, one of the magazines stated that it was a shame that 37116 didn't get sent to Toton, because the 37s done there had retained most if not all of their original nose end fittings still in situ at the time of their respective overhauls (eg 37372 managed to keep it's glass fronted headcode boxes).

I had heard something similar, the reason 37116 didn't go to Toton was it was a Transrail loco while all the ones done at Toton were Mainline locos, Toton being part of the Mainline depot estate. A number of the Mainline overhauled locos survive today because of the work Toton did, examples being 37023, 37042, 37057, 37109 and 37219 saw them good for many more years work