37002 & 37023 growl past Ratcliffe-on-Soar on 1 July 1985 with the 6E40 10:23 Corby to Lackenby steel coil empties. Unfortunately it was a dull day, but I wasn't going to miss the chance of a pair of blue 37s, especially as I have got very few pictures of this particular working. On the plus side, it did brighten up later in the day in time for the loaded southbound train behind 37193 & 37071.

37003 stands at Leeming Bar on 5 September 2004, shortly after arrival on the Wensleydale Railway, but before it was put into regular use on the line. It was withdrawn from mainline service in 1998 and initially moved to the East Anglian Railway Museum for restoration. It then moved to the Wensleydale Railway in January 2004.

After working a few test trains during 2004, 37003 finally entered passenger service on the Wensleydale Railway on 14 May 2005. It seen here passing Mudfields Farm, Crakehall, with its inaugural run - the 16:45 Leeming Bar to Redmire. The loco looks great in its BR blue livery (which would have looked even better in the sun that was out just before the train came), but I'm not too sure about the brilliant red livery of the coaches!

In the last of the evening light, 37003 rounds the sharp curve into Bedale station on 14 May 2005 with the 18:10 Redmire to Leeming Bar service, on the loco's inaugural day of passenger usage on the Wensleydale Railway. The 1875 built North Eastern Railway signal box dominates the scene of what is a potential road traffic bottleneck. The level crossing is on the main A684 Northallerton to Sedburgh road.

37003 is pictured parked up at Dereham station, on the Mid Norfolk Railway, on 29 May 2014. In the background is the line's resident Class 101 DMU twin set (51226 & 51499), which was being used on passenger services on this dull late spring day.

37009 passes Hinksey Yard on 1 August 1991 with the 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores. This wasn't the only MoD stores train seen here on this occasion, as an hour earlier 37101 had also headed north with the 6M43 15:08 Morris Cowley to Lawley Street working.

The 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores train approaches Cholsey on 16 August 1991 with a pair of appropriately liveried Railfreight Distributions locos. 37009 & 47354 provide an interesting combination of motive power, although not as interesting as the convoy seen on this same train at Wolvercote Junction the following year.

37009 stands in the yard at Didcot on 31 July 1992. Railfreight Distribution Class 37s were then still daily visitors to the area on MoD stores trains, a traffic that continued despite the closure of the Speedlink network the previous year. Note the ancient and modern stop signs on the right of the picture. A few GWR wagons can be seen behind the fence in the background, in the Great Western Society's Didcot Railway Centre.

With Haselbury Park Farm in the background, 37010 is pictured heading west near North Perrott on 21 August 1991 with a short ballast train. This is a location that I visited three times during 1991, in the course of following Class 50s on the Waterloo to Exeter route. I never went there prior to 1991, and haven't been back since!

37010 & 37042 pass Rossett on 17 August 1996 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z71 17:37 Crewe to Exeter St Davids 'Crewe - Chester Flyer' railtour. This was one of those rare occasions when the sun came out for just a few minutes, exactly at the time the train was due. The improved lighting was so unexpected, that I didn't have time to change my Pentax 6x7 cameras over. The one fixed to the dual camera bracket contained Ilford HP5 black & white film, so this colour shot is from a 35mm Fujichrome slide, courtesy of a Canon A1.

I think this is possibly one of my finest railway pictures. The ideal combination of stunning early morning lighting with dark clouds in the background, an identifiable location, classic traction and an interesting train make this hard to beat. With Didcot Power Station in the background, 37010 approaches Culham with the 6Z23 Thameshaven to Littlemore oil train on 15 May 1997. This was the first oil train to run to Littlemore for many years, but sadly this resurgence in traffic didn't last long. In the still morning air the train could be heard coming all the way from Didcot, three miles away, giving me several minutes warning of its approach. Unfortunately the 6x7 slide of this picture seems to have gone missing after being published, so this is from a 35mm Fujichrome Sensia slide.

37010 reverses into Littlemore Oil Depot (just visible through the trees on the right) with the 6Z23 oil train from Thameshaven on 15 May 1997. This was the first train to run to Littlemore for a number of years. I had seen the train a little earlier in stunning light at Culham, but by the time it negotiated the Morris Cowley Branch the sun had disappeared. Oil traffic ceased a few years later, and the site has now been redeveloped.

A West Highland Speedlink freight train meeting at Rannoch station on 11 July 1983. 37179 & 20114 wait patiently at the signal with the 7Y37 12:23 Mossend to Corpach, as the highly appropriate 37012 Loch Rannoch approaches with the 6E46 15:19 Fort William to Mossend service. There is plenty of period detail in this picture, including the blue station nameboard, semaphore signals, and the memorial to J. A. Renton, a director of the West Highland Railway. Even more detail is clearly visible on the hi-res version of this Kodachrome 64 scan, including the small footbridge in the distance on the extreme right, and the fact that the secondman has got the token in his hand, hanging out of the window, ready for a quick exchange.

37012 runs light engine past Briton Ferry on 15 April 1991. At this time the loco was in the engineer's DCWA pool, but that didn't stop it being used on the 2V87 16:58 Weymouth to Cardiff Central train (from Westbury) a few months after thus picture was taken, after 47277 had failed.

37012 heads north at Defford on 23 July 1994 with Plasser & Theurer USP5000C Ballast Regulator 77325. The loco may have lost its former Loch Rannoch nameplates, but it seems to have gained a comic face below the front headlight!

37013 & 37106 pass Duffryn on 15 April 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z35 06:00 Watford Junction to Carmarthen 'Cymric Gallivant' railtour. The M4 motorway is obviously quicker than the railway, because I was able to get to Pyle ahead of the train for another picture.

37013 & 37106 pass the slightly ironically named Village Farm Industrial Estate at Pyle on 15 April 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z35 06:00 Watford Junction to Carmarthen 'Cymric Gallivant' railtour. I had already photographed this train 50 minutes earlier, at Duffryn.

37019 passes Winwick on 28 July 1992 with the 6K85 11:00 Carlisle to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores train. This traffic would formerly have traveling via the Speedlink network, but after the wagonload network was abandoned in 1991 a small dedicated MoD service was established, based largely on the old Speedlink workings. As can be seen here, the trunk workings could be very well loaded. Presumably the four vintage VEA vans near the front of the train are carrying explosives, hence the barrier wagons either side.

37019 passes the deserted and weed choked Hinksey Yard on 25 June 1993 with the well loaded 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores. This Railfreight Distribution service was the successor to the Speedlink service, which finished two years earlier.

37023 passes Chaddington Lane (near Wootton Bassett) on 20 June 1984 with the Wednesdays only 3B03 13:43 Cardiff Central to Swindon parcels. On arrival at Swindon, the vans from this were attached to the 3A03 13:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington parcels.

With a pair of Class 312 EMUs in tow, 37023 & 37245 approach Waterbeach on 14 September 1991 with the 2G32 09.30 Cambridge to King's Lynn special, one of a number special trains worked by freight motive power during the Network South East Network Gala Day.

High summer in Scotland! 37023 Stratford TMD Quality Approved & 37114 City of Worcester arrive at Ardlui in the rain on 23 July 1999 with the 7D60 15:00 Forth William to Mossend Enterprise. This pair of locos was booked to work the following day's Mercia Railtours 'Tiberius Kirk' railtour, but 37023 disgraced itself at Tulloch, leaving 37114 to carry on alone. Such was my bad luck with the weather in Scotland at the time, that when I arrived at my usual B&B, the owner accused me of bringing the bad weather with me, as apparently it was 'fine yesterday'!

37025 Inverness TMD finds a little patch of weak sunshine amidst the dark clouds as it rolls past Rhyl with the 6F11 11:03 Penmaenmawr to Warrington Arpley ballast on 26 August 1996. This loco is wearing a kind of intermediate livery, based on the large logo colour scheme, although clearly it has no BR logos at all. Otherwise the extended yellow around the cabs with black window surrounds and larger numbers is the same format as the large logo livery. 37025 was withdrawn in 1999, but has since found a home at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway.

37025 Inverness TMD passes Farleaze (near Hullavington) on 28 January 2016 with the 4B20 09:10 Barry to Barry (via Swindon) Colas driver training special. A large logo split box Class 37 on the mainline in 2016 with five bogie coal hoppers, who would have predicted that! I was really surprised to be on my own at this location. Admittedly the sun is not on the nose, but that applies to a lot of the locations to the east of the River Severn. It is however shadow free, with an uncluttered background.

After running round at Swindon, 37025 Inverness TMD heads back to Wales on 28 January 2016 with the 4B20 09:10 Barry to Barry (via Swindon) Colas driver training special. It is pictured here passing Acton Turville. Unfortunately the sun had disappeared half an hour earlier (as the Met Office had predicted), but whatever the weather this was not a picture to be missed!

37025 Inverness TMD passes Llandevenny on 30 January 2016 with the 4B20 08:37 Barry to Barry Colas driver training special. Unfortunately, after standing around in unbroken sunshine for an hour, just at the critical moment a cloud partially covered the sun. Also, the hoped for picture of the train traversing the curving single track line from Bishton Flyover (seen in the background) was thwarted by the train unexpectedly being routed along the up main. My bad luck did not end there, as I had planned to get another picture of the train returning from its booked run round at Swindon, at either Chipping Sodbury or Acton Turville. It was only after I had crossed the Severn Bridge that I found out that the train was in fact running round at Bristol Parkway and heading back to Wales! Rather than retrace my steps back to Wales, I decided to head for home!

37025 Inverness TMD passes Claydon on 23 February 2016 with the early running 5V37 13:30 Washwood to Heath to Barry, conveying two former Motorail vans. Success at last, after several weeks of frustration trying to get a picture of this loco with the sun on the front. Rouge clouds, termination of the crew training running from Barry to Swindon at Bristol Parkway, and several light engine only runs have made following this loco rather trying!

37025 Inverness TMD approaches Banbury on 11 March 2016 with the 6Z90 12:00 (14:36 actual) Crewe Basford Hall to Didcot, conveying Kirow crane DRK 81624, sandwiched between a KFA support wagon and a YWA flat wagon. Unfortunately this was well over two hours late. Had it passed at the correct time, the lighting would have been perfect. By the time it appeared the spring sunshine had long gone, and it was getting very dark. However, the prospect of a picture of a preserved Class 37 working a freight on the mainline was certainly not to be missed.

37025 Inverness TMD passes Baulking on 27 May 2016 with the 3Z01 08:20 Bristol Temple Meads to Derby RTC Network Rail test train. This was running 33 minutes early, which has resulted in the lighting not being as good as I would have liked, but still well worth a picture, especially as it is passing a couple of the electrification piles that Network Rail seem unable to drive into the ground properly. A Network Rail train, operated by Colas, with a loco on hire from the Scottish 37 Group!

In the very last of the rapidly fading light, 37025 Inverness TMD runs along the down relief line at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 2 November 2016 with the 1Z78 06:45 Tyseley to Bristol Temple Meads (via Theale) Network Rail test train. 37421 is on the rear. After a very long sojourn in Theale loop, this train then annoyingly stuck exactly to time, waiting in Milton loop, a few miles away until its booked time, while all the time the light was fading away. Well at least it wasn't late, as that would have been a disaster!

37025 Inverness TMD passes Bourton on 3 November 2016 with the 1Z78 06:48 Bristol Temple Meads to Tyseley Network Rail test train, with 37421 on the rear. Unfortunately this was held at Swindon while a succession of trains passed Bourton in weak autumn sunshine. Then of course when the sun had disappeared it was let out the loop, and passed me and the one other photographer in what can only be described as cloudy bright conditions, now running an hour behind schedule.

37025 Inverness TMD passes the oil depot on the site of Bremell Sidings (north west of Swindon) on 25 September 2018 with the 1Q18 06:47 Burton upon Trent Wetmore Sidings to Landore Network Rail test train. Colas liveried 37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 is bringing up the rear. The train had just reversed at Swindon, and is now heading for Wales via Gloucester. The sun was shining through a small gap between clouds as the train approached, but unfortunately although most of the train was fully lit, the immediate foreground was just starting to be affected by the next cloud, so some adjustment has been required in Photoshop to even things up!

It doesn't get much better than this! A privately owned large logo tractor on the nation network in perfect winter light. 37025 Inverness TMD passes Wolfhall on 17 January 2019 with the 3Z23 09:49 Exeter Riverside to Ferme Park Network Rail test train. This being one of the few spots where the sun was fully on the nose, it was naturally very popular with photographers!

A double surprise on the Rhymney Line on 8 July 2019. After being held at a red signal just out of sight amid the bushes, 37025 Inverness TMD & 37421 get under way again and approach Bargoed Viaduct with the 3Z36 15:47 Rhymney Sidings to Cardiff Canton Sidings crew training run. A pity the earlier sunshine had now disappeared!

Having just passed Collins Lane level crossing, near Purton, 37025 Inverness TMD heads towards Swindon on 29 September 2020 with the late running 1Q38 06:50 Derby RTC to Swansea Network Rail test train. 37116 is bringing up the rear. As this is a fairly nondescript location, I decided to include lots of sky in the picture, which worked out well, as the impressive cloud formation certainly improves the composition.

Grubby 37026 Shapfell and even filthier 37029 pass Didcot North Junction on 20 May 1992 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. This train was booked for a pair of Class 37s at this time, and consequently most sunny summer evenings were spent photographing it.

37029 heads south light engine past Radley on 9 July 1991. At the time RfD Class 37s were quite common in the Didcot area, as they were used on the MoD trains that had survived the end of Speedlink. Just visible amongst the trees directly above the nose of the loco is the Carfax Conduit, a stone structure that was removed from the crossroads in the centre of Oxford in 1797, and rebuilt in the grounds of Nuneham House.

37029 visited the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for their Diesel Gala on 1 August 1998. It is pictured here heading up the Bridgehouse Beck valley between Haworth and Oxenhaope. This is one of the locations used in the 1971 film 'The Railway Children'.

37029 & 37038 pass Portway on 22 April 2000 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 06:39 Swindon to Seal Sands 'Cleveland Crusader' railtour. This pair of 37/0s appeared on various railtours, rugby specials, and the like, around this time.

With the Teesport Oil Refinery dominating the background, 37029 & 37038 slowly traverse the Seal Sands branch on 22 April 2000 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 15:30 Seal Sands to Swindon 'Cleveland Crusader' railtour. Although this area of Port Clarence is still very industrial, it is nothing compared with a hundred years ago, when the area to the right of this picture was covered with a vast network of lines, serving a huge number of industrial sites, including salt works, soda works, lime works and coke ovens.

