37401 Mary Queen of Scots approaches County March Summit, near Tyndrum Upper in typically gloomy West Highland weather on 11 August 1997 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William ScotRail sleeper service. Despite the poor weather conditions, this picture is included here as it is the only time I saw this locomotive in Transrail livery. As I did not visit Scotland during the late 1980s or early 1990s (big mistake!), I missed out on this pioneer Class 37/4's first three liveries (large logo, InterCity Mainline and Railfreight Distribution). As it turned out it wasn't the end of its various colour schemes, however.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots approaches Chester on 10 July 1999 with the 1G91 04:22 Holyhead to Birmingham New Street service, Needless to say, this was the first Class 37 hauled train of the day at the time! The rest of the day's diagram would be: 1D62 08:07 Birmingham to Bangor, 1G97 11:16 Bangor to Birmingham, 1D75 14:23 Birmingham to Holyhead, 1C79 18:22 Holyhead to Stafford, and finally,  5G79 21:10 Stafford to Crewe ECS.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots passes Calveley on 10 July 1999 with the 1G97 11:16 Bangor to Birmingham service. There was formerly a refuge siding on the right, extending back as far as the farm occupation bridge in the background.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots & 37426 pass Dolau, on the Central Wales Line with the diverted 6M24 10:21 Margam to Dee Marsh steel coils on 28 May 2000. Well off the beaten track, this lengthy diversion was the result of engineering work on the more direct route via Hereford. I don't think there was another photographer on the bridge in the background, but that is obviously a much better spot for the sun!

37401 The Royal Scotsman arrives at Muir of Ord station on 5 October 2001 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Dundee 'Royal Scotsman' luxury charter. A brief stop would be made here purely to exchange the radio signalling token.

This is going to be a crush! Crowds fill the platform at Abergavenny on 16 February 2002, as 37401 The Royal Scotsman arrives at the station with the 1V77 08:33 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central service. The passengers were heading for the Wales v France Six Nations Rugby match at the Millennium Stadium.

In miserable light, 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 approach Muir of Ord with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z20 07:24 Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 10 April 2004. Unfortunately 37401's Royal Scotsman claret livery looks very drab in dull light, and doesn't look a lot different from 37109's EWS livery in these conditions. 37174 & 37109 were used for the Swindon to Inverness sections of the tour, but 37401 was used on the Scottish lines as it is RETB fitted.

Train, car and coach at Garve on 10 April 2004. 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 run alongside the A835 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour. Although the road vehicles add to the scene, if they had been positioned differently, they could so easily have ruined the picture!

The hills are swathed in clouds, as 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 make their way up Glen Carron on 14 April 2005 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour. Although the weather was grim, this just required stopping the car and standing by the roadside to wait for the train to come into view, after seeing it a little earlier near Garve.

In typical gloomy West Highland weather, 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 head through Glen Carron, en-route to Kyle of Lochalsh with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z20 07:24 Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 10 April 2004. Note the very low fence on the left, hardly enough even to keep the local sheep off the line!

The Scottish gloom had given way to sunshine by the time 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 left Kyle of Lochalsh with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 'Lord of the Isles' railtour to Inverness on 10 April 2004. The tour is pictured here passing Attadale. The rough grassland in the foreground forms a strip of relatively flat ground between the mountains and Loch Carron.

After photographing 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 10 April 2004 at Attadale, I unfortunately arrived at Strathcarron at the same time as the tour, and had to wait at the level crossing while the extra long train blocked the road, whilst waiting for the electronic token. Despite this, I soon got ahead of the tour, and managed this shot from a convenient roadside pile of chippings at Balnacra. The only other person in the vicinity was a local farmer who took a break from repairing a vintage Ferguson tractor, to watch the tour go past!

37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 approach Achnasheen on 10 April 2004 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour. As the railway has numerous sinuous bends and changes of gradient (note the back of the train), the speed is low, and therefore it is easy to chase the train. This picture is taken from the roadside.

37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 cross the A835 road and enter Garve station on 10 April 2004 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour. The prominent stop boards warn of entry into the next RETB block section.

37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 have full power on as they accelerate away from Garve, racing the traffic on the A835 with the 'Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness 'Lord of the Isles' railtour on 10 April 2004. Although the train only stopped at Garve for the exchange of the electronic token, that was enough time to chase up the road to obtain this shot.

From the same bridge at Muir of Ord that I used earlier in the day, but now looking in the opposite direction, 37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37109 power the Pathfinder Tours 1Z21 16:15 Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness  'Lord of the Isles' railtour past the local golf course on 10 April 2004. Note the non-standard rustic fence on the left and even more non-standard dry stone wall on the right.

