Need help with D6754 / 37054 Loco history

[Blacque Jacque]

One for the spotters & historians I suspect.

 

I plan to model D6754 (37054 as it became) in the BR green period as it was a regular in the Eastern region. I've managed to dig up a reasonable amount of detail as below but I still have a few blanks from the "significant" points in the timeline.

 

When did it receive full yellow ends instead of small yellow panels ?

When (if ever) was the steam heat boiler isolated ?

When did it lose the frost grilles ?

 

Did it ever suffer any accident damage or undergo bodywork changes ?

 

What does "Last Classified Repair" mean (noted 07/11/1983)?

 

Below is the timeline I have pieced together for it so far

 

Any additions most welcome.

 

D6754 (37054) Timeline:

 

Number Date Built Builder Works Number

D6754 19/09/1962 EE E3046/D708

 

19/09/1962 First Allocated to Darnall (41A)

19/09/1962 Delivered in BR Green, small yellow panel split headcode.

 

26/04/1964 Transferred to Tinsley (41A)

 

04/1967 Photographed in BR Green with full yellow ends.

 

08/1967 Transferred to Ipswich (32B)

 

 

05/1968 Transferred to March (31B)

09/1968 6754 D prefix dropped from loco record.

1969 Photographed in BR Green with full yellow ends. D prefix still intact.

13/10/1970 Photographed in BR Green, FYE, D prefix removed, steam boiler port still open.

09/1972 Repainted British Rail Blue

06/05/1973 6754 Reclassified Class 37

02/1974 37054 Renumbered TOPS Class 37

03/1974 Transferred to Gateshead (52A)

01/1975 Transferred to March (31B)

01/1987 37054 Reclassified Class 37/0

14/07/1979 Photographed in BR Blue, full yellow ends

07/11/1983 Last Classified Repair

08/1990 Photographed in BR Railfreight Grey livery

13/03/1993 Photographed in BR Engineers "Dutch" Livery

 

04/1999 D6754 37054 Withdrawn

 

27/09/2003 Scrapped at Motherwell TMD by Sandbach Car & Commercial Dismantlers

 

Edit: to correct chronology

Edited October 10, 2012 by Blacque Jacque

[37114]

Can't help with any specific dates, but bodywork wise it retained boxes and doors on the nose until the very end so suggests it avoided any major accidents.

[slilley]

Last classified repair - BR overhauls came under one of three categories, light intermediate or heavy and were planned in advance. Unclassified repairs were where the loco had to be sent toworks following accident damage or a major component failure.

 

The Region sending the locomotive to works would complete a ‘Shopping Proposal Form’ requesting certain work to be carried out, and the types overhaul to be undertaken. This was particularly important when the repair was an unclassified one following the failure of a major component. The form was divided into five sections covering body, engine, generator, bogies and traction motors. The Shopping Controller based in the Regional CM&EE’s department would indicate the repairs required on the incoming locomotive’s main components. The Workshop Overhaul Schedule offered a guide as to the type of repair that should be requested based on a locomotive’s hours. However, as components were often changed at these repairs or sometimes between repairs, the sequence below would often alter between major components. On completion of the work, a ‘Diesel Locomotive Workshop Repair Report’ would be compiled by Crewe detailing the work carried out.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Regards

 

Simon

[Blacque Jacque]

Thanks Simon for that very thorough explanation. It raises another question though;

 

Why was it's last classified repair 16yrs before it's final withdrawal ?

Is this a side effect of sectorisation ? Did the repair / overhauls system change ?

[slilley]

Thanks Simon for that very thorough explanation. It raises another question though;

 

Why was it's last classified repair 16yrs before it's final withdrawal ?

Is this a side effect of sectorisation ? Did the repair / overhauls system change ?

 

In answer to your question yes the overhaul system did change to the Component Exchange Maintenance system. This came in 1987 with the introduction of the 'F' exam. The book I have co-written on the Class 47s, Class 47:50 Years of Locomotive History covers the background of the system also known in some BR quarters as the New Maintenance Policy.

 

Regards

 

Simon

[slilley]

Thanks Simon for that very thorough explanation. It raises another question though;

 

Why was it's last classified repair 16yrs before it's final withdrawal ?

Is this a side effect of sectorisation ? Did the repair / overhauls system change ?

The overhaul system did change in the second half of the 80s to what was know as CEM meaning Component Exchange Maintenance. It did away with the old system of Light Intermediate and Heavy overhauls and added an "F" exam to the existing sequence of maintenance exams. It was also known as " New Maintenance Policy". Under CEM an "F" exam on a 47 for example would be done every 10,000 hours of operation. It is described in more detail in Class 47 50 Years of Locomotive History.

 

looking back at the Class 47s and this probably goes for some of the Class 37s as well, many of them were overhauled in the mid 1980s under the old system and just kept on going until they finally dropped. 47004 had an engine with over 15,000 hours on it which was pretty high. Although it was designed to reduce costs, these overhauls were not cheap. BRML Doncaster's price for a CEM "F" exam on a Class 47 in 1993 was around £350,000.

 

Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

 

Simon

[aureol40012]

On 10/10/2012 at 22:02, Blacque Jacque said:

One for the spotters & historians I suspect.

 

I plan to model D6754 (37054 as it became) in the BR green period as it was a regular in the Eastern region. I've managed to dig up a reasonable amount of detail as below but I still have a few blanks from the "significant" points in the timeline.

 

When did it receive full yellow ends instead of small yellow panels ?

When (if ever) was the steam heat boiler isolated ?

When did it lose the frost grilles ?

 

Did it ever suffer any accident damage or undergo bodywork changes ?

 

What does "Last Classified Repair" mean (noted 07/11/1983)?

 

Below is the timeline I have pieced together for it so far

 

Any additions most welcome.

 

D6754 (37054) Timeline:

 

Number Date Built Builder Works Number

D6754 19/09/1962 EE E3046/D708

 

19/09/1962 First Allocated to Darnall (41A)

19/09/1962 Delivered in BR Green, small yellow panel split headcode.

 

26/04/1964 Transferred to Tinsley (41A)

 

04/1967 Photographed in BR Green with full yellow ends.

 

08/1967 Transferred to Ipswich (32B)

 

 

05/1968 Transferred to March (31B)

09/1968 6754 D prefix dropped from loco record.

1969 Photographed in BR Green with full yellow ends. D prefix still intact.

13/10/1970 Photographed in BR Green, FYE, D prefix removed, steam boiler port still open.

09/1972 Repainted British Rail Blue

06/05/1973 6754 Reclassified Class 37

02/1974 37054 Renumbered TOPS Class 37

03/1974 Transferred to Gateshead (52A)

01/1975 Transferred to March (31B)

01/1987 37054 Reclassified Class 37/0

14/07/1979 Photographed in BR Blue, full yellow ends

07/11/1983 Last Classified Repair

08/1990 Photographed in BR Railfreight Grey livery

13/03/1993 Photographed in BR Engineers "Dutch" Livery

 

04/1999 D6754 37054 Withdrawn

 

27/09/2003 Scrapped at Motherwell TMD by Sandbach Car & Commercial Dismantlers

 

Edit: to correct chronology

August 1984

[TravisM]

15 hours ago, aureol40012 said:

August 1984

 

Not that it affects the era you want to model but by 1984, the body side buffer surrounds have been removed and on closer examination, the communication doors appear to be welded shut across the top.  Or it could just be layers of dirt lol