37029 & 37038 pass through Stockton station on 22 April 2000 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 15:30 Seal Sands to Swindon 'Cleveland Crusader' railtour. Out of sight on the rear is 56027. Stockton station is certainly a shadow of its former self, with just the two remaining brick walls showing where the original twin span overall roof was. This was removed in 1979.

After a completely dull day, the sun finally breaks through the clouds at Burton Salmon on 22 April 2000, as 37029 & 37038 head for home with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 15:30 Seal Sands to Swindon 'Cleveland Crusader' railtour.

Everyone in the front coach is obviously enjoying the noise, as 37029 slogs up the long 1 in 60 gradient towards Sugar Loaf Tunnel on 23 July 2000 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 07:49 Crewe to Llandrindod Wells 'Heart of Wales Line Excursion' railtour. The tour was running very late, not because the 37 was deputising for the unavailable 46035, but because there was no rostered guard at Birmingham New Street! Luckily a Virgin CrossCountry guard came to the rescue, taking the train on to Bristol Parkway.

In atrocious light, 37029 heads north along the Central Wales line with the late running Pathfinder Tours 1Z91 (despite what the headcode display says!) 17:10 Llandrindod Wells to Crewe 'Heart of Wales Line Excursion' on 23 July 2000. The location is just north of Dolau station, and luckily the train is still moving slowly after negotiating the open level crossing by the station. With the light level dictating 1/125sec with the lens wide open on Fujichrome 100, there wasn't much latitude!

37029 & 37038 pass Bayston Hill on 25 February 2001 with the 1Z10 09:55 Liverpool Lime Street to Cardiff Central, run in connection with the Football League Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium. The buildings of Tarmac's Bayston Hill Quarry dominate the background.

D6729 & 33202 Dennis G. Robinson rest between duties next to the rather futuristic looking carriage shed at Ongar station on 24 September 2017, during the Epping Ongar Railway's Diesel Gala. D6729 arrived at the railway in October 2010.

37031 & 37252 leave Cambridge on 14 September 1991 with the 2G34 10:45 Cambridge to King's Lynn special, during the Network South East Network Gala Day. The stock is a pair of Class 312 EMUs. Not the most photogenic location in the Cambridge area, being just off the ring road, next to the sewage works!

A slightly wider than normal view of the remains of Challow station on 29 October 1992, to show the work being done to relay the relief lines from here to Wantage Road. 37031 & 37026 Shapfell growl past the worksite with the 4L65 06:25 Pengam to Felixstowe freightliner. The new trailing point has already been installed (just visible in the background), but as yet there is no sign of any other track laying. The remains of the former down platform have just been cleared away, but the up platform is still extant. Not only would this last remnant of the station soon be swept away, but the two locomotives pictured here would not survive either.

D6732 (37032) Mirage passes High Kelling on the North Norfolk Railway with the 15:00 Sheringham to Holt service on 2 May 1998. 37032 was withdrawn from Tinsley depot in March 1994, although it had been in store unserviceable for over a year. Tinsley had unofficially named it Mirage in 1992, so this was perpetuated in preservation with cast plates in place of the previously painted ones. A cab full of volunteers enjoying some English Electric traction here!

D6732 (37032) Mirage approaches Weybourne station on 26 September 1998 with the 16:50 Sheringham to Holt service. Two of the North Norfolk Railway's other locomotives can be seen on the left: Hunslet 0-6-0ST No.1982 Ring Haw, and Class 11 0-6-0 diesel shunter 12131.

D6732 (37032) Mirage heads into the setting sun at Weybourne on 26 September 1998 with the 16:50 Sheringham to Holt service, passing one of the North Norfolk Railway's distinctive somersault signals. The line was original built by the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway, and the GNR was a prolific user of such signals.

The bridge at Weybourne comes in handy for keeping the sun out of the lens, as D6732 (37032) Mirage arrives at the station on 26 September 1998 with the 17:20 Holt to Sheringham service. Extreme backlighting often looks terrible, but with the bridge providing an ideal frame, and the prospect of a glint off the loco and coach roofs, this definitely makes an interesting composition.

37035 passes through Pangbourne cutting on 28 April 1993 with a short westbound spoil train. When the railway cut through the landscape here in 1840, it left the small section of high land seen on the left, which drops away naturally towards the River Thames just a few yards beyond the bushes.

A welcome burst of sunshine at Limpley Stoke on 12 August 1993, as 37035 passes the disused station building with the 2O87 09:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth Regional Railways service. Note the mix of liveries in the train. Regional Railways would be normal, and blue and grey highly likely, but the leading Network SouthEast Mk2 is a bit of an imposter! The wooden station building dates from 1857, and was closed to passengers in 1966.

37035 passes through Freshford station in miserable light on 12 August 1993 with the 2V87 16:30 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads Regional Railways service. Note the absence of any houses in this view. Freshford station is right at the end of the village, in the meadows next to the River Avon.

Revenue, and non revenue earning freight trains at Pilning on 17 March 1994. 37037 climbs out of the Severn Tunnel with the 7C46 14:03 East Usk Junction to Bristol East loaded ballast, passing 47363, which is waiting in the down loop with the 6B19 09:40 Exeter Riverside to Alexandra Dock Junction. This was one of the few wagonload freight services to survive the closure of the Speedlink network, a couple of years earlier. Construction work for the approach roads to the Second Severn Crossing can be seen in the background, and just visible in the far distance, the patchy sun is picking out the Severn Tunnel's red brick Sudbrook Pumping Station.

Under a dramatic sky, and catching the last rays of the setting sun, 37037 & 37376 round the curve at Yate on 24 July 1996 with the 4C06 20:00 Westerleigh to Stoke Gifford loaded Avon Binliner. They were deputising for the usual Class 58, and after seeing the train leave Westerleigh, I was just hoping the light would hold out while the locos ran round their train at Yate station.

37038 passes Crofton just after sunrise on 15 January 1991 with a featherweight ballast train. Kennet & Avon Canal Lock No. 57 can be seen in the background. The loco had only been in the DCWA Western Region engineer's fleet for a couple of weeks at this time, after previously having been allocated to the metals sector.

37038 crosses over the Oxford Canal near Upper Heyford on 14 March 1995 with a northbound train of loaded vacuum braked ballast hoppers. The bridge next to Heyford Common Lock can be seen in the background.

37038 accelerates away from Westerleigh on 11 November 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z63 05:27 Manchester Victoria to Newport 'Severnsider' railtour. I have seen very few pictures of this tour, possibly because of the atrocious weather!

37038 very slowly negotiates the slightly uneven track at Tytherington Quarry, as it arrives at the terminal with the late running Pathfinder Tours 1Z63 05:27 Manchester Victoria to Newport 'Severnsider' railtour on 11 November 1995. 31462 & 31467 can just be seen on the rear of the train.

37038 passes Hemington on 29 June 1996 with the 6L78 17:10 Longport to Harwich solvent empties. Even as late as the 1990s there was a considerable amount of chemical traffic on the railways, and generally being trains of moderate length were often in the hands of Class 37s.

Super power for the 7A13 05:55 Westbury to Appleford ARC stone train on 21 April 1997. 37038, 37203 & 37255 are seen approaching Circourt Bridge, Denchworth. I'm not sure if all three locos were under power, but it certainly sounded like it! Unfortunately not only are the locos filthy (especially 37038), but the head on lighting (this is taken at 07:35!) prevents this being anything other than a record shot.

Sunday engineering work in Devon on 26 September 1993 saw 37038 employed on a train of long welded rails. It is pictured here passing South Brent. This is the site of Brent station, the former junction for the Kingsbridge branch line. The cars on the left are parked up against the surviving Kingsbridge bay platform.

37038 passes Woofferton on 20 May 2000 with the 1V77 08:33 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central rugby special. Admittedly the bushes were even then becoming a little intrusive, but I was still surprised to be the only photographer here on this occasion.

An almost aerial view of Pontypridd station, taken on 4 June 2000. 37038 pulls into the station with the 5Z03 ECS from Stormstown Sidings, prior to working the 2Z03 13:40 Pontypridd to Treherbert special.

37038 passes Trehafod on 4 June 2000 with the 2Z04 14:46 Cardiff Queen Street to Treherbert special. This was one of a number of special trains worked by 37038 on this day, which had also included the line to Merthyr Tydfil.

37038 runs alongside the A4058 Rhondda Valley road at Tonypandy on 4 June 2000 with the 2Z05 16:13 Treherbert to Cardiff Central special. This was one of a series of special trains worked by 37038 on this (mostly!) gloriously sunny day.

A preserved loco to the rescue! Privately owned 37038 was helping out Freightliner on 16 July 2001, when it was employed on the 4M55 10:17 Millbrook to Lawley Street freightliner. It is seen here pulling away from Basingstoke. Far from a one off, 37038 appeared on a number of freightliners around this time, much to the delight of photographers.

37038 approaches Fenny Compton on 16 July 2001 with the 4M55 10:17 Millbrook to Lawley Street freightliner. Even without any particularly fast driving, it was easy to get this second picture, after initially seeing the train at Basingstoke.

Privately owned 37038 was hired to Freightliner during the summer of 2001 to cover for a shortage of locos. It is seen here passing Whitnash with the 4O17 15:50 Lawley Street to Millbrook freightliner on 16 July 2001.

37038 & 37197 approach Burrows Sidings on 16 March 2002 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:40 Sheffield to Onllwyn 'Valley Voyager' railtour. The locos would very shortly run round the train, prior to heading up the Neath Valley to Cwmgwrach, and then up the Dulais Valley to Onllwyn.

37038 passes Long Dyke Junction, Cardiff, on 6 July 2002 with the Monmouthshire Railway Society 1Z27 10:15 Newport to Margam Moors 'Demon Docker' railtour. Although the 37 was interesting enough, the real highlight of this tour was the traversal of the Cardiff Docks line behind 08951. This area of Cardiff is chiefly known for being the childhood home of singer Shirley Bassey, who was born in Tiger Bay, and then spent her early childhood in Splott, not far from this location.

37038 approaches Park Junction on 6 July 2002 with the Monmouthshire Railway Society 1Z27 16:30 Margam Moors to Newport 'Demon Docker' railtour. 37197 is bringing up the rear. After traversing various South Wales freight lines, the train is now heading for Ebbw Vale. Note the unmistakable industrial skyline of Newport in the background.

37038 & 37197 pass Pontrilas with the 1Z48 08:50 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central football special on 2 March 2003. This was for the Worthington Cup Final played between Liverpool and Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium, which incidentally, Liverpool won 2-0. Pontrilas station closed in 1964, but the signal box and loop remains, along with a fine collection of semaphore signals. Considering the amount of cloud all around, I was lucky to get this one in the sun!

37038 & 37197 storm through Craven Arms on 22 March 2003 with the 1Z66 08:05 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. Plenty of signs of former Great Western Railway ownership here, with lower quadrant signals, and a substantial stone built goods shed.

37038 passes Hinksey Yard (near Oxford) towing 87022 Cock o' the North as the 0Z87 11:46 Oxley to Wembley on 2 January 2008. The 87 is being returned to its home depot after the withdrawal of the remaining class members at the end of 2007, therefore making this one of its last mainline outings in this country. Luckily this working was running 23 minutes early. The shadows from the line of parked wagons in the yard on the left has already reached the wheels and if it had been running to time I would have had to have searched for an alternative location!

Miserable lighting conditions at Gossington on 13 December 2010 as 37038 & 37601 Class 37-'Fifty' pass by with the 6M56 12:41 Berkeley to Crewe nuclear flask. Unfortunately the DRS dark blue livery (both old and new version represented here) looks very drab in dull light, but nowadays any Class 37 working on the mainline is worth recording.

37038 & 37716 amble past Hinksey Yard on 30 March 2017 with the 5Z74 11:28 Eastleigh Arlington to Burton upon Trent Wetmore Sidings ECS. This was in preparation for the Pathfinder Tours 'Evening Lark', 'Night Owl' & 'Round Robin' railtours. The train had spent the previous 20 minutes sat in Kennington Goods Loop, just beyond the bridge in the background.

With a wave from the driver, 37040 weaves across from the down relief to the down main at Foxhall Junction, Didcot on 20 May 1992 whilst working the 6V99 13:53 Hamworthy to Cardiff Tidal steel train, Such is the unpredictability of freight, it is running one hour late and on the wrong day! There was a sudden burst of Class 37 activity here on this day, as 37213 was waiting for 37040 to complete its manouever before it could continue heading east.

37040 & 37227 head westwards along the Great Western Mainline at Bourton on 1 November 1994 with a loaded vacuum braked ballast train. This was in the days before readily available gen, and although I have working timetables from the period, this clearly is a special working, and therefore unfortunately unidentified, although presumably it had started from Didcot, as both locos were stabled there earlier in the day.

37040 comes to a halt at an adverse signal on the curve between Hartford C.L.C. and Hartford L.N.W. Junctions (near Northwich) on 1 August 1998. It is working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 05:45 Swindon to Burn Naze 'Ribble Nibble' railtour, with the help of 37293, which is out of sight on the rear of the train.

37040 emerges from Shakespeare Tunnel on 28 August 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 07:57 Finsbury Park to Sheerness-on-Sea 'Sandwich Dealer' railtour. The unusual ghostly white addition to the EWS livery is caused by the loco's recent use on the weedkilling train.

37040 comes off the Margate line at Faversham on 28 August 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 07:57 Finsbury Park to Sheerness-on-Sea 'Sandwich Dealer' railtour. Note the long footbridge in the background that spans both the Margate and the Canterbury lines, and passes the crumbling remains of Faversham engine shed.

Ghostly white 37040 races through Snodland station on 28 August 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z91 14:00 Sheerness-on-Sea to Finsbury Park 'Sandwich Dealer' railtour. I had selected this particular location to include the impressive (if slightly leaning!) Southern Railway bracket signal.

The distinctive North Eastern Railway signal box completely dominates this view of Wylam station on 15 November 1999. This is one of only two such over-line boxes to survive, the other being at nearby Hexham. Naturally both are grade II listed. 37040 passes through the station with the 6T95 08:50 Carlisle to Nunthorpe sandite train, with 37274 bringing up the rear.

With a Shark brakevan and five loaded ballast wagons in tow, 37042 descends the gradient towards Narroways Hill Junction, Bristol, on 3 March 1994. The abutments of the former Montpelier to Mangotsfield line is the foreground.

37042 passes Cockwood Harbour in lovely soft evening light on 3 May 1999 with the 6V70 08:57 Cliffe Vale to St Blazey china clay empties. Two things make this picture slightly unusual: the single Class 37 instead of the usual pair, and the uniform rake of CEA covered hopper wagons. There were in fact 30 CEA wagons in this train, plus three Cargowagons, out of sight on the rear of the train. As there were only 44 wagons converted from HEA hoppers to CEAs in 1996, this train represents over two thirds of the entire fleet! Note the boat named Nearly in the foreground. A shame there wasn't another one nearby called There!