37401 The Royal Scotsman & 37416 round the sharp curve after crossing the viaduct over the River Fillan at Crianlarich on 11 June 2005. They are working the SRPS 1Z18 05:32 Kilmarnock to Mallaig 'West Highlander' railtour. Unfortunately the dull lighting doesn't do justice to the Royal Scotsman maroon livery.

At least it wasn't raining on 11 June 2005 when 37401 The Royal Scotsman worked the 1Z18 05:32 SRPS Kilmarnock to Mallaig 'West Highlander' railtour. However, the intermittent sunshine that greeted me when I arrived at the western end of Loch Eilt on the Fort William to Mallaig line had given way to generally dull conditions by the time the train arrived. Nevertheless, 37401 makes a fine sight as it emerges from the woods with its matching rake of maroon stock.

In miserable light which makes it hard to tell that the lead loco is in maroon livery and the second one in EWS red, 37401 & 37405 have just passed the site of Shrivenham station and are passing Bourton with the Kingfisher Railtours 1Z58 06:22 Ealing Broadway to Shrewsbury 'Heart of Wales Rambler' railtour on 22 July 2006.

37401 & 37417 Richard Trevithick pass the site of Bredon station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z66 05:05 Cardiff Central to Ravenglass 'Lake District Explorer' railtour on 14 June 2008. It was completely cloudy when I left home, so I decided to go to this location rather than a more open spot that I would have chosen if it had been sunny. You can guess what happened next! Just as it was getting too late to move to another spot, the sun started to break through! Luckily however, the low sun (it was still only 06:53!) was just high enough to fully light the two locos. The industrial unit in the background marks the site of Bredon station, which closed in 1965.

A very rare section of track for a passenger train. 37401 approaches Wheelwright Lane Level Crossing on the Prologis Park branch at Coventry (the former Keresley Colliery line) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:00 Reading to Round Oak 'Industrious Trader' railtour on 15 November 2008. A very appropriate tour name, as the destination here is an large industrial estate. Although a railtour did once visit the colliery, this is the first train into the new industrial complex. Not an ideal line for photography, as much of it is sandwiched between a high fence and  a road.

28 March 2009 witnessed the extremely unusual sight of a single Class 37 in charge of a twelve coach passenger train on the national network. After scrabbling around unsuccessfully to find a second serviceable 37, the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:32 Nottingham to Margam 'Cwm and Go(ne)' railtour headed south with just 37401 in charge. It is pictured here in atrocious light as it passes Fiddington (between Ashchurch and Cheltenham). Despite the heavy load and presumably the demands of electric train heating, the train was running well and only a couple of minutes late as it passed me. 37406 was resurrected later in the day and sent to Wales presumably to help with the ascent of the Lickey on the return (still some hours off as I type this!).

A wood pigeon has a lucky escape as DB Schenker's only two operational 'tractors', 37401 & 37670 St. Blazey T&RS Depot pass Alstone with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:30 Crewe to Parkandillack 'Cornish Parker' railtour on 16 May 2009. The fortunate bird can be seen in front of 37401's number desperately trying to get out of the train's way! I was working to plan B here, as the original intention was to photograph this train from the footbridge at Up Hatherley. However, as I drove towards Cheltenham I could see a few holes developing in what had been a complete blanket of thick cloud. As the Up Hatherley location would be useless if the sun came out, I went straight to this spot just north of the station, and amazingly the sun did come out for a few minutes. The tour was running twelve minutes early at this point and consequently a following Cross Country voyager came to a stand just past this spot, waiting for the tour to clear the station.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots & 37405 speed past Banbury North Signal Box on 22 August 2015 with the Railway Magazine sponsored 1Z37 06:17 Chester to Bournemouth 'Bournemouth Flyer' railtour, run in connection with the Bournemouth Air Festival. It had originally been planned to use the Scottish 37 Group's 37025 Inverness TMD on this tour, but unfortunately paperwork issues prevented this. 57307 Lady Penelope is on the rear of the train. The impressive GWR signal box will soon be made redundant, with the introduction of the Banbury area resignalling programme, which will remove this final pocket of semaphore signal operation on the route.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots & 37405 pass Wolvercote on 22 August 2015 with the Railway Magazine sponsored 1Z39 16:52 Bournemouth to Chester 'Bournemouth Flyer' railtour, run in connection with the Bournemouth Air Festival. This obviously explains the RAF roundels on the front, one of which seems to have migrated from the marker light to near the headboard at some point in its journey from the south coast! 57307 Lady Penelope is on the rear of the train. I was surprised to be the only person here to witness this unusual working. Admittedly it was getting dark, and the first few spots of the forecast rain had just started falling, but the recently repainted 37401 should surely have tempted more photographers out. Note the partially completed reinstatement of the down relief line on the right, and the spires of Oxford in the background.