37042 arrives at Bargoed station on 26 June 1999 with the 2F13 08:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central Cardiff Railway Company service. At the time this was normally a unit operated service, but loco haulage was substituted in connection with the inaugural rugby match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (Wales v South Africa, appropriately won by Wales).

37042 approaches Pontlottyn on 26 June 1999 with the 2R21 12:50 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. Loco hauled trains were operating to a revised timetable in connection with the inaugural rugby match at the new Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

37042 & 37372 pass Brentry on 8 June 2002 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:03 Crewe to Portbury Automotive Terminal ''Post Festive Freighter' railtour. I remember at the time getting a little bored with photographing EWS liveried Class 37s, which seemed to turn up everywhere. How times change!

37042 & 37410 Aluminium 100 pass Codsall Wood (between Wolverhampton and Telford) with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z37 06:00 Finsbury Park to Aberystwyth 'Cambrian Explorer' railtour on 8 February 2003. Participants could leave the train at Machynlleth, and travel to the Talyllyn Railway by bus, where they joined trains hauled by either Sir Haydn or Tom Rolt.

Under a perfect blue sky, 37042 & 37114 City of Worcester cross the Afon Leri at Ynyslas on 22 March 2003 with the Past Time Rail 1Z51 06:32 Milton Keynes to Aberystwyth 'Cambrian Growler' railtour. The scaffold pole constructed temporary walkway, which was serving as a public footpath alongside the bridge, was vibrating wildly, even though I am standing on the section that is front of the bridge. It's not that often that I stand so close to so much power, moving at such speed!

37043 passes a long since disused permanent way hut and the remains of a former footbridge as it passes Achallader on the West Highland Line with the 6Y45 06:36 Mossend to Fort William Enterprise service on 28 April 1998. For once it was a pleasant wait in the sunshine at this remote spot as the infamous Scottish midges that become unbearable later in the summer had yet to make an appearance. Also at this time of year the landscape shows a varied mixture of colours from green through brown almost to purple.

37044 & 37091 pass Hodgehill Farm, on the eastern edge of Kidderminster, with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z37 07:30 Finsbury Park to Bridgnorth 'Independent' (US Independence Day - 4 July) railtour on a slightly hazy 4 July 1987. Nice to see that at least 37044 appears to have specially cleaned for the occasion. The 37s would hand over to Western haulage on the Severn Valley Railway. D1062 Western Courier outward and D1013 Western Ranger return, The tour later visited the Great Central Railway, where haulage was courtesy of 40106 Atlantic Conveyor & LNER B1 Class 4-6-0 1306 Mayflower.

The noise from 37045 & 37225 disturbs a flock of birds, as the locos pass through Rhyl station on 11 August 1991 with the 1T37 09:30 Crewe to Llandudno special, one of a number of trains operating along the North Wales Coast with Railfreight traction, during the Trainload Coal Motive Power Day.

37045 & 37235 pass Goring with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner on 27 May 1992. During 1992 there were several freightliners in the Didcot area booked for Class 37 haulage, both from the south as here, and via the Swindon line from Wales. Luckily this train was booked to run along the relief line, which offers much better photographic opportunities in the low evening light.

37045 & 37116 Comet pass Pangbourne on 28 April 1993 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. It's a good job this wasn't running late, as the shadows would soon be causing real problems!

37046 passes through Water Orton station on 17 March 1989 with the 6M01 05:40 Lackenby to Wolverhampton steel. Although it as identifiable location, this was definitely not the best location to photograph this train, in terms of the lighting angle.

37046 & 37065 head west at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 28 June 1994. This view is no longer possible, not just because the line is now wired, but also trees and bushes by the lineside would most likely get in the way, or at the very least cast shadows right across the line for a late evening picture such as this.

37047 & 37114 City of Worcester round the curve at Old Denaby on 9 August 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z30 14:30 Edinburgh to Swindon 'Edinburgh & Borders Excursion' railtour. This was in the days when I used to spend a lot of time chasing railtours. In fact, the reason this less than ideal location was chosen, is that it was the best I could do, bearing in mind that I had just travelled up to Yorkshire from Kent (via the Dartford Tunnel) after seeing 37678 & 37417 on one of Rail Magazine's 'Ramsgate Day Out' specials!

37047 & 37058 arrive at a rather damp Carnforth station on 17 July 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z42 12:30 Rylstone Quarry to Reading 'Summer Syphony' railtour. The train is negotiating the sharp curve that connects the line from Settle Junction to the route from the Cumbrian Coast. The tall building is the original Furness Railway Signal Box, which closed as long ago as 1903. Note the sign stating that electric trains have no access to the Leeds branch (via Settle Junction), hardly surprising, as the route is not wired!

37047 brings up the rear of the 6T95 08:50 Carlisle to Nunthorpe sandite train at Middlesbrough on 26 November 2001. 37503 is leading. The transporter bridge in the background immediately identifies this location, even without reference to the Cleveland Roofing Centre!

37047 passes Dale Lane, Kirkby on 12 April 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 14:04 Preston to Reading 'Wizard Express' railtour. The train is slowing down on the approach to the junction with the Knowsley Freight Terminal branch, where it will reverse, with 37308 (out of sight behind the bushes on the rear of the train), taking it down the line to the freight terminal. I wonder how the fire on the cutting side started?

37047 & 37114 City of Worcester pass Shottesbrooke on 3 May 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z93 06:00 Yeovil Junction to Norwich 'Norwich & Norfolk Excursion' railtour. Coincidentally, both locos were withdrawn within a few weeks of each other in late 2007, and scrapped the following year at European Metal Recyclers at Kingsbury.

37047 accelerates away from Wraysbury, returning from Windsor & Eton Riverside, with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z91 'Buffer Puffer - The Return!' railtour on 20 March 2004. With so few Class 37s left in service with EWS at the time, it must have been quite an achievement to get two Mainline blue locos for the tour - 37203 was on the rear working top'n'tail. The train is just approaching a footpath crossing, and although not apparent here, the whole area on both sides of the line consists largely of lakes.

37047 approaches Chessington North station on 20 March 2004 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z91 'Buffer Puffer - The Return!' railtour. The train would shortly return, after reversing at the end of the line, less than a mile away, at Chessington South.

37047 passes through Thames Ditton station on 20 March 2004, en-route to Hampton Court, with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z91 'Buffer Puffer - The Return!' railtour. Less than an hour later it would be back, this time with 37203 leading.

37047 & 37109 approach Cam & Dursley with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:28 Crewe to Whatley  'Industrial Invader' railtour on 18 September 2004. The tour was heading for Sharpness - the first of a number of freight only branches traversed during the day. Photographed in terrible light, at least at this point the tour was running exactly to time - a situation that was not to last!

Mass vegetation clearance at Kemble (on the Gloucester to Swindon line), has resulted in this previously impossible view from above the tunnel being opened up. Despite this new location, I was the only person there to witness 37047 & 37109 accelerate out of Kemble station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:28 Crewe to Whatley 'Industrial Invader' railtour on 18 September 2004.

After a fruitless attempt to find a decent photographic location alongside the River Avon in the Sea Mills and Shirehampton area of Bristol, for the final shot of the day of the Pathfinder Tours 'Industrial Invader' railtour on 18 September 2004, I ended up at the tried and tested location of Hallen Marsh Junction, deep in the Avonmouth industrial complex. Catching the last rays of the setting sun 37047 & 37109 take the Filton line now running as the 1Z38 (15:21 booked, 16:37 actual) Whatley to Crewe. Despite the 76 minute late departure from Whatley, the tour had managed to make up a lot of time, and luckily in view of the rapidly failing light is pictured here running only 21 minutes down.

On 24 June 1995, 37048 propels the stock of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:56 Bristol Temple Meads to Marchwood 'Logistician' railtour from the down line into the up platform at Andover, prior to working down the Ludgershall Branch (on the left) to visit the Army Depot. As can be seen by the heaving platform, all passengers were required to detrain while this shunt manoeuvre was being performed. 37371 waits to attach the rear of the train. The main attraction of this tour was visiting two Army Depots in one day (Ludgershall and Marchwood). Although it looks like 37048 has had some degree of cleaning for this tour (note the painted cab steps) it was in fact a replacement for the original tour locomotive (37098), which had failed at Didcot.

After having just backed into the up platform at Andover with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:56 Bristol Temple Meads to Marchwood 'Logistician' railtour on 24 June 1995, 37048 moves forward onto the Ludgershall Branch, before attaching 37371 to the rear, and then heading off for the army depot at Ludgershall.

37048 & 37371 pass through the disused Marchwood station on 24 June 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:56 Bristol Temple Meads to Marchwood 'Logistician' railtour. The tour would shortly tour the MoD site using a pair of Army locos. Marchwood station closed to passengers in 1966.

With the twisted spire of Chesterfield church just visible in the distance, 37051 passes Hasland on 27 February 1992 with a short scrap train. The distance SSA scrap wagons were built between 1978 and 1984, and were initially coded POA.

37051 passes Twerton on 12 October 1994 with westbound ballast empties. Despite being a very short train, it still contains three distinct wagons types. The houses on the outskirts of Bath can be seen in the background, with Stothert and Pitt Cricket Club's pavilion in the middle distance.

37051 heads east past the site of Shrivenham station on 1 November 1994 with a lengthy train of ballast empties. 37051 had for a long time been a Scottish locomotive, and at this time had only just been moved south to take up infrastructure duties. It would later become one of the first locomotives to receive the EWS red and gold livery.

37051 Merehead has 47270 Cory Brothers 1842-1992 dead in tow, as it passes Clay Mills (Hargate) at midday on 28 March 1997 with an unidentified southbound freightliner. The 47 had clearly failed, but I have been unable to identity the working. Any information would be gratefully received.

37051 Merehead brings up the rear of the Hertfordshire Railtours 11:10 Victoria to Dungeness 'Dungeness Pebbledasher' railtour at Lydd on 8 September 2002. It is passing the old Lydd Town station building. 73136 & 73133 were the lead locomotives. The Dungeness water tower can be seen in the background, and on the extreme right, the old lighthouse.

37051 Merehead is pictured amid the pebble dunes and grass at Dungeness on 8 September 2002 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 'Dungeness Pebbledasher' railtour. The train arrived behind 73136 & 73133, which can be seen next to the nuclear flask loading gantry in the background.

After a generally cloudy day, the sun finally makes an appearance as 37051 Merehead passes Kingsnorth on 8 September 2002 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 14:15 Dungeness to Victoria 'Dungeness Pebbledasher' railtour. 73136 & 73133 are on the rear of the train. In the background the A2070 Ashford to Rye road can be seen paralleling the railway.

37051 & 37717 Berwick Middle School, Railsafe Trophy Winners 1998 pass through a very wet Worplesdon station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 06:00 Gloucester to Salisbury 'Moon Raker' railtour on 13 December 2003. The blue van only parked in the nearest corner of the car park just before the train came, and then promptly left again. He wasn't even a photographer!

37051 & 37717 round the curve between Laverstock South and Tunnel Junctions at Salisbury with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 06:00 Gloucester to Salisbury 'Moon Raker' railtour in pouring rain on 13 December 2003. The line in the background is the Laverstock North to South chord, which had just witnessed the passage of Southern Railway 4-6-2 34067 Tangmere, which of course I was not in a position to photograph from this bridge!

37053 & 37154 Johnson Stevens Agencies pass the long disused platforms of Challow station on 17 July 1992 with the 4L65 06:25 Pengam to Felixstowe freightliner. Work had just started to reinstate the down relief line, although at this stage just the exit point has been installed. The platform in the foreground only had a few months to live, and although the main earth bank would survive, the coping stones visible here would soon succumb to the track improvements.

37054 approaches Ely station on 24 April 1982 with the 1L35 16:00 King's Lynn to Liverpool Street service. The world famous Ely Cathedral dominates the background of this view, which is taken from Middle Fen Bank. The train is just about to cross the River Great Ouse for the second time within a few hundred yards, before arriving at Ely station, which is just off to the left of the picture.

Not much of a load for 37054, as it approaches Water Orton on 17 March 1989. At this time the loco was working out of Immingham on metals traffic. It would have another decade in service, before being withdrawn in April 1999. It was cut up four years later.

37054 passes Ashchurch on 17 April 1991 with the 8M01 07:22 Radyr to Bescot departmental working. The inclusion of the LPG tank at the rear is unusual enough, but what makes this picture noteworthy is the Charterail road rail vehicle in the middle of the train. Charterail was set up the previous year to offer customers a swap body service after the demise of Speedlink. Unfortunately the idea didn't work, and the company went into liquidation in 1992.

37055 & 37378 pass through Pangbourne cutting on 28 April 1993 with the 4O81 07:05 Coatbridge to Southampton Maritime freightliner. Just the other side of the tree covered cutting is the A329 Reading to Oxford road and the River Thames.

37055 approaches Althorne (near Burnham-on-Crouch) on 22 July 1993 with the 7L72 09:46 Willesden to Southminster nuclear flask. This train served Bradwell Power Station, which was an operational nuclear plant between 1962 and 2002. This train only ran on Thursdays, and such was the intensity of service on the branch (or more to the point, the limited capacity caused by the long sections of single track), that one of the daily passengers trains was cancelled on a Thursday to accommodate it!

37055 arrives at Fambridge station on 22 July 1993 with the 7M73 12:45 Southminster to Willesden nuclear flask. It would wait here until 321341 arrived with the 12:05 Liverpool Street to Southminster Network SouthEast service. It could then proceed along the single track line towards Wickford. Apart from the locomotive, something else that dates this view is the number of red cars in the car park. Nowadays, with most cars being some variation of silver, grey or black, or some other dark hue, there would probably be only one red car, if any at all, in a car park of this size.

37055 & 31452 Minotaur pass Sutton Bridge Junction on 2 September 2000 with the A1A Charters / Railtours North West 1Z36 06:34 Lancaster to Cardiff Central Heart of Wales Explorer. As the name implies, the train would later traverse the single track Central Wales line via Llandrindod Wells.

Immaculate ex-works 37057 Viking & 37051 Merehead (at the time the only two Class 37s in the then new EWS livery) approach Clink (near Frome) on 21 June 1996 with the 1Z56 09:30 Euston to Cranmore special conveying guests to a double Foster Yeoman Class 59 naming ceremony. As well as the repaints, 37051 had been named Merehead especially for the event, which ironically could not take place at Merehead Quarry due to space and safety constraints. The East Somerset Railway's station at Cranmore was chosen instead..

After taking the conventional picture of the 7H44 11:05 Oakleigh to Tunstead stone empties approaching Chinley station on 10 March 1997, I turned round to get a picture of the train heading eastwards, framed by the station footbridge. The ex-works condition of 37057 Viking & 37707 brings a splash of colour to the scene.

With the chimney and cooling towers of Didcot Power Station dominating the background, 37057 Viking & 36370 bask in the winter sunshine at Didcot Parkway station on 4 December 1999. Lurking in the shadows behind 37057 are: 37892 Ripple Lane, 66012 & 37375.

37057 looks superb in the late afternoon light, as it passes Aslockton on 14 March 2016 with the 3Q01 08:34 Derby RTC to Derby RTC (via Skegness) Network Rail test train. With this being one of the few decent unobstructed viewpoints on the Grantham to Nottingham line, I was surprised to be the only photographer here. I was also lucky with the sun, as a little earlier it had been very hazy, but was back up to full strength by the time this was due. 37175 is the rear locomotive.

37057 slowly pushes the 3Q13 09:07 Derby RTC to Oxford Down Carriage Siding Network Rail test train through Kingham station on 19 October 2016. DBSO 9701 is leading. This train was timed for 75mph, but was doing much less than half that here. Unfortunately the lighting was terrible, despite the fact that just a mile to the west the sun was out. I deliberately chose this viewpoint, as it is an identifiable location, and the available gap between the new footbridge on which I am standing, and the roadbridge would ideally suit this short train.

D6757 (37057) passes Shipton on 29 November 2017 with the 1Z22 08:14 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding Network Rail test train. Colas liveried 37254 is on the rear. I seem to be having a lot of very close calls with clouds nearly ruining pictures lately. Although not at all obvious here, just a couple of seconds before I pressed the shutter, the foreground of this picture was in shade. Luckily the clouds were moving very quickly, but when I heard the train approaching it was still completely cloudy, with the sun only reappearing as the train came through the station!

D6757 (37057) passes Lyneham on 30 November 2017 with the 1Z23 08:16 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train, with 37254 Cardiff Canton bringing up the rear. This train had just detected a track problem near Finstock, which caused several cancellations, and some late running for the rest if the day. Most locations on the southern section of the Cotswold Line are backlit for this train, but I chose this spot as I particularly like the way the small wood forms an ideal backdrop for the short train.

37057 passes Chilson on 25 January 2018 with the 1Z23 07:13 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train. 37116 is bringing up the rear. I was very lucky with the sun here, as a few minutes after it had passed the first of the afternoon's clouds blotted out the sun. Ten minutes earlier there was hardly a cloud visible anywhere.

Travelling very slowly, D6757 (37057) passes Kemble Wick on 8 August 2019 with the 3Q64 10:20 Canton Pullmans to Canton Pullmans (via Swindon) Network Rail test train. It was completely cloudy when the train left Kemble Tunnel (just visible in the background), but got brighter as the train approached, and then the sun came out. However, this only lasted for a few seconds, as can be seen from the background. There's nothing like being in the right place at the right time!

Looking immaculate and sounding superb, 37057 leads the 1Z96 14:00 Derby RTC to Cardiff Canton Network Rail test train past Bredon on 13 June 2021, with not quite so immaculate 37219 bringing up the rear. A problem in the Kings Norton area had severely delayed this working, and although it was 44 minutes late at one point, thankfully it was only 9 minutes late here.

37057 Barbara Arbon moves from Network Rail to Severn Valley Railway tracks at Kidderminster on 22 July 2021 with the 5Z21 07:24 Neville Hill to Kidderminster, conveying HST power cars 43251, 43257, 43044 & 43274 for short term storage.

After having arrived at the Severn Valley Railway with the 5Z21 07:24 Neville Hill to Kidderminster, comprising HST power cars 43251, 43257, 43044 & 43274, 37057 Barbara Arbon reverses the convoy into the SVR's Kidderminster station.

37058 passes Horsemoor on 16 August 1988 with the 6E16 13:40 Duxford to Tees Speedlink. Most of the train has originated at Ciba-Geigy's works, and includes four empty PAA urea wagons in the centre of the train, which heading back to Middlesbrough. Just visible in the background, on the left, is the remote Fifties Farm, which like a lot of the isolated Fenland houses, can be seen for miles around in the flat landscape.

In failing light, 37058 & 37066 cross the viaduct over the River Great Ouse at Radwell on 21 May 1989 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1T14 18:10 Leicester to St Pancras railtour, the last of a number of specials operating over the Midland Mainline during the InterCity Diesel Day.

During Spring and Summer 1999 there was a shortage of available Class 37/4s on the North Wales Coast line, with the result that several 37/0s were used. Such was the case on 29 May 1999, when 37058 was pressed into service on the 1G96 08:36 Holyhead to Birmingham New Street service. It is pictured here approaching Rhyl in extremely gloomy conditions. Behind the locomotive is Marine Lake, around which runs the Rhyl Miniature Railway, the oldest miniature railway in the country.

Making a welcome change from the usual Regional Railways liveried Class 37/4s, spilt box 37/0 37058 passes Valley on 29 May 1999 with the 1D71 12:07 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead service. A few months later 37058 would be exported to France to work ballast trains during the construction of the new TGV Méditerranée line.

A extremely tatty 37059 & slightly less grubby 37058 pass Aisgill on 20 July 1996 with the Class 37 Group 1Z37 07:55 Kings Cross to Carlisle 'Settle Syphons' railtour. It was very nearly a meeting of classic traction, as D172 was also on a railtour over the Settle & Carlisle, although from the opposite direction.

37059 brings up the rear of the 1Q13 Tyseley to Tyseley Network Rail test train at Wolvercote on 2 August 2011. 37038 is the lead locomotive. Just visible in the background under the bright is the signal for the Cotswold Line, showing amber along with the 'feathers'. I do not normally take going away shots, but as I was unable to get out in time for the southbound working, and as I specifically wanted to be at this location for 1Z57, I relented. For some reason there doesn't appear to be any red tail light showing, which is a bonus. And no, I have not Photshopped it out!

37059 & 37069 pass Up Hatherley on 20 June 2017 with the 6M56 13:41 Berkeley to Crewe, conveying a single container of low level nuclear waste, which had originated from AERE Harwell. Note the piles of logs behind the train, the result of recent vegetation clearance at this location.

37059 & 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 pass Bretforton on 5 May 2020 with the 5Z50 08:00 Mid Norfolk Railway Siding to Long Marston ECS, conveying ten ex Greater Anglia Mk3 coaches for storage. Ideally I would have liked to have travelled further north to a location where the sun would have been on the front. However, with the present restrictions, a more local and rarely visited location was chosen. At least this viewpoint does include the whole train, and there is certainly an impressive cloudscape in the background.

37061 passes Portway on 19 August 1985 with the 1V32 10:30 York to Penzance service. The use of a Class 37 on this working was repeated several times during the summer. Strangely there is not one person leaning out of a window, in contrast to a picture I have seen of 37024 working the same train a few weeks earlier, when virtually every passenger seems to be hanging out of the windows enjoying the noise!

37063 passes Clay Mills (Hargate) on 4 September 1991 with the 6V14 08:00 Hull Saltend to Baglan Bay acetic acid tanks. The third tank appears to have had some accident damage. 37063 would survive in traffic for another 3 years, it would then be stored unserviceable for a further 5 years, before being officially withdrawn in January 1999. It was cut up at Kingsbury in 2001.

I only just got this one in the sun! 37065 finds its only little patch of sunshine as it leaves Didcot Yard and approaches Didcot North Junction with a train of spoil wagons for the nearby Appleford civil engineers tip. The date is 2 July 1997, and although the Mainline livery looks fresh here, it was already obsolete, and would soon be swept aside in a sea of EWS red.

37065 passes Oving on 18 October 2003 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z66 08:21 Victoria to Portsmouth Harbour 'Lost Sheep' railtour. This was one of 37065's last workings, it being placed into store shortly afterwards. It was cut up in 2007.

With the River Dee estuary in the background, 37066 & 37142 pass Ffynnongroyw on 20 May 1995 with the 1T78 15:05 Crewe to Llandudno special. This was one of a number of trains organised by the Crewe Rail Events Committee, and marketed as the North Wales Coast Motive Power Day.

37068 Grainflow passes underneath the distinctive footbridge at Narroways Hill Junction, as it heads north from Bristol on 10 August 1989 with the 6B97 12:10 Tavistock Junction to Gloucester Speedlink. As was often the case, this was running early.

37068 Grainflow & 37128 approach Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 14 August 1992 with the 4L65 06:25 Pengam to Felixstowe freightliner. Note the orange peg and recently leveled ballast in the foreground, which marks the start of the work to reinstate the down relief line. Over two decades later similar indications of new work can be seen here. However, this time it is for the much less welcome (from a photographic point of view) forthcoming electrification.

37068 Grainflow & 37108 pass Briton Ferry on 2 October 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 05:20 Preston to Cwmgwrach 'Neath Navigator' railtour, passing lines of stored wagons, including well over a hundred redundant HBA domestic coal hoppers. In the foreground, on the left, initial preparation work is taking place for the construction of Briton Ferry station, which opened the following summer.

37068 Grainflow & 37108 bring up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 05:20 Preston to Cwmgwrach 'Neath Navigator' railtour at Grovesend Colliery Loop on 2 October 1993. 37704 & 37889 are leading the train, and are just about to pass underneath the M4 motorway, which at this point is just three miles from its western end.

37068 Grainflow & 37108 pass Briton Ferry on 2 October 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z16 16:20 Cwmgwrach to Preston 'Neath Navigator' railtour. This was my second photo of this train in the area, as in the morning I had photographed it going the other way from the bridge in the background.

Golden late evening lighting at Tackley on 23 May 2009 as 37069 & 37602 head northwards with the Spitfire Railtours 1Z45 16:36 Weymouth to Crewe 'Wessexman' railtour. Although running exactly to time at Didcot the train was five minutes early at Tackley which implies some very fast running through Oxford. In the still air the pair of tractors could easily be heard approaching from several miles away.

37069 slowly approaches Charlbury on 7 September 2016 with the 1Q05 08:24 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding (via Weymouth) Network Rail Test Train. 37608 is the rear locomotive. It would have to wait in Charlbury station for 17 minutes, while the 1W29 11:20 Paddington to Great Malvern GWR 180 unit cleared the long single track section from Wolvercote Junction.

37069 accelerates away from Charlbury station (just out of sight behind the bushes) on 7 September 2016 with the 1Q05 08:24 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding (via Weymouth) Network Rail Test Train. 37608 is the rear locomotive. It had being waiting for the 1W29 11:20 Paddington to Great Malvern GWR 180 unit to clear the single track section from Wolvercote Junction.

37069 passes Chaddington Lane (Near Wootton Bassett) on 8 September 2016 with the 1Q05 06:53 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train, with 37608 on the rear. I had chosen this location because the sun would be at an ideal angle. That naturally ensured that there wasn't any at the crucial moment!

37069 arrives at Honeybourne on 1 April 2017 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z78 16:20 Long Marston to Crewe 'Round Robin' railtour. This had left Long Marston half an hour late, and consequently lost its path over the Cotswold Line. Most of the photographers waiting on the bridge for this were expecting full sun, as a large blue patch was developing, after a massive storm had passed over. Unfortunately a stubborn cloud stayed in front of the sun, until the next batch of storm clouds arrived from the west!

37069 passes Badsey on 1 April 2017 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z78 16:20 Long Marston to Crewe 'Round Robin' railtour, now running an hour late, due to its late departure from Long Marston causing it to lose its path over the Cotswold Line.

37069 & 37716 approach Banbury on 2 April 2017 with the 5Z79 15:00 Crewe Down Refuge Siding to Eastleigh Arlington ECS. This was the loco and stock off the previous day's Pathfinder Tours 1Z77 10:35 Crewe to Long Marston 'Round Robin' railtour. The train is running along the up relief line, as it would be held a Banbury in order to allow a CrossCountry Voyager to pass. The clouds in the background add to the picture, but the ones off to the left, near the sun, very nearly ruined the picture. Perhaps I was in luck with the sun because of who I was stood next to!

37069 & 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 & 37069 pass Spooner Row on 14 August 2021 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z11 17:03 Norwich to Eastleigh 'Cambridge & Norfolk Explorer' railtour. Although by this time in the afternoon it was almost completely cloudy, there were a couple of minutes of sunshine just before this appeared, giving absolutely perfect light. My luck ran out this time! The disused Spooner Row Signal Box can be seen in the background.

37070 & 37013 pass Horsemoor on 16 August 1988 with a southbound freightliner. The working timetable makes no mention of a liner in the early afternoon. Surely this isn't the late running 4L97 20:54 Coatbridge to Felixstowe, which although booked for a two hour crew change at nearby March, should have passed by several hours earlier.

37072 rounds the sharp curve at Firsby on 17 September 1988 with the 1D17 09:20 Sheffield to Skegness service. Note the crudely applied loco number between the marker lights on the plated over headcode box. This is the rebuilt end of the loco, while the other end still retains the original spilt headcode box configuration.

37072 & 37264 pass Coopers Metals Ltd's scrapyard at Swindon on 3 December 1994, as they slowly approach Highworth Junction with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z60 07:50 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads 'Westerleigh Wizard' railtour, after traversing the short remaining section of the Highworth branch, led by 47705.

After an entire day of dreadful light and intermittent rain, the sun finally made a very brief appearance on 3 December 1994, as 37072 & 37264 commenced their journey back to London after visiting various branch lines in the Swindon and Bristol area with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z60 'Westerleigh Wizard' railtour. It is seen here rounding the curve from Hallen Marsh Junction onto the freight only line to Filton, glinting nicely in the late afternoon sun. 47705 can be seen on the rear of the train. The tour had already visited Didcot Power Station, the remains of the Highworth Branch at Swindon, and Avonmouth. However, the tour was not quite over, as on the way back it would visit the Westerleigh Branch.

37072 & 37678 pass Ashley on 10 May 1997 with the 7F48 07:30 Tunstead to Northwich vacuum brake limestone hoppers. Needless to say I was not impressed that after the long drive to get here, the sun disappeared at the crucial moment!

Visiting Mainline Freight 37074 passes Waterside (near Goodrington) in superb evening light on 25 May 1996 with the 17:40 Kingswear to Paignton engineer's train, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala.

A pair of Mainline Freight blue Class 37s, but unfortunately no blue sky! 37074 & 37371 pass Spetchley on 15 May 1997 with the 7M56 13:15 Berkeley to Bescot nuclear flasks. A slightly different shade of blue would be seen on this working from the following year, when DRS took over the operation of nuclear flask trains.