What a waste. When passengers now have to put up with EMUs, instead of more comfortable hauled stock, superior quality, but older Mk3 coaches are being sent for scrap. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots passes Steventon at speed in light rain on 20 February 2020 with the 5Z37 04:00 Norwich Crown Point to Newport Docks (Sims Group) ECS, conveying six former Greater Anglia coaches for scrapping.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots passes Baulking on 20 February 2020 with the 5Z37 04:00 Norwich Crown Point to Newport Docks (Sims Group) ECS, conveying six former Greater Anglia coaches for scrapping. This was just as the earlier light rain had changed into a torrential downpour. There wouldn't be many things that would tempt me out specifically on such a miserable day, but a large logo Class 37 is definitely one of them! Although presumably this scene will be repeated, former East Anglian Mk3s on the Great Western Mainline is also a novelty.

The old, not so old and the new! 37401 Mary Queen of Scots passes South Marston on 12 March 2020 with the 5Z37 08:42 Norwich Crown Point to Newport Docks (Sims Group) ECS, conveying six former Greater Anglia coaches for scrapping. This is a slightly ironic picture, as while these superb vehicles are heading for the cutter's torch, the much less comfortable modern replacement for much Mk3 stock is heading in the opposite direction. 802109 is working the 1A21 13:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington GWR service.

37401 Mary Queen of Scots passes South Marston on 12 March 2020 with the 5Z37 08:42 Norwich Crown Point to Newport Docks (Sims Group) ECS, conveying six former Greater Anglia Mk3 coaches for scrapping. Unfortunately 802109 rather gets in the way in the background, but at least it had stopped raining (note the black sky in the background), and the sun was now out!

37401 Mary Queen of Scots brings up the rear of the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train at Saltmarshe on 16 October 2023. 37425 Concrete Bob is at the front of the train.

After reversing at Brough, 37401 Mary Queen of Scots passes Saltmarshe for the second time on 16 October 2023 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train. 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine is bringing up the rear. This was running 12 minutes late, which was excellent, as the light had improved enormously, as the setting sun had dropped out of a bank of high cloud.

37402 Bont Y Bermo brings up the rear of the Monmouthshire Railway Society 'Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Growler II' railtour as it passes through Lydney Lakeside station (later renamed St Mary's halt) on 23 April 1994. The lead locomotive is 37258. The train had just travelled up the Dean Forest Railway, as far as Norchard. The Lydney bypass now crosses the line approximately at the mid point of this train. The preliminary works for the new road can just be glimpsed through the trees on the left.

37402 Bont Y Bermo approaches Lydney on 23 April 1994 with the Monmouthshire Railway Society 'Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Growler II' railtour. The tour had just traversed the Dean Forest Railway, and after returning from Norchard had briefly waited in the up loop, before using the crossover that just be seen in the far distance, in order to continue westwards.

37402 Bont Y Bermo passes Fairwood on 30 January 1995 with the 2V70 08:40 Weymouth to Bristol. Three coaches may seem a bit short, but this is in fact a considerable upgrade, as it is replacement for a two car Sprinter unit! This deliberately wide view was chosen to show the Westbury cut off line coming in from the left.

37402 Bont Y Bermo passes Abergele on 15 June 1996 with the 1K58 07:37 Holyhead to Crewe. Devoid of any brandings and in a very grubby state, 37402 looks very plain here. It would be another seven years before it acquired its unique variation of this livery, making it really stand out from the crowd.

37402 Bont Y Bermo is pictured in the wide open desolate landscape of Dungeness, as it waits to return from the Kent outpost with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z93 15:10 Dungeness to Finsbury Park 'Dungeness Pebbledasher' railtour on 12 July 1997. 37688 is on the rear of the train.

37402 Bont Y Bermo slows down to walking pace as it approaches an ungated level crossing near Snargate, on the Dungeness Branch on 12 July 1997. It is working the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z93 15:10 Dungeness to Finsbury Park 'Dungeness Pebbledasher' railtour. Amazingly for a railtour there was virtually no late running throughout the day. In fact the train is a few minutes ahead of schedule at this point, something which would be improved upon considerably later. It arrived back at Finsbury Park 40 minutes early!