37075 & 37110 pass the abandoned sidings at Severn Tunnel Junction on 15 April 1991 with the 6E47 11:22 Cardiff Tidal to Tees Yard steel empties. Both these locomotives originally had split headcode boxes, but due to accident damage, 37075 received the flush front seen here, whilst still retaining its split boxes on the other end.

Surrounded by various workshop paraphernalia, 37075 is pictured inside Haworth shed at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway on 10 March 2019. In its two decades as a preserved locomotive, 37075 has visited several heritage lines, finally arriving in Yorkshire in 2012.

37075 pictured inside the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway's exhibition shed at Oxenhope on 13 March 2022. Note the plastic bags over the buffers, to prevent any visitors accidentally getting covered in grease!

37078 & 37371 pass underneath the minor road bridge at Stoke Gifford on 6 May 1989 with the 6B14 10:10 Theale to Robeston oil empties. The bridge has now been replaced with one with increased headroom for the 25kV overhead wires. 37078 appears to have slightly larger than normal numbers, which are also definitely in a higher position than normal.

37079 heads west through Chinley on 20 October 1983 with a loaded coal train, consisting of vintage 16 ton wagons. I have been unable to positively identify this working, as the only westbound coal train in the working timetable anywhere near the time is the 7M27 06:58 Tinsley to Garston, which in any case was booked for air braked hoppers. That should have passed at 08:40, and this is two hours later. Note the total lack of high visibility clothing, as the two workmen erect the new lineside fence.

37079 passes Stenson Junction on 16 October 1986 with a short rake of Mk1 coaches. Presumably these are condemned vehicles, as even in the 1980s BR didn't use coaches with missing windows (note the centre coach with its low-tech air conditioning)!

37079 Medite passes South Moreton on 28 August 1991 with the 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores, consisting of just a single empty Warwell wagon. 37079 had received its Medite name a couple months earlier, marking the relationship between RfD and Medite Shipping.

Superb evening light at Ribblehead Viaduct on 20 July 1996, as 37087 & 37095 head north with the 6M90 16:48 Gascoigne Wood to Carlisle British Fuels containerised coal. For a time in the late 1990s this was the top freight working over the Settle & Carlisle line. The combination of bright red boxes and classic traction (either pairs of 37s or a 56) was hard to beat. On this occasion my usual bad luck with the S&C weather was replaced by probably the best lighting conditions I have ever seen on the line.

With dark clouds threatening rain hanging over the Cotswold Hills in the background, 37087 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway & 37194 power away from Cheltenham and pass Up Hatherley with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z57 05:40 Tame Bridge Parkway to Par Harbour 'Curnow Irrupter' railtour on 28 May 2011. 66135 is hiding under the bridge at the rear of the train.

37092, 37158 & 37197 shatter the peace of the Devon coast as they blast up the gradient from Goodrington on 20 June 1993 with the 14:10 Paignton to Kingswear service, during the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway's Diesel Gala. The trio had earlier worked the 1Z60 08:40 Paddington to Paignton relief. Triple headed 37 railtours have happened on a few occasions, but three 37s on a BR organised relief must be quite unusual!

37092 gets a break from its usual civil engineer's duties on 25 June 1993, and is called upon to work a Class 1 train for a change. Presumably there was no Res Class 47 available to work the 1E45 16:30 Swindon to Newcastle Royal Mail vans, but it was obviously not a last minute problem, because 37092 was running exactly on time when it was photographed passing Hinksey Yard.

A busy scene of weekend engineering work at Uffington on 1 August 1993. Running wrong line, 37092 & 37158 slowly move forward with the Redland self-discharge train during track relaying operations. Another Class 37 waits on the down line, and several engineering vehicles and wagons are parked in the up loop. I had already taken a picture of 37158 & 37092 while they were in a photographable position on the other side of the bridge, but couldn't resist this picture, which also shows the new pointwork set out on the site of Uffington's former goods yard in the background.

A Sunday engineering possession on 27 October 1996 sees 37095 standing 'wrong line' in the rain in Kingham station. The Cotswold Line's vintage bullhead track was finally being replaced, and the train contains recovered track panels waiting to be taken to Hinksey Yard. Work to recover more old track can just be seen going on in the background. There are not many occasions where the light has been so bad that I have had to use a ½sec exposure during the daytime!

A welcome surprise at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 14 March 1995 was the sight of a pair of Class 37s working the 6C44 09:46 Appleford to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties, in place of the usual Class 59. 37097 & 37037 move slowly along the down relief line, prior to a brief stop at Challow. This naturally allowed another picture to be taken at Baulking.

37097 & 37037 pass Baulking on 14 March 1995 with the 6C44 09:46 Appleford to Merehead Mendip Rail stone empties. I had already photographed this train at Circourt Bridge, but in view of the fact that Class 37s were not the normal traction on this service, another shot just had to be taken, despite the deteriorating weather conditions.

37097 & 37407 Blackpool Tower approach Llandeilo on 25 October 1997 with the RT Railtours 1Z43 07:08 Leeds to Cardiff Central 'Sugar Loaf' railtour. I'm not really a fan of this type of track level close pictures, but this seemed to be one of the few locations in the area that wasn't plagued by shadows.

37097 & 37407 Blackpool Tower pass Miskin on 25 October 1997 with the RT Railtours 1Z43 07:08 Leeds to Cardiff Central 'Sugar Loaf' railtour. This is an easy location to get to if chasing a railtour (as here), as it is situated adjacent to Junction 34 on the M4.

37097 growls through Goole on 13 April 1998 with the 6V14 07:30 Hull Saltend to Baglan Bay acetic acid tanks. This was to be 37097's last year in traffic, being stored unserviceable at the start of 1999. Thankfully it would be spared the cutter's torch, and can now be seen at the Caledonian Railway.

A panoramic view of Bristol East Yard on 30 October 1992, as 37098 arrives with the 9B19 18:52 (the previous day) Tavistock Junction to Gloucester New Yard departmental working. Although sunny, there was still a lot of mist, which unfortunately rather spoils the view of Bristol in the background.

37098 ambles along the as yet to be commissioned new up relief line at Denchworth (Circourt Bridge) on 16 March 1994 with a short engineers train. On the left, the new down relief line is already in use. Note the recently planted trees at the far end of the field behind the train. These have subsequently grown into a fully fledged wood, blocking out the view of the buildings in the background.

37099 Clydebridge looks superb in the low winter sun at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 21 December 1992, as it heads back to South Wales with the Didcot Power Station to Cardiff Tidal empty oil tanks. At this time the former relief lines were being reinstated, with the sleepers for the down line already in place. Also, just visible in the background behind the signal gantry, is the temporary bridge in position while the Denchworth road bridge is constructed.

Not going anywhere in a hurry! 37099 stands on its only little section of track, next to Norwich Road, Dereham, on 14 December 1997. The loco only spent a brief period of time at the Mid Norfolk Railway, before being moved the short distance to the North Norfolk Railway, for restoration. Note the rusty mark where the Clydebridge nameplate was once fixed.

37099 stands in the yard at Weybourne on 2 May 1998. The locomotive only spent a year at the North Norfolk Railway, before being moved to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, where it was restored to operation as 37324. Introduced in 1962 as D6799, the loco became 37099 with the advent of TOPS. It was renumbered 37324 in 1986, before reverting to 37099 in 1989.

37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 passes Oaksey on 25 September 2018 with the 1Q18 06:47 Burton upon Trent Wetmore Sidings to Landore Network Rail test train. 37025 Inverness TMD is on the rear. Despite the Met Office and the BBC predicting a cloudless day, there was a lot of cloud floating around, and we were lucky to get this in the sun.

37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 passes Wolvercote Junction on 31 October 2018 with the 1Z01 13:15 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding Network Rail test train. 37175 is bringing up the rear. For some reason the train was briefly stopped at a red signal just around the corner, which was annoying, as the 2M40 14:09 Didcot Parkway to Banbury DMU was rapidly approaching from behind, and it sped past just a few seconds after I took this picture. A close call! This train replaced one that should have traversed the Cotswold Line in a much earlier path, and although of course I could have taken a picture of that train here, I had already worked out that it wasn't running before I left home. This therefore was a welcome bonus, although as it was a last minute addition, I may not have noticed it, so was grateful that a friend sent me a text informing me that it was on the way.

37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 brings up the rear of the 1Z23 09:37 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train at Whitehill (between Combe and Finstock) on 1 November 2018. Classmate 37175 is leading. Note the extensive tree clearance work on the left. Presumably the chainsaw gang (who could be heard at work in the distance) will soon be tackling the other side.

37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 passes Wolvercote on 17 November 2019, towing failed Plasser and Theurer USP 5000 RT Ballast Regulator DR 77901, running as the 6Z88 12:45 Swindon Transfer to Rugby. There was a 22 minute delay in leaving Swindon, as the crew had unsuccessfully requested to go via Kemble, eliminating the need to run round in Swindon station. I had gone to this location as I expected the whole of Port Meadow to be under water, in view of the recent heavy rain. Although there were extensive floods off to the right in the distance, I was surprised that there was only a very small flood at this Wolvercote Common end of Port Meadow.

37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 passes over the public footpath crossing at Oaksey on 20 January 2022, as it heads back towards Gloucester with the 3Q64 10:20 Canton Pullmans to Canton Pullmans (via Swindon) Network Rail test train. It was travelling extremely slowly, certainly less than 30mph.

37100 & 37074 slowly approach Berkeley Road on 1 July 1990 with a returning mini-railtour from Sharpness, one of a number of Pathfinder Tours specials run in connection with the Gloucester Rail Day. Note the modified front end of this former split headcode box locomotive.

Nearly a month after the demise of the Speedlink network, there was still some wagonload services operating in the Oxford area. 37101 passes Hinksey Yard on 1 August 1991 with a single VEA van containing military equipment, running as the 6M43 14:08 Bicester to Lawley Street MoD stores. This is heading for Morris Cowley, where it would pick up a rake of empty HEA coal hoppers, before running round, and heading back north.

37101 passes Hinksey Yard on 1 August 1991 with the 6M43 14:08 Bicester to Lawley Street MoD stores, which on this occasion includes a rake of empty HEA coal hoppers from Morris Cowley. Even though the Speedlink network had finished a few weeks earlier, this wasn't the only Class 37 hauled wagonload train seen here on this day, as an hour later 37009 passed by with the 6M79 15:08 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores. Note how overgrown the yard in the background is, as this was long before it became the import ballast and engineering centre that it is now.

Viewed from above the entrance to Wolvercote Tunnel, 37107 emerges from the mist on 27 November 1991 with the 6A49 12:23 Didcot to Bicester MoD stores. Whilst most wagonload traffic had ceased four months earlier with the demise of the Speedlink network, military traffic carried on much as before. Apologies for the exceedingly poor quality of this image, but it is one of the very few pictures I took of this working in the Wolvercote area.

37107 & 37071 approach Oxford on 12 June 1994 with a West Ruislip to Derby train of London Underground stock. This was a Sunday, and I wasn't expecting any freight, let alone this, which explains the less than ideal location. The barrier vehicles are visible, but the lower height underground stock is virtually hidden!

37108 & 37416 make a fine sight (and sound!) as they pass Great Rocks on 9 August 1995 with the late running 7F50 16:24 Tunstead to Oakleigh stone train. The retention of these vintage pre-war bogie hoppers insured that classic traction with the necessary vacuum brakes worked these trains right to the wagon's final replacement in 1997.

With a storm brewing in the background, 37109 passes Fairburn on 25 September 1999 with the Tractor Tours 1Z37 06:12 Finsbury Park to Hull 'Last Chance' railtour. The tour's name refers to the anticipated final opportunity to travel behind an unfreburbished Class 37/0, which turned out to be a slightly pessimistic assumption!

37109 passes Hopperton on 25 September 1999 with the Tractor Tours 1Z37 06:12 Finsbury Park to Hull 'Last Chance' railtour. Plenty of people in the first coach are enjoying what was billed as the last opportunity to travel behind a Class 37/0. Needless to say, it wasn't! Although from totally different eras, the EWS livery is an ideal mach for the 1950s carmine & cream coaching stock.

37109 passes through Goole on 25 September 1999 with the Tractor Tours 1Z38 17:10 Hull to Kings Cross 'Last Chance' railtour. This was slightly prematurely billed as the last chance to travel behind a Class 37/0. Unfortunately by the time the train got to Goole it was extremely dull and raining, but even so, I was surprised to be the only photographer present. Apologies for the very poor image quality, but at 17:35 on a rainy autumn afternoon there isn't really enough light for Fujichrome 100!

37109 just about catches the late evening sun at Ash Vale on 17 June 2003 as it works the 1Z93 18:39 Ascot to Victoria VSOE luxury race special. 37051 is hidden by the trees on the rear of the train. The train is accelerating away from the junction which connects the Camberley line with the route from Woking.

37109 & 37047 pass Sutton Bridge Junction on 2 October 2004 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:22 Bristol Temple Meads to Carlisle 'Settle & Carlisle Railway' railtour. The Cambrian Line can be seen disappearing into the bushes behind the locomotives. I wasn't sure how the shadows would affect this location, but as the sun only came out just before the train arrived, there was no time to go anywhere else! Just about OK, but not ideal.

37109 passes Heap Bridge on 7 March 2010 with the 2J64 10:06 Rawtenstall to Heywood service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. The two maroon coaches slightly spoil the early 1980s effect, although if the 37 wasn't carrying TOPS numbers and had working headcodes, it would certainly fit with the late 1960s / early 1970s period.

37109 passes Heap Bridge on 7 March 2010 with the 2J81 13:55 Heywood to Rawtenstall service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. Three hours earlier I had photographed 37109 at the same location but coming the other way. This proves how far the sun moves round if you stay at one location long enough!

37109 storms past Burrs on 7 March 2010 with the 2J81 13:55 Heywood to Rawtenstall service, during the East Lancashire Railway's Diesel Gala. This just shows how easy it is to chase trains on a preserved line. Despite having a long walk back to the car after photographing 37109 at Heap Bridge, and an even longer walk to get to this location, there was still plenty of time to find the ideal photographic spot. Even then it was a while before the characteristic English Electric racket heralded the arrival of the train.

37113 passes Chinley on 19 June 1984 with cement tanks from Blue Circle's Earles Sidings works. The remains of the once extensive Chinley station can be seen in the background. This once boasted six platforms. It has been reduced in stature even more since this picture was taken, with the outer platforms and building disappearing, and the footbridge being truncated.