37402 Bont Y Bermo & 37431 thrash past Harburn on 26 April 1998 with the Regency Rail Cruises Kyle of Lochalsh to Bristol Temple Meads 'Lord of the Isles' railtour. There had been a loco change at Edinburgh Waverley, giving me enough time to drive back across the Forth Bridge, after seeing the train behind 37410 & 37406 at Jamestown, near Inverkeithing.

37402 Bont Y Bermo could always be relied upon for plenty of thick black clag. Here it is starting away from Llanbradach station in typical fashion with the 2R36 15:59 Cardiff to Rhymney service on 6 July 2002. A convenient footbridge gives a good view of departing northbound trains, unfortunately there is no equivalent viewpoint for southbound trains.

37402 Bont Y Bermo approaches Pontlottyn on 18 July 2002 with the 2R42 17:11 Cardiff Central to Rhymney Wales & Borders service. The following year the loco's very tatty unbranded Railfreight grey livery would be replaced by a very pleasing unique colour scheme.

Freshly painted in its unique variation of the Railfreight grey livery, 37402 Bont Y Bermo approaches Tirphil on 7 June 2003 with the 1B96 09:11 Rhymney to Fishguard Harbour service. Luckily the sun stayed out for an even better picture of the train on its return working.

37402 Bont Y Bermo passes St Ishmael in glorious sunshine on 7 June 2003 with the 1R38 13:55 Fishguard to Rhymney service. Amazingly I was the only photographer at this iconic location on this occasion! Very strange in view of the fact that 37402 had only just acquired this unique livery.

In 2003 37402 Bont Y Bermo was repainted into this non standard livery based on the Railfreight triple grey colour scheme. Just a couple of days after its return to service on passenger duties in the Welsh Valleys and still in ex-works conditions, it emerges from the trees at Ystrad Mynach on 7 June with the 1R38 13:55 Fishguard to Rhymney service. It continued to work the Rhymney services for a further eighteen months before being placed into storage.

Unique liveried 37402 Bont Y Bermo arrives at Hengoed station on 20 September 2003 with the 1B96 09:11 Rhymney to Fishguard service. The station was opened as Hengoed & Maesycwmmer by the Rhymney Railway in 1858. The Great Western Railway (who presumably planted the Scots Pine trees!) renamed it Hengoed Low Level in 1923.

37402 Bont Y Bermo passes the ruined farmhouse at Llangewydd on 20 September 2003 with the 1R38 13:55 Fishguard to Rhymney service. This was a regular turn for this unique liveried locomotive through the summer of 2003.

37402 Bont Y Bermo passes Llanbradach on 27 September 2003 with the 1B96 09:11 Rhymney to Fishguard service. Various buildings from the former Llanbradach Colliery can be seen in the background. The concrete road leading to the modern industrial unit on the left is built on the course of the former exchange sidings. When the colliery was operating, a bridge carried a tramway across the line just around the corner, onto a spoil tip on the opposite side of the line.

Extremely lucky and dramatic lighting at Ferryside on 27 September 2003. 37402 Bont Y Bermo rounds the curve by the River Towey estuary with the 1R38 13:35 Fishguard to Rhymney service. I'm surprised that Network Rail haven't put the dreaded palisade fencing up at this point, instead there is a clear uninterrupted view from the boulders that form the railway embankment.

37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 arrives at Charlbury station on 19 June 2019 with the 2Z02 08:23 Reading to Reading (via Westbury, Taunton, Bristol and Worcester) inspection saloon - 975025 Caroline. As can be seen by the red signal in the distance, this was held here for a couple of minutes, before heading off along the single track section of the Cotswold Line.

After being held at the signal that protects the single track section of the Cotswold Line from Charlbury to Wolvercote Junction, 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 gets the green signal, and blasts out of Charlbury station on 19 June 2019 with the 2Z02 08:23 Reading to Reading (via Westbury, Taunton, Bristol and Worcester) inspection saloon. Note the Zone 7 notice on the platform. One of the annoying constantly repeating announcements at this station informs passengers which zone is first class, etc. Zone now being GWR speak for coach!

37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 approaches Circourt Bridge, Denchworth, on 5 September 2019, running as the 0Z38 09:12 Cardiff Canton Sidings to Norwich Station Carriage Servicing Depot light engine. For once the electfrication masts are not really a hindrance, but merely act as a frame for an otherwise rather unphotogenic light engine move.

37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 & 37716 pass the abundant lineside hawthorn blossom, as they take the Long Marston line, round the back of Honeybourne station, on 7 May 2020 with the 5Z50 08:00 Mid Norfolk Railway Siding to Long Marston ECS, conveying ten ex Greater Anglia Mk3 coaches for storage.

Just like the good old days - a pair of large logo Class 37/4s on a freight! 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 & 37407 Blackpool Tower approach Hungerford Common on 21 April 2021 with the 6Z37 11:36 Parkeston to Westbury ballast. I didn't think that this would be travelling very fast, as it was a few minutes early, and was following right behind the 1C86 14:37  Paddington to Penzance GWR service, which was running a staggering 53 minutes late. However, that must have got a move on, as this was certainly shifting, and with 15 MLA wagons loaded with well over 1,000 tonnes of ballast, was making a good racket, and could be heard for several minutes as it approached from the Kintbury direction.

37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 & 37069 pass Thetford on 14 August 2021 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z10 05:19 Eastleigh to Norwich 'Cambridge & Norfolk Explorer' railtour. This was running exactly to time. A couple of minutes early would have been preferable, as it was sunny then!

37403 (D6607) Ben Cruachan is about as far away from the mountain after which it is named as it possible to be, as it passes through Penryn station (on the Falmouth branch) on 3 May 1998 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:00 Cardiff Central to Falmouth Docks 'Cornish Gnome' railtour. Penryn station has received a passing loop since this picture was taken.

37403 (D6607) Ben Cruachan brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 18:15 Looe to Cardiff Central 'Cornish Gnome' railtour at Terras Bridge on 3 May 1998. 37669 is out of sight around the corner, taking the train up the valley of the East Looe River.

37403 (D6607) Ben Cruachan brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 18:15 Looe to Cardiff Central 'Cornish Gnome' railtour at Trerulefoot on 3 May 1998. The Cornish Gnome is riding on the lamp bracket! 37669 is out of sight at the front of the train.

37403 Ben Cruachan is a long way from its namesake mountain, as it passes Bunbury on 10 July 1999 with the 1K61 10:22 Bangor to Crewe Regional Railways service. The loco did return to Scotland after working the North Wales for most of July 1999, but only to head back to Wales again (this time the Rhymney Valley line in the south), where it ended its days.

The Scottish Railway Preservation Society's 37403 Isle of Mull passes Burbage Common on 19 July 2023 with the Vintage Trains 1Z15 07:56 Birmingham New Street to Norwich 'East Anglian' railtour. Hidden by the trees on the rear of the train is Class 47 D1755 (47773). It was just starting to rain, and a few seconds later, as I photographed D1755, it was raining heavily.

In unaccustomed Scottish sunshine, 37404 Loch Long approaches Achanalt on 10 August 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Aviemore 'Royal Scotsman'. Good use was made of one of the typically dilapidated stone walls to add foreground interest, although using a Pentax 6x7 and ISO 100 film it was a challenge to get enough depth of field for both the train and the wall!

37404 Loch Long arrives at Garve station on 10 August 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Aviemore 'Royal Scotsman' luxury charter. The grubby Transrail loco is not exactly an ideal match for the well maintained coaching stock.

37404 Loch Long passes Muir of Ord Golf Course on 10 August 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Aviemore 'Royal Scotsman' luxury charter. An excellent location to round off the day, after seeing the train previously at Achanalt and Garve.

Exceedingly grubby 37404 Loch Long stands at Fort William with a 'Not to be moved' board attached on 5 April 1998. It had earlier worked in on the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) ScotRail sleeper, and later in the day would head back down south with the 1B01 19:50 Fort William to Edinburgh sleeper.

37404 Loch Long rounds the sharp curve at Auchtertyre in miserable light on 6 April 1998 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William sleeper. Although the weather was terrible, this only required a walk up the hillside from the nearby B&B before breakfast, so definitely worth recording.

37405 arrives at Bridge of Orchy station on 6 April 1998 with the 7Y45 08:43 Coatbridge to Corpach empty flats. These were the empties for the daily 7D54 11:54 Fort William to Coatbridge aluminium ingots, a traffic which sadly no longer travels by rail.

37405 arrives at Ardlui in the pouring rain on 24 May 1999 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William ScotRail sleeper. It's a good job that by 1999 Fuji had drastically improved their ISO 400 Fujichrome, as this shot would have been impossible with anything slower whilst using a Pentax 6x7!

37405 draws a rake of loaded (mostly!) timber wagons out of the sidings at Taynuilt on 10 April 2000, before running round the train in the station, and heading off under the bridge in the background, as the 6D55 10:55 Taynuilt to Mossend.