37113 passes under the combined footbridge and aqueduct, just after emerging from Wickwar Tunnel on 10 August 1985, as it heads south with the 1V32 10:32 York to Penzance relief. Definitely not ideal lighting conditions, with the sun virtually head on, but I certainly wasn't going to miss taking a picture of a split box 37 working that long gone sign of summer in the west - the Saturday holiday relief train. Even as late as 1985, all kinds of unusual traction could turn up on these trains.

37113 Radio Highland & 37252 pass Bradfield on 26 August 1991 with the Network SouthEast Harwich Parkeston Quay to Ipswich special, run in connection with the Colchester Depot Open Day. The River Stour estuary forms the backdrop, with the distinctive spire of the Royal Hospital School in the distance. Note the Thames Barge on the extreme left of the picture.

37113 Radio Highland & 37235 disturb the peace of the Vale of White Horse as they pass Compton Beauchamp with the 4L65 06:25 Pengam to Felixstowe freightliner on 24 July 1992. This working was allocated Class 37 haulage for a couple of years, and I photographed it as often as work commitments would allow, which in retrospect was not enough! There was certainly no problem in knowing when it was coming, as it could usually be heard leaving Swindon several miles away!

37114 Dunrobin Castle & 37272 approach Circourt Bridge, Denchworth on 16 October 1992 with the 4L65 06:25 Pengam to Felixstowe freightliner. Work is well underway to reinstate the down relief line, although as yet there is no sign of any clearance work for the up relief line.

37114 City of Worcester passes Millbrook on 15 April 1997 with a westbound departmental working. The first four wagons are ZFA Gunnell ballast hoppers, converted from redundant PGA stone hoppers. These conversions were not entirely successful, as although they had bottom discharge doors, sometimes they needed to be unloaded by a digger, which often resulted in damage to the sloping sides.

37114 City of Worcester heads west along the Great Western Mainline at Compton Beauchamp on 9 September 1997 with a departmental working, presumably from Didcot to Swindon. This location used to be ideal for westbound trains in the evening, as after 18:00 the sun was sufficiently far round on the north side of the line for decent lighting.

After the failure of 37023 at Tulloch, classmate 37114 City of Worcester was left to carry on single handed over the West Highland and Oban lines with the Mercia Railtours 'Tiberius Kirk' railtour on 24 July 1999. Help eventually arrived in the shape of 37116 which was attached at Crianlarich. After its mammoth struggle with the severe West Highland gradients, 37114 is pictured crossing Achallader Viaduct in typically grim weather. The racket of a single 37 lifting a twelve coach train up the ferocious gradient out of Oban must have been truly impressive, a feat made even more impressive by the predictable West Highland rain that was falling at the time!

37114 City of Worcester arrives at Dalmally on 24 July 1999 with the Mercia Railtours 'Tiberius Kirk' railtour. This loco worked the bulk of the tour over the Fort William and Oban lines on its own, following the failure of 37023, which had been dumped at Tulloch.

It looks like plenty of people are enjoying themselves here! 37114 City of Worcester passes through Glen Lochy on 24 July 1999 with the Mercia Railtours Oban to Rugby 'Tiberius Kirk' railtour. The tour had originally stared out double headed, but 37023 had suffered traction motor problems, and was dumped at Tulloch.

37114 City of Worcester & 37116 Sister Dora shatter the peace of Glen Falloch on 24 July 1999 with the Mercia Railtours Oban to Rugby 'Tiberius Kirk' railtour. The train had started from Northampton the previous day with 37013 & 37165, switching to 37023 & 37114 at Mossend. Unfortunately 37023 failed at Tulloch, and was dumped in the siding. 37114 struggled on to Oban and it wasn't until Crianlarich that help arrived in the shape of Sister Dora. I was hoping that Sister Dora would be on the front (which seemed the obvious thing to do), but it was tucked inside. Despite the grim light, the closely numbered pair still make a fine picture.

37114 City of Worcester & 37042 pass Borth on 22 March 2003 with the Past Time Rail 1Z53 16:20 Aberystwyth to Milton Keynes 'Cambrian Growler' railtour. Definitely a backlit location, but in a couple of miles time the train would turn the corner at Ynyslas, and then the sun would be directly behind the train for most of the rest of the daylight part of the tour.

37116 (unofficially named Comet) & 37272 thrash through Culham on 13 May 1992 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. This working often seemed to be lead by 37116 during 1992, but in an era of Railfreight sector liveries, the large logo colour scheme and original front end configuration was a welcome change.

A wave from the driver of 37116 Comet, as it approaches Wolvercote Junction on 11 June 1992 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner, ably assisted by 37214. This was running a few minutes late, which was a bit of a worry, as the late evening shadows were rapidly advancing across the track. It was therefore a relief when the distinctive English Electric racket could be heard long before the train came into view beneath the Oxford bypass.

37116 (unofficially named Comet) & 37178 approach Culham on 17 June 1992 with the 4M99 17:14 Southampton to Trafford Park freightliner. Needless to say, despite the traffic on the main road just behind me, this could easily be heard approaching a long time before it came into view!

A welcome bonus at Droitwich on Sunday 23 June 1996. 37116 Sister Dora pilots 37411 on the 1V19 19:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central service. 37411 was the regular loco on this working at the time, and indeed had worked up with the 1M15 16:10 Cardiff to Birmingham unaided just a few hours earlier. 37116 was added as a positioning move, in order to avoid a light engine movement. This picture is taken from a bridge that crosses the Stoke Works Junction to Droitwich line, near Impney Park, on the outskirts of Droitwich.

37116 Sister Dora approaches Muir of Ord with the Sundays only 6H58 18:35 Inverness to Georgemas Junction Enterprise service on 23 May 1999. Just two tanker containers on this exceedingly unusual freight working, unusual in that it ran on a Sunday on a line that had no other booked freight, and that the featherweight load traveled such a huge distance to a spot in the middle of nowhere, which at the time was the UK's furthest north freight destination. There was plenty of warning of 37116's approach, not just the inevitable Class 37 growl that can be heard for miles, but also because I heard it leaving Inverness on the scanner via the RETB system.

37116 puts on the power as it passes Bledlow Cricket Club on 21 April 2013 with the 2T11 12:45 Chinnor to Thame Junction service during the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel Gala. The 'livery' is a mixture of BR blue and various shades of primer! Note the milky clouds in the background, heralding an approaching front, which would soon kill off the morning's sunshine.

37116 passes Bledlow on 21 April 2013 with the 2C12 13:14 Thame Junction to Chinnor service, during the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway's Diesel Gala. The high cloud of an approaching front has just reached the sun, and although the light is not as crisp as just a few minutes before, it would get a whole lot worse during the next five minutes! I had correctly guessed that I might just get the 37 in sun before the Met Office's predicted cloud reached me.

37116 brings up the rear of the late running 1Z78 08:37 Derby RTC to Bristol High Level Siding Network Rail test train at Shipton on 15 June 2016. The train is being led by 37219. On the right is the car park of FWP Mathews flour mill, with one of their tankers parked next to the lineside fence.

37116 approaches Steventon on 25 January 2018 with the 1Z23 07:13 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train, with 37057 on the rear. This is the return working of the previous day's southbound train. Unlike this cloudless morning, the day before was really dull, with heavy rain for most of the day, which explains why I didn't bother to go out!

37116 passes Wolvercote on 18 March 2018 with the 3Z01 09:52 Tonbridge to Derby RTC Network Rail test train. Not the Class 73 hauled train implied by Realtime Trains, but the nine coach train certainly makes an impressive sight in the snow, despite the lack of any sunshine. 37254 Cardiff Canton on the rear is almost hidden by the spray of snow being kicked up by the train. Many thanks to Peter Tandy for pointing out that this was running, as being a Sunday morning, I might not have checked for any special workings.

37116 passes Cornbury Park on 5 December 2018 with the 1Z22 08:14 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding Network Rail test train. 37219 is bringing up he rear. I had deliberately chosen this location, as the train would possibly be pulling away from a brief stop at Charlbury station, which can be seen in the distance. Although not booked to stop, it often arrives early, and the GWR HST coming off the single line is often delayed, resulting in at least a signal check. However, although the HST was just a minute late, the test train was three minutes late, which was just enough to give it a clear run. It was therefore travelling at full line speed, which required a high ISO to allow the use of a shutter speed of 1/2000sec. At least the forecast rain didn't start until I got back home!

37116 approaches Collins Lane level crossing, near Purton, on 29 September 2020 with the 1Q38 06:50 Derby RTC to Swansea Network Rail test train. 37025 Inverness TMD is bringing up the rear. The train had just reversed at Swindon.

37116 passes Kemble Wick on 24 November 2020 with the 1Q15 06:50 Derby RTC to Swansea Network Rail test train, with 37219 bringing up the rear. This had been running late all day, but when the sun started to come out, I decided it was worth a look, and hoped by the time it got to me it would have recovered some time, as it often does. Unfortunately it just kept getting later, and was running 71 minutes late here, and the sun had long since disappeared!

37116 passes Wolvercote on 1 December 2021 with the 1Z22 07:51 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road Network Rail test train, with 37254 Cardiff Canton bringing up the rear. The stunning lighting was a real surprise, with just a minute's worth of sunshine breaking through the dark clouds.

Running at a sedate 45mph, 37116 passes through Kemble station on 30 December 2021 with the 5Q69 10:00 Lydney Up Goods Loop to Bicester MoD, conveying Heathrow Connect EMU 360201, which had been used for filming a new BBC series on the Dean Forest Railway. 37510 Orion is bringing up the rear. This was running 115 minutes late, due to flooding near Newnham.

37116 provides the power at the rear of the 3Q06 14:28 Derby RTC to Exeter Riverside Network Rail test train, as it passes Network Rail's track access point at the site of Ashbury Crossing, near Shrivenham on 5 June 2023. DBSO 9708 is hidden by the bushes at the front of the train.

37116 passes Fiddington in fine evening light on 16 August 2023 with the 3Z49 15:33 Derby RTC to Canton Taff Vale Sidings Network Rail test train. DBSO 9703 is bringing up the rear. This had left Derby 55 minutes late, but had made up some time and was only half an hour late here. However, because the train had to deviate from its booked route at Gloucester due to engineering work, it was exactly 55 minutes late again when it arrived at its destination!

It's not very often that a brand new photographic location appears on the national rail network, but the construction of the Pershore Northern Link Roads has created one on the Cotswold Line. Pershore station can clearly be seen in the background of this view, as 37116 heads east with the 1Z22 08:00 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road Network Rail test train on 6 September 2023. 37610 is bringing up the rear. With industrial estates all around, I wonder how long that patch of green on the right will survive?

37116 passes Hanborough on 7 September 2023 with the 1Z23 06:45 Bristol Kingsland Road to Derby RTC Network Rail test train. 37610 is bringing up the rear. Hanborough station and the Oxford Bus Museum can just be seen in the background.

37116 passes Standish Junction on 30 July 2024 with the diverted 3Z01 11:11 Derby RTC to Canton Taff Vale Sidings Network Rail test train. The train's normal route via Chepstow was closed for engineering works.

37116 passes Shorthampton in the rain on 8 August 2024 with the 1Q23 06:45 Bristol Kingsland Road to Derby RTC Network Rail test train. Harry Needle's 37607 (on hire to Colas) is bringing up the rear. The southbound run of this train over the Cotswold Line the previous day was cancelled, due to a problem with one of the locos. Instead, it ran in a much later path, direct to Bristol, via Cheltenham.

37116 brings up the rear of the 3J51 10:00 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train at Goole on 20 October 2024. 37175 is leading. The train was travelling slowly, as it had almost been brought to a stand by a red signal.

The 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train crosses the Yorkshire Wolds near Reighton on 21 October 2024, with 37116 leading, and 37175 bringing up the rear. Unlike my local RHTT in Gloucestershire, this one always seems to run to time.

37116 passes the site of Carnaby station on 21 October 2024 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train. 37175 is bringing up the rear. The station closed in 1970, but as can be seen here, both platforms are still in situ, and the buildings still survive. Although only a small wayside station, there were plans for this to be the junction for the Bridlington and North Frodingham Light Railway, which was authorised in 1898. However, this line was never built, probably the right decision as the traffic would have been extremely light.

37116 brings up the rear of the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train at Eastrington on 21 October 2024. Classmate 37175 is leading. The bridge in the background is the A614 Howden to Driffield road.

After having just reversed at Brough, The 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train passes Gilberdyke for the second time in 27 minutes on 21 October 2024, this time with 37116 leading, and 37175 bringing up the rear.

Running 17 minutes late, the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train passes Crabley Creek on 22 October 2024 with 37116 leading, and 37175 brining up the rear. The signal box survives here because when the line was constructed, the owner of Crabley Farm (the only buildings on the south side of the line) only allowed a level crossing to be built on condition that the adjacent signal box was always manned. A very necessary requirement, as otherwise the farm would be cut off, as the River Humber prevents any access from the south.

37120 passes Walton Well Road, Oxford, on 23 August 1985 with what is presumably the very late running 1A10 06:00 Hereford to Paddington service, with the 37 substituting for whatever loco had failed earlier on in the journey. Passengers waiting for this train at Oxford had received some even rarer haulage, as 25042 had been summoned from a Derby to Old Oak Common ECS, to form a relief train to London. That train is well documented, but I can find no mention of 37120's exploits on this day. What else could it be, with the right stock, and over an hour after the non-appearance of the Hereford train, it can't be anything else. If any haulage bashers managed to find out that 37120 was on this train, I bet they couldn't believe their luck, until they found out that a Class 25 had worked 'their' train from Oxford to London!

37128 & 37068 Grainflow storm the through the disused Wantage Road station on 29 July 1992 with the 4L65 06:25 Pengam to Felixstowe freightliner. Still only two tracks, but just visible on the original 35mm Fujichrome slide is some freshly deposited sleepers by the bridge in the background, indicating the imminent reinstatement of the relief lines.

Unfortunately I have got very few pictures of the Speedlink Coal workings that operated in the Didcot area during the late 1980s. However, although this loco is one that was frequently seen on such trains, this appears to be a MGR destined for Didcot Power Station. 37131 approaches Didcot North Junction on 22 June 1989. I was expecting a Class 58 on the 7V85 14:40 Toton to Didcot Power Station MGR, so was very surprised when this turned up.

37131 approaches Oxford on 28 June 1991 with the late running 6M05 02:00 Radyr to Washwood Heath Network Coal working. Making a smokey departure in the background is 47576 King's Lynn with the 1F27 07:26 Oxford to Paddington Network SouthEast service.

37133 passes Wolvercote on 10 July 1987 with the 6V14 18:02 Washwood Heath to Didcot Speedlink coal. Clearly this left a lot earlier than its booked 18:02 departure, as it was only 18:50 when it passed me. The fact that it was running 75 minutes early meant that I wasn't in an ideal photographic position, as without any real time gen, I wasn't expecting it.