In typically gloomy Scottish weather, 37405 heads towards Crianlarich, along Glen Lochy with the 6D55 10:55 Taynuilt to Mossend timber train on 10 April 2000. This train had arrived at Taynuilt as the 6Y42 04:30 empties from Mossend, and as usual returned immediately with this loaded train. At the time there was provision in the working timetable for the outward service to carry on to Oban, but this rarely happened in practice.

37405 runs through the picturesque Glen Falloch on 10 April 2000 with the 6D55 10:55 Taynuilt to Mossend timber train on 10 April 2000. Unfortunately, as was often the case when I visited the West Highland Line, the weather was terrible!

37405 passes Forteviot on 6 September 2000 with the early running 6D53 12:20 Perth to Mossend Enterprise service, entirely comprised of loaded timber wagons. There was plenty of warning of this train's approach, as not only can the line be seen for well over a mile in the Perth direction, but also the 37 was not hanging around and could easily be heard some considerable time before it came into view!

37405 approaches Gilfach Fargoed on 16 April 2005 with the 2R10 08:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. This was during the final year of Class 37 workings on the Rhymney line, when seemingly every working was photographed. This was especially true on this day, as it marked the debut of 37425 in large logo livery on the line.

37405 rounds the curve past the site of the recently demolished farm occupation bridge at Troedrhiwfuwch (between Pontlottyn and Tirphill) with the 2F30 13:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 16 April 2005. The remains of the bridge can be seen just to the left of the loco.

37405 arrives at Caerphilly on 17 September 2005 with the 2F14 09:13 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. Note how Caerphilly's station building (now a chiropractic clinic) straddles the tracks. With just a short while to go before the end of loco haulage on the route, I would expect the majority of the passengers on this train are enthusiasts!

After taking a picture of 37405 arriving at Caerphilly on 17 September 2005 with the 2F14 09:13 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service, I couldn't resist nipping down onto the platform to get another picture of the train departing, and passing underneath the footbridge I had been stood on moments earlier.

37405 arrives at Llanbradach station on 17 September 2005 with the 2F38 15:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. The road from the village passes underneath the bridge that the loco is just crossing and then climbs up through the woods past the industrial buildings that can be seen amidst the trees in the background.

37405 emerges from the fog at Ystrad Mynach on 10 December 2005, as it heads down the Rhymney Valley with the 2F18 10:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central Arriva Trains Wales service, on what was supposed to be the last day of Class 37 haulage in the area. The loco passing between the two signals certainly makes an interesting picture, slightly compensating for the gloomy conditions!

37405 heads up the Rhymney Valley at Ystrad Mynach on 10 December 2005 with the 2R22 11:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney Arriva Trains Wales service. In the background is the Grade II listed Hengoed Viaduct. This 1853 built 16 arch viaduct was closed to rail traffic in 1964, but now serves as part of the national cycle network.

The sheep take no notice as 37405 growls past Yarnton on 25 July 2006. It is working the 6M28 18:01 Hinksey to Bescot departmental - the last bastion of Class 37 activity in the Oxford area, although very much in its last days when this picture was taken.

37405 approaches Acle on 26 May 2017 with the 2P12 08:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. On the right is the original Great Eastern Railway goods shed, now slightly lost amid the modern clutter than now occupies the old yard.

37405 brings up the rear of the 2P13 09:17 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Greater Anglia service at Acle on 26 May 2017. 37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 passes underneath the road bridge, as it works the train towards the next stop, Lingwood. The weed choked platform is not actually in use, the active part of the platform only starting next to the footbridge I am stood upon.

37405 arrives at Acle station on 26 May 2017 with the 2P18 10:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service, with 37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 on the rear. To be standing on a quaint country station platform, complete with ornate footbridge a period buildings, on a completely sunny day, and to be photographing a Class 37 with the sun on the nose takes some beating. What was the real surprise however, was that I was the only person in the vicinity!

The hawthorn blossom is just starting to fade, as 37405 passes Stracey Arms on 26 May 2017 with the 2P20 12:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. The train is travelling across the flat expanse of Tunstall Marshes. All the way between Acle and Great Yarmouth, the A47 road parallels the railway, keeping exactly the same distance away, despite a change in direction at this point. The traffic on the road can just be seen on the right.

37405 slowly pulls away from Reedham station on 26 May 2017 with the 2J80 14:55 Norwich to Lowestoft Greater Anglia service. 37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 is on the rear of the train. Who would have thought a few years ago that Class 37s would be back on the main line operating regular daily passenger trains again!

37405 pulls away from Brundall station on 26 May 2017 with the 2P32 17:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. Brundall's platforms are staggered either side of the level crossing in the foreground.

37405 approaches Buckenham on 14 May 2019 with the 5J67 06:40 Norwich Crown Point to Lowestoft ECS. Superb early morning light, and well worth the 03:30 start, and the long drive from Oxfordshire! This is the first Class 37 hauled train of the day, that involves three round trips to Lowestoft, and four to Great Yarmouth.

37405 arrives at Great Yarmouth on 14 May 2019 with the 2P12 08:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. The mud flats of the tidal River Yare can be seen in the background, and in the distance, above the rear of the train, Ashtree Farm Drainage Mill is just visible. This is situated on the River Bure, and is one of a number of such mills in the area.

37405 accelerates noisily away from Lingwood station on 14 May 2019 with the 2P18 10:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. Photo taken from a conveniently positioned public footpath crossing. This location certainly wouldn't look as good in a few weeks time, when the tree on the left would be in full leaf. The bare branches seen here contrast well with the young green leaves on the tree behind the locomotive.

37405 passes Whitlingham on 14 May 2019 with the 2P20 12:36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth Greater Anglia service. 37716 is on the rear. Unfortunately high overhead midday lighting, and a predominance of green foliage do not make for a good picture.

37405 runs alongside the New Cut (an artificial channel linking the Rivers Yare and Waveney), as it approaches Haddiscoe with the 2J80 14:55 Norwich to Lowestoft Greater Anglia service on 14 May 2019. 37716 is on the rear. The Second World War pillbox may well have been built level, but 80 years later, inadequate foundations, and the soft ground have given it a noticeable tilt!

Running 104 minutes late, Harry Needle Rail 37405 passes Grove on 13 January 2023 with the 6Z38 09:27 Swindon Transfer to Hinksey, conveying three Rail Head Treatment Train sets. This had worked up to Swindon with just one RHTT set, as the 6Z37 06:37 Bristol St Philips Marsh HST Depot to Swindon Transfer, and after leaving the train in Hinksey Yard, would continue north later as the 0Z38 12:45 Hinksey to Coleham light engine.

37406 The Saltire Society calls at Caerphilly station on 7 February 2004 with the 2F26 12:5 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. The sunshine here is deceptive, as it was generally a cloudy day, but for once a burst of sun coincided with the arrival of the train. Note the ominous clouds in the background.

37406 The Saltire Society arrives at Caerphilly station on 12 June 2004 with the 2F18 10:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. Red Dragon would obviously be a more appropriate name for the loco, rather than The Saltire Society in this location!

It is barely light as 37406 The Saltire Society approaches County March Summit near Tyndrum Upper on 5 March 2005 with the 1Y11 04:50 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William ScotRail sleeper. Some of idea of how dark it is can be gauged from the fact that the reflections on the side of two centre coaches are from car headlights on the road just behind where I am stood!

37406 The Saltire Society & 37401 The Royal Scotsman (which is actually in Royal Scotsman claret livery, although the angle of the lighting makes it difficult to tell from EWS red) pass the site of Challow station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:04 Derby to Weymouth 'Solent Syphons' railtour on 9 April 2005. The remains of the down platform can be seen on the left, although this was largely removed in the early 1990s, when the freight loops were laid. The four track section extends from here to Wantage Road.

It seems that most people who photographed 37406 The Saltire Society & 37401 The Royal Scotsman returning from Weymouth on 9 April 2005 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z38 15:52 Weymouth to Derby 'Solent Syphons' railtour had to put up with very cloudy conditions. I thought I was going to be unlucky as well, but a mega lucky patch of sun at Berkley Marsh has transformed the picture. Look at the background to see how close the cloud was!

The Allscott sugar factory dominates the background as 37406 The Saltire Society & 37416 pass Walcot with the Kingfisher Railtours 1Z37 06:24 High Wycombe to Pwllheli 'Snowdonia Explorer' railtour on 29 October 2005. This scene has changed dramatically since this picture was taken, as the factory closed the following year and was demolished in 2008. The Allscott sugar factory was opened in 1927 and at its peak processed more than 850,000 tonnes of sugar beet annually. The three silos visible in the background had a combined capacity of 37,000 tonnes, and during the autumn beet season over 350 lorry loads of beet arrived daily.

37406 The Saltire Society & 37417 Richard Trevithick storm through Church Fenton station on 24 June 2006 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z50 07:00 Liverpool Lime Street to Carlisle 'Pennine Syphons' railtour. It may seem a little odd that a tour heading for Carlisle is here heading south from York, and indeed it has already passed through Church Fenton an hour previously. All part of the fun of the circuitous railtour itinerary! Note how lucky I was not to get blocked out by the receding Class 158 unit!