What a pity there's no train! 37135 & 37189 head west past Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, in perfect winter light on 9 December 1986. Denchworth road bridge, on the Denchworth to Grove road, can be seen in the background. This was rebuilt a few years later.

37138 passes Tondu Signal Box on 28 July 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z81 06:28 Liverpool Lime Street to Onllwyn 'Vulcan Valley Venturer' railtour. The train is returning from Llynfi Junction (Maesteg), and would now diverge to the left towards Margam. 37201 can just be seen on the rear of the train. The line diverging to the right leads to Pontycymer Colliery.

37138 slowly approaches Jersey Marine South Junction on 28 July 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z81 06:28 Liverpool Lime Street to Onllwyn 'Vulcan Valley Venturer' railtour. Hiding under the bridge are 20106 & 20113, which would shortly be taking the tour up into the valleys. The train is on line from Dynevor Junction, and has just passed under the M4 motorway. Just out of sight to the left of the pond is the line that will take it back north to Onllwyn, and further over still is the other chord from Jersey Marine South Junction, linking (appropriately) to Jersey Marine North Junction, only a short distance west of Dynevor Junction, where this train diverged. I hope you're following this!

37138 brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z81 06:28 Liverpool Lime Street to Onllwyn 'Vulcan Valley Venturer' railtour at Cilfrew on 28 July 1991. 20113 & 20106 are hidden by the bushes at the front of the train. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing.

The sun is setting at Miskin on 28 July 1991, as 37138 rounds the curve near the M4 motorway, and crosses the River Ely with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z81 16:29 Onllwyn to Liverpool Lime Street 'Vulcan Valley Venturer' railtour. This was running 80 minutes late. In those pre gen days, waiting at the lineside as the shadows increased and the sun got weaker, with no idea what was happening, the big question was when to give up and go home. I cannot remember now, but looking at the lighting, that decision cannot have been far off!

37140 approaches the level crossing at Knodishall Green on 18 April 1996 with the 7L20 09:08 Willesden to Leiston nuclear flask. Note the very unusual feature of the line at this point for a UK railway - no lineside fencing on one side of the track. As I suspected, the Health and Safety Gestapo wouldn't let this highly dangerous situation continue, and on a subsequent visit I noticed that a fence had been installed to protect the local population (such as it is) from the extreme of danger of a single weekly train travelling at 20 mph!

37142 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 22 October 1988 with an unidentified empty oil tank train bound for South Wales. Ordinarily I would have said that this was the 6B14 10:10 Theale to Robeston empty tanks, but that followed directly behind this, hauled by 56031 Merehead. Two tank trains within five minutes - those were the days!

9400hp in one picture, although some of it is going in the opposite direction! 37142 pilots 50015 Valiant & 50008 Thunderer through Totnes on 23 November 1991 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 00:30 Manchester Piccadilly to Newquay 'Valiant Thunderer' (what else!) railtour. The 37 was attached at Newton Abbot and worked through to Plymouth, as 50015 had a defective speedometer. They are seen here passing the 09:25 Penzance to Edinburgh 'Cornishman'.

A Dutch liveried Class 37/0 worked along the North Wales coast on Saturday 20 July 1996, in lieu of the more normal Regional Railways Class 37/4. Earlier in the day, 37142 is pictured near Mobberley with the 5D37 08:30 Chester to Stockport ECS.

37146 passes Severn Tunnel Junction on 5 June 1989 with a westbound train of loaded Dogfish ballast hoppers. This side view clearly shows off the unusual livery, a sort of partial large logo colour scheme, without the large logo, or grey roof. The railway buildings behind the loco have now been demolished, but the brick built Roggiett Hotel in the background, although now closed, still survives. The tower of the ruined Rogiet windmill can be seen by the trees in the distance.

A welcome surprise at the end of a warm summer evening at Wolvercote Junction. In the mid 1980s the standard traction on MGR coal trains to Didcot Power Station was Class 58s, with occasional Class 56s. Therefore I was very surprised to see 37147 heading north with MGR empties, just as the sun was setting on 6 July 1987. Presumably this is the 6M61 20:00 Didcot Power Station to Toton. With just the very last glimmers of the sun giving a slight pink tinge to the ballast and the A34 bridge, the light was so low that 1/250 sec was all that was available with the lens wide open on good old grainy Kodachrome 200. Despite this, I wasn't going to miss getting a picture of a 37, complete with original skirts and round buffers, hauling a rake of HAAs.

The classic view of Garsdale Viaduct in typical Settle & Carlisle weather! 37152 & 37165 pass the redundant sidings next to Garsdale station, as they head south with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z44 12:24 Carlisle to Banbury 'Settle Excursioner' railtour on 17 April 1999.

37152 & 37165 pass Gisburn on 17 April 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z44 12:24 Carlisle to Banbury 'Settle Excursioner' railtour. This was one of 37152's last workings, as it was withdrawn shortly afterwards. Happily however, after spending several years in store, it was rescued from the scrap line, and has now entered the world of preservation.

37153 approaches Bridge of Orchy on 6 April 1998 with the 7D54 11:54 Fort William to Coatbridge aluminium ingots. Despite the long walk back to the car, there was easily enough time to head south of Crianlarich for another picture of this train passing through Glen Falloch.

In typically miserable Scottish weather, 37153 heads south through Glen Falloch on 6 April 1998 with the 7D54 11:54 Fort William to Coatbridge aluminium ingots. I had already taken a picture of this train, a little further north at Bridge of Orchy.

37154 & 37178 approach Horsham on 5 April 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:28 Finsbury Park to Newhaven Marine 'Syphon Symphony' railtour. The locos would split in Horsham station, to work the rest of the tour in 'top'n'tail' mode.

Unfamiliar territory for a Class 37. 37154 races through Pevensey Bay station on 5 April 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:28 Finsbury Park to Newhaven Marine ' Syphon Symphony' railtour. Pevensey Bay station is situated in a rural location, midway between the historic town of Pevensey and the minor seaside resort of Pevensey Bay.

On 5 April 1999, 37154 passes through Newhaven Town station, and crosses what used to be the A259 road (until bypassed by the bridge on which I am standing). It is working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 14:08 Newhaven Marine to Finsbury Park 'Syphon Symphony' railtour. Virtually out of sight on the rear is 37178.

37158 passes Flax Bourton on 5 April 1990 with the late running 6C55 14:37 Bristol East to Exeter Riverside departmental working. I remember being disappointed at the time that this wasn't the expected Class 50, so I went back later in the year for a more successful second attempt!

37158 passes Narroways Hill Junction, as it climbs away from Bristol on 16 May 1992 with the 2V87 16:30 Weymouth to Cardiff Central Regional Railways service. The grubby Dutch liveried 37 makes quite a contrast to the (mostly) clean coaches.

Time for a teak break at Uffington on 1 August 1993. 37158 & 37092 wait with the Redland self-discharge train while there is a general lull in activity during a Sunday track laying possession. New ballast has been laid onto the plastic membrane on the down line, and the train has now reversed back into position ready for a second pass.

37160 passes the site of Cleeve station, near Stoke Orchard, on 8 July 1987 with the 1E06 14:15 Plymouth to Newcastle parcels. Apologies for the exceedingly poor quality of this image, but it was taken on a very dull evening on Kodachrome 200. However, as far as I can tell, a Railfreight red stripe liveried Class 37/0 on this working is quite noteworthy, and it is certainly the only picture that I have of this combination. Judging by its relatively cleanness, it looks like 37160 had only just acquired this livery.

A number of locomotives of Classes 31, 33, 37 & 47 received the plain dark grey livery in the early 1990s, prior to the adoption of the 'Dutch' colour scheme for departmental locos. One such loco was 37162, seen here passing Llanwern West Junction in the rain on 19 November 1994 with a westbound engineer's train. Note the small Railfreight Petroleum logo midway along the bodyside.

37162 & 37254 pass Droitwich on 14 June 1997 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z29 05:50 Cardiff Central to Carlisle 'Lakeland Excursioner' railtour. 37162 would retain its departmental grey with tiny Railfreight Petroleum logo livery until it was withdrawn a few years later.

37162 is pictured at Hinksey Yard, Oxford, on 26 March 1999 with a loaded ballast train, while in the background water jets are being used to keep down the dust in the ballast stock pile. Hinksey Yard had just started to be used again, after many years of near disuse. This did not go down well with the local residents, who complained about noise and dust. Later a noise screen was erected. If the residents don't like railway noises it makes you wonder why they bought a house near the line. I live near RAF Brize Norton, but I don't complain about the noise of the aircraft!

37163 is attendance with the breakdown train at Stoulton on 1 December 1984, while work goes on to clear the line of the derailed coaches of the previous day's 1A75 07.05 Hereford to Paddington InterCity service. Cardiff Canton's Cowans Sheldon 76 tonne diesel crane ADRC96704 can be seen at work in the background. It's a good job nothing was moving, as despite it being daylight (just!), the weather was so grim that this picture required a 1 second exposure.

37166 & 37057 pass Margaretting on 8 May 1985 with the 4M54 10:35 Felixstowe to Willesden freightliner. Although there were obviously many more interesting workings nearer home to keep me occupied in the 1980s, I still regret not travelling to East Anglia more often in the BR blue era, as I certainly haven't got many pictures of pairs of blue 37s on freightliners!

37170 arrives at Crianlarich with the 7D54 11:54 Fort William to Coatbridge aluminuim ingots on 28 April 1998. The bright silver coloured ten tonne blocks of aluminium can clearly be seen on the open wagons. These are the products of the Alcan smelter at Fort William which produces around 40,000 tonnes of these ingots each year using the 85 megawatts of power generated by a hydro electric power station fed from Loch Treig. The train is just approaching the junction with the Oban line, which can be seen heading off to the left.

37174 runs light engine past Exminster on 22 April 1988. The background is dominated by the bridge carrying the M5 motorway over the River Exe. 37174 had another 16 years of life ahead of it when this picture was taken, but was withdrawn in early 2005, and cut up three years later.

Although initially the standard colour scheme for the ETH Class 37/4 conversions, the large logo livery was less common on the standard 37/0 machines. One recipient was 37174, seen here passing Purley-on-Thames on 11 February 1989 with an eastbound loaded ballast train. The loco had just been allocated to DCWA Western Region civil engineer's pool.

37174 pulls out of Yeovil Pen Mill station on 25 July 1992 with the 2O87 07:58 Cardiff Central to Weymouth Regional Railways service. This Saturdays only service was booked for one of Cardiff Canton's no heat 37s, which naturally made it extremely popular with photographers.

37174 passes Melbury Bubb on 25 July 1992 with the 2V87 16:30 Weymouth to Cardiff Central service. Unfortunately, as is often the case in the summer, the earlier sunshine had completely disappeared, and it was getting quite dark.

Having just deposited its passengers in Paignton station, 37174 heads for Goodrington Carriage Sidings on 19 June 1993 with the empty stock from the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z43 06:16 Derby to Paignton 'Paignton Decorator' railtour. On the right 50002 Superb nears journey's end with a Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway train from Kingswear.

After traversing the Central Wales line, followed by a reversal at Craven Arms, 37174 & 37375 pass Woofferton on 28 May 2000 with the diverted 6Z80 03:39 Margam to Llanwern steel empties. An extremely long way round caused by weekend engineering works at Bridgend.

Making a terrific racket that could be heard long before they came into view, and even longer after they had passed, 37174 & 37375 pass through the diminutive station at Knucklas on 28 May 2000 with the diverted 6Z83 Llanwern to Margam steel empties. This was an extremely long detour via the Central Wales Line caused by weekend engineering works at Bridgend.

With the ISO cranked up to 1600, and the lens virtually wide open (hence the lack of depth of field with a long lens), 37174 passes Bucknell on 3 April 2004 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z50 05:37 Worcester Shrub Hill to Canterbury 'County of Kent' railtour. With such atrocious light I wouldn't normally bother if it was going to be yet another 37/4, but a single 37/0 is always worth recording.

The sheep take no notice as 37174 & 37109 pass Lamington with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z35 06:14 Swindon to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 9 April 2004. The bridge in the background carries the B7055 road across the infant River Clyde. Note also some recent deforestation on the hill in the background.

By the time the Pathfinder Tours 1Z35 06:14 Swindon to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour arrived in the Perth area on 9 April 2004, it was nearly dark. With the camera cranked up to ISO 1600, 37174 & 37109 pass Lindores in the gathering gloom.

37174 & 37109 pass Killiecrankie on the Highland main line with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z18 08:15 Inverness to Swindon returning 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 12 April 2004. The road is the old A9, now thankfully bypassed and free of traffic at this point, which saved any explanations as to why I was standing on a stepladder next to a wall in the middle of nowhere! As the weather was so poor, instead of the usual highland picture, I decided to try something different, using the wall and the old footbridge as a frame for the locos.

37174 & 37109 pass a slightly misty Forteviot with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z18 08:15 Inverness to Swindon returning 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 12 April 2004. The 25 minute stop at Perth had easily let me get ahead of the train after seeing it at Killiecrankie. In fact I had overtaken it almost a soon as I got back on the A9!

37174 (unofficially named The Angel of the North) passes Yarnton on 2 June 2004 with the 6M65 18:16 Didcot to Carlisle Enterprise, which is effectively a MoD service. This was one of the 37174's final revenue earning workings, as it was moved into the WNTR tactical reserve pool at the end of the month and then withdrawn. As late as 2004 it was still possible to see a couple of freight trains hauled by heritage traction heading northwards in the Oxford area in the evening. Such was the case on this evening, as five minutes after this train passed, 37667 followed with the 6M28 18:28 Didcot to Bescot departmental working. Both these trains were booked for Class 66s and although other traction did turn up, to get two 37s and in sunshine was definitely a bonus!

37175 passes through the deep cutting near Stonesfield on 2 December 2015 with the 1Q15 09:08 Derby RTC to Derby RTC Network Rail test train, retracing its route back along the Cotswold Line, after a reversal at Oxford. 37219 is on the rear of the train. Believe it not, the morning had started with some unforecast sunshine, but that had long gone, and now the lighting was grim in the extreme. Network Rail have recently completely cleared the vegetation from the north side of the cutting at this location, opening up this new viewpoint. This spot has always been very overgrown, and even in the 1970s there was no possibility of a picture like this.

37175 passes Saxondale on 14 March 2016 with the 3Q01 08:34 Derby RTC to Derby RTC (via Skegness) Network Rail test train. This was very touch and go, with the sun only just coming out in time - at least on the front of the train! Green liveried 37057 is on the rear of the train.

37175 passes Whitehill (between Combe and Finstock) on 1 November 2018 with the 1Z23 09:37 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train. 37099 Merl Evans 1947-2016 is bringing up the rear. This was running 15 minutes early, which is not bad considering it left Bristol 85 minutes late! This is the regular monthly visit of the test train to the Cotswold Line, but on this occasion the previous day's southbound working was cancelled, and a last minute alternative path via Banbury was used instead.

Running 65 minutes late, after a 99 minute late departure from Derby, 37175 passes Churcham on 19 February 2019 with the 1Z97 09:39 Derby RTC to Cardiff Canton Sidings Network Rail test train. 37418 is bringing up the rear. I was really surprised to get this in the sun, as an hour earlier the forecast mass of dark clouds had rolled in from the west, and I thought that was it for the day. Literally just a few minutes before this was due the sun reappeared.

37175 pushes the 3Z72 11:30 Reading Triangle Sidings to Derby RTC test train past Tackley on 20 March 2021. I would have preferred the loco to have been leading, rather than the DBSO, but at least at this location there is an uninterrupted view in both directions.

Looking good in the spring sunshine, 37175 speeds past Kilby Bridge on 22 April 2021, whilst running as the 0Z42 14:13 Derby RTC to Derby RTC light engine. It would shortly return, after reversing at Kettering.

37175 takes the down relief line at Kilby Bridge on 22 April 2021, whilst running as the 0Z42 14:13 Derby RTC to Derby RTC light engine. It had passed by in the opposite direction a little earlier, and had then reversed at Kettering.

37175 passes the once rail connected Bremell Sidings oil depot on 11 May 2021 with the 1Q15 06:50 Derby RTC to Landore Network Rail test train. Half an hour earlier it had passed by in the opposite direction with 37421 leading.

37175 brings up the rear of the early running 1Z22 07:49 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road Network Rail test train at Ascott-under-Wychwood on 4 October 2023. 37254 Cardiff Canton is leading the train. Note that Ascott-under-Wychwood's relatively new up platform is longer than the down platform.

37175 approaches Goole on 20 October 2024 with the 3J51 10:00 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train. 37116 is brining up the rear. This was just after the rain had stopped. Had it come a few minutes earlier, it would have been a very different picture, with the torrential rain blotting out most of the background.

37175 brings up the rear of the 3J51 10:00 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train, as it approaches Goole for the second time on 20 October 2024. 37116 is just about to take the train over Potters Grange Junction, where the little used line from Rawcliffe joins the main line. The head on lighting doesn't improve the picture, but the twin water towers in the background immediately identifies the location.

37175 approaches Seamer on 21 October 2024 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train, with 37116 bringing up the rear. This was supposed to have been a sunny morning, but unfortunately I didn't see the sun all day!

37175 brings up the rear of the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train at Reighton on 21 October 2024. Classmate 37116 is leading. This is on the Scarborough to Hull line, this section of which opened in 1847.

The 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train passes Eastrington on 21 October 2024 with 37175 leading, and 37116 bringing up the rear. This is the spot where the former Hull & Barnsley line formerly crossed this line at an acute angle. The surviving embankment is hidden by the trees, but just a few yards to the right all trace of the embankment has been removed.

37175 comes off the Goole line at Gilberdyke on 21 October 2024 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train, with 37116 bringing up the rear. The signal box closed in 2018, when the line from here to Ferriby lost its semaphore signalling.

With Beverley Minster dominating the background, the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train heads south from the town on 22 October 2024 with 37175 leading, and 37116 at the rear. This was running 15 minutes late. Beverley Minster is one of the largest parish churches in Britain, and is larger than many cathedrals.

I've no idea now why I took this from what is clearly a far from ideal position, but here for the record is a picture of 37176 & 37186, as they approach Stonehouse station on 29 October 1983 with the F&W Railtours 1Z37 04:15 Plymouth to Stafford 'Bedford Bricker' railtour.

37178 & 47238 Bescot Yard pass Kings Sutton with the 6M79 14:36 Eastleigh to Crewe Basford Hall MoD stores train on 20 July 1993. The ideal combination of a sweeping curve with an impressive background and a location where northbound trains can be photographed with the sun on the nose in the evening ensures that Kings Sutton remains a popular spot for photographers, with the bridge often getting very crowded. As with various other well known spots I have noticed that the number of photographers increases as the years go by, while the variety of traction steadily dwindles!

37178 approaches Arundel on 5 April 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:28 Finsbury Park to Newhaven Marine ' Syphon Symphony' railtour. The South Downs should be visible in the background of this view, but unfortunately they are enveloped in fog.

37178 approaches the diminutive and remote station at Southease (between Lewes and Newhaven) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:28 Finsbury Park to Newhaven Marine ' Syphon Symphony' railtour on 5 April 1999. 37154 is on the rear of the train.

37178 passes Folkington on 5 April 1999 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 14:08 Newhaven Marine to Finsbury Park 'Syphon Symphony' railtour. This location is down a minor road, a short distance off the A27 Lewes to Eastbourne road.

37179 comes off the Bishton Flyover at Llandevenny on 21 October 1985 with a short steel working that does not appear to match anything in the working timetable. It looks like one of the steel coils will need attention, as the banding has obviously snapped.

A welcome surprise at Baulking on 3 May 1985. 37180 Sir Dyfed / County of Dyfed glints in the evening sunshine as it heads towards the capital with a Cardiff Central to Paddington relief, variously reported as being either a 16:30 or 17:15 departure. As it passed me at 18:30, the latter seems more likely. This picture would be impossible today, as not only is the concept of a relief train totally alien to the privatised railway, but also there is a lot more than the few clumps of cowslips seen here now growing on the cutting side. In fact, both sides of this cutting are now virtually covered in uncontrolled brambles, bushes and small trees.

Nine Grampus wagons loaded with spoil, and a pair of brake vans, is not much of a load for 37180 Sir Dyfed / County of Dyfed, as it passes Severn Tunnel Junction station on 30 June 1985. With its bilingual name, and red dragon on the former headcode box, there is no mistaking that this is a Welsh loco!

Rail workers are engaged in manual point greasing at Foxhall Junction, Didcot on 31 July 1986, as 37182 weaves across from the relief to the main line with Bristol civil engineers inspection saloon DW80975. The large water tower directly above the junction in the background is part of the Great Western Society's former GWR Didcot steam depot.

37185 Lea & Perrins passes Acton Turville on 2 October 1996 with the 7C17 14:55 Swindon to Stoke Gifford departmental working. Nowadays a Class 37 working on the mainline might well attract the number of photographers that can be seen on the bridge in the background, but in 1996 it was still a relatively commonplace occurrence. They were on fact waiting for GWR King Class 4-6-0 6024 King Edward I on the 25th Anniversary re-run of the 'Return to Steam' special.

37189 runs light engine past Gloucester on 21 August 1985. This was one of those annoying days with lots of clouds, and when many of the trains that I had set our to photograph passed by in the dull. Naturally this being just a light engine, it passed by in the sun!

37190 finds a lucky patch of sun amid the trees, as it approaches Bewdley on 2 October 2004 with the 12:00 Kidderminster to Bridgnorth service, during the Severn Valley Railway's Diesel Gala. In the late 1980s this locomotive was renumbered 37314 and used was exclusively for steel traffic from Motherwell depot. It has since reverted to this number in preservation.

37193 is pictured on Buxton shed on the evening of 19 June 1984, with one of the area's characteristic Class 104 DMUs lurking in the shadows behind. The reason that Buxton shed was easy to photograph is clearly seen here - a public footpath ran right alongside the main shed building! Buxton traction and maintenance depot (BY, formerly 9L) closed in 1997, and after becoming increasingly overgrown, was demolished in 2016.

37193 & 37071 pass Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station with the 6M47 10:50 Lackenby to Corby rolled coil steel train on 1 July 1985. How times change, I think I was the only photographer on this bridge all day, and of course there was a procession of freight trains all with classic traction. If this scene was to be repeated today (it can't as there are no Network Rail registered blue Class 37s) virtually every railway photographer in the country would be after it!

Running exactly to time, 37194 British International Freight Association passes through Oxford station on 2 October 1991 with the 6V03 09:50 Fenny Compton to Didcot MoD stores. The Speedlink wagonload service had ceased three months earlier, and as a lot of Speedlink traffic in the Oxford area was for the MoD, a dedicated network was set up to replace it.

37194 British International Freight Association waits on the loop line at Oxford North Junction on 2 October 1991 with the 6A49 12:23 Didcot to Bicester MoD stores. It is waiting for the Avon 'Binliner' to come off the single track branch.

In the pouring rain DRS 37194 & 37229 pass Codsall Wood (between Wolverhampton and Telford) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z20 05:37 Swindon to Preston 'Yo-Ho-Ho' railtour on 29 December 2006. It was running 5 minutes early at this point, which meant I could get back in the car and out of the rain earlier than expected. The miserable weather hasn't deterred a couple of 'bellowers'!

37197, 37158 & 37092 pass Waterside, near Goodrington, on 20 June 1993, en-route from Kingswear to Paignton, during the Paignton & Kingswear Railway's Diesel Gala. The Dutch liveried trio would then return to London with the 1Z60 17:40 Paignton to Paddington relief. This was in the days when the nationalised railway had the resources to arrange short notice special trains.

Sunday engineering work at Denchworth on 30 January 1994, during the construction of the new up relief line. With no obvious signs of work going on in the vicinity, 37197 is parked facing the wrong way on the recently installed, but still unballasted line near Denchworth road bridge.

Making a fantastic racket, 37197 & 37158 emerge from Sugar Loaf Tunnel on 26 May 1996 with the diverted 06:49 Margam to Llanwern steel coils. This was one of a number of steel trains diverted over the Central Wales Line over the Bank Holiday weekend due to engineering works in South Wales.

Llanwrtyd Wells station in the drizzle on 26 May 1996. The bystanders may well stare, as this is definitely something out of the ordinary. Diverted away from their usual route due to weekend engineering works, 37197 & 37158 work the 06:49 Margam to Llanwern steel coils, via a massive detour along the Central Wales Line.

37197 & 37158 arrive at a very wet Llandrindod Wells on 26 May 1996 with the diverted 06:49 Margam to Llanwern steel coils. This was one of a number of steel trains diverted over the Central Wales Line over the Bank Holiday weekend due to engineering works in South Wales.

37197 & 37158 pass through the diminutive Penybont station on 26 May 1996 with the diverted 06:49 Margam to Llanwern steel coils. An amazing diversion considering the short distance over basically level track between Margam and Llanwern had been changed into a tremendous detour via a reversal at Craven Arms, over a single track line with some fearsome gradients!

37197 & 37158 arrive at Knighton on 26 May 1996 with the diverted 06:49 Margam to Llanwern steel coils. This was routed via the Central Wales Line as its normal (and much shorter!) route via Cardiff was closed for engineering works. It was easy to get multiple pictures of this train, as despite the Welsh roads being unsuitable for high speed driving, the twisting nature of the line, and the fact that the train was limited to 30mph meant getting ahead of it was relatively easy.

37197 & 37158 pass through Hopton Heath station on 26 May 1996 with the diverted 06:49 Margam to Llanwern steel coils. This was routed via the Central Wales Line due to engineering works on its usual route. Hopton Heath station is situated in a very rural area to the south west of Craven Arms. Traffic is light, but at least the station is still open, although the station building is now a private residence. Note the overgrown platform on the right, now marooned after the lifting of the second track.

Another well known photographic location that I only visited once. 37197 emerges from Hillfield Tunnel, and slowly passes Gaer Junction on 11 September 1997 with a short train of just six wagons containing new concrete sleepers.

An opportune piece of tree felling opens up the view nicely at Clyne on 16 March 2002, as 37197 & 37038 climb through the Neath Valley towards Cwmgwrach with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:40 Sheffield to Onllwyn 'Valley Voyager' railtour.

A brief burst of unexpected sunshine glints off 37197 & 37038 as they arrive at Onllwyn on 16 March 2002 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:40 Sheffield to Onllwyn 'Valley Voyager' railtour. The crumbling remains of Onllwyn station's platforms add to the general desolation of the scene.

37197 & 37038 pass Briton Ferry on 16 March 2002 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 15:45 Onllwyn to Sheffield 'Valley Voyager' railtour. The distinctive flat topped hill Mynydd Marchywel dominates the background of this view.

37197 passes Wistanstow on 25 May 2002 with the 1Z37 09:50 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. Unfortunately this corresponded with a period of high cloud. The rather strange Riley & Sons livery also tends to blend in with the late spring green foliage.

37197 brings up the rear of the Monmouthshire Railway Society 1Z27 16:30 Margam Moors to Newport 'Demon Docker' railtour at Park Junction on 6 July 2002. 37038 is leading the train up the line to Ebbw Vale. The Riley & Sons livery applied to 37197 was certainly eye catching, but not one for the purists!

37197, wearing its short lived Riley & Sons two tone green livery, emerges from the bushes at Nant-y-Derry with the 1Z77 09:13 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special on 23 August 2003. This loco has certainly had its fair share of liveries since privatisation, as since this picture was taken it has appeared in WCRC maroon for working the Royal Scotsman, and then DRS blue.

Typically dreary Settle & Carlisle weather at Ribblehead on 26 July 1997. 37198 & 37376 accelerate away from the Ribblehead photo stop with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 13:32 Carlisle to Exeter St Davids 'Settle Excursioner' railtour. The clouds hang low over the fells in the background, but Ribblehead Viaduct can just be seen through the drizzle in the background.

The first rugby match at the new Millennium Stadium in Cardiff took place on Saturday 26 June 1999, with Wales playing South Africa. In connection with the event, the Cardiff Railway Company used non ETS Class 37s on the Rhymney line. Here we see 37198 accelerating away from Pontlottyn with the 2F17 09:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central.

With the background dominated by the reworked and partially landscaped spoil tip from the closed Bargoed Colliery, 37198 approaches Bargoed station on 26 June 1999 with the 2R25 13:50 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. This view has now changed completely, as trees have been planted on the slopes of the tip, and a new road runs parallel with the railway.

37198 arrives at Bargoed station on 26 June 1999 with the 2F41 15:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. This was one of the hourly loco hauled trains run in connection with the inaugural rugby match at the new Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

37198 passes Wolvercote Junction on 23 August 1999 with the 8X10 09:25 Horbury Prorail to Didcot Yard LUL refurbished Piccadilly Line tube stock move, unfortunately running late and with the light all but gone. It would travel onwards from Didcot the following morning. The single track Cotswold Line can be seen heading off to the left.

An extremely faded Mainline Blue liveried 37198 stands at Leeming Bar on 5 September 2004. Both it, and 37003, which can be seen behind, had just arrived for preservation at the Wensleydale Railway. Note the 'Do Not Rob' sticker in the windscreen.