37406 The Saltire Society pilots 66019 on the 6M65 18:21 Didcot to Carlisle Enterprise service on 6 July 2006, seen here passing Yarnton. This train has for years been the favoured way of getting surplus locomotives back up north, and 37 / 66 combinations were common at this time. Obviously in this case the driver is an enthusiast and used the 'tractor' as the train engine. Unfortunately, nearly a year later with the same combination, at the same location, I wasn't so lucky!

37406 heads down the Ardingly branch at Copyhold Junction with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:35 Paddington to Ardingly 'Buffer Puffer 4.0' railtour on 20 January 2007, with 37410 on the rear. Note the sandbags on the right supporting the embankment. Overnight there had been a landslip following heavy rains and large section of the cutting side had become unstable, a situation aggravated by the removal of the trees, whose roots help stabilize the cutting sides. In fact railway contractors were still at work, and at intervals up trains were stopped while a digger worked at the top of the cutting.

A surprise Class 37 working on 14 May 2007 was the 6M33 16:21 Avonmouth to Wembley Yard 'Enterprise' service, normally the preserve of Class 67 traction. Running approximately 40 minutes early, 37406 The Saltire Society & 37422 Cardiff Canton are pictured passing Compton Beauchamp (between Swindon and Didcot). I had chosen this location as it would be the least backlit spot along this stretch of line. In the event the train came in a couple of minutes worth of cloud!

A combination of a Monday morning and dull gloomy weather meant that I was the only person waiting at Dunkeld and Birnam station for the Pathfinder Tours 1Z34 08:20 Inverness to Swindon 'Orcadian' railtour on 11 June 2007. I took advantage of the lack of other people being in the way by photographing the train framed by the Highland Railway footbridge, which in the usual course of events would be bound to have someone in a bright coloured jacket stood on it! 37406 The Saltire Society & 37410 race through under clear signals.

37406 The Saltire Society & 37410 swing round the curve at Bardrill (between Gleneagles and Blackford) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z34 08:20 Inverness to Swindon 'Orcadian' railtour on 11 June 2007. Although the sun almost came out a few minutes later, it wasn't until I was on the motorway heading home that the weather really improved!

37407 Blackpool Tower passes Magor in the rain on 11 March 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 09:35 Cardiff Central to Minehead 'Quantock Quester' railtour. A Transrail liveried Class 37 on Regional Railways coaches was common enough at the time, but not necessarily on a railtour.

37407 Blackpool Tower joins the West Somerset Railway at Norton Fitzwarren on 11 March 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 09:35 Cardiff Central to Minehead 'Quantock Quester' railtour. Clearly the Taunton Cider siding has not been used for a while, as it is now used as a car park (for identical red cars)!

37407 Blackpool Tower pulls out of Crowcombe Heathfield station on 11 March 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 09:35 Cardiff Central to Minehead 'Quantock Quester' railtour. Although the weather was terrible, with rain virtually all day, I wasn't going to miss getting some pictures of a Transrail Class 37 with Regional Railways stock on the West Somerset Railway.

37407 Blackpool Tower passes Castle Hill in the rain and gathering darkness on 11 March 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 16:00 Minehead to Cardiff Central 'Quantock Quester' railtour. The West Somerset Railway has played host to numerous railtours over the years, but this one doesn't seem to have had much photographic coverage, probably due to the awful weather!

Viewed from the Kennet & Avon Canal's Dundas Aqueduct, 37407 Blackpool Tower heads down the Avon Valley on 17 March 1995 with the 2V70 08:40 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads Regional Railways service. The loco had only been named Blackpool Tower a few weeks earlier.

37407 Blackpool Tower emerges from the fog at Gatcombe on 1 April 1995, as it runs alongside the River Severn with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z28 09:35 Cardiff Central to Weymouth Quay 'Wessexman' railtour. The fog would soon clear, but it would take virtually all day for the sun came out.

A tight squeeze at Weymouth Quay on 1 April 1995, as 37407 Blackpool Tower cautiously moves along the harbour line with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z28 09:35 Cardiff Central to Weymouth Quay 'Wessexman' railtour. As the line was little used at this time motorists were not too bothered where they parked, and two of these cars had to be manhandled sideways to clear the way!

Local Weymouth boats Sea Hopper & Quarter Bell line the quayside on 1 April 1995, as 37407 Blackpool Tower slowly negotiates the Weymouth Tramway with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 16:10 Weymouth Quay to Cardiff Central 'Wessexman' railtour. In the foreground there is one of the hazards of photographing at a seaside location - gulls flying directly at the camera!

Boats, cars and a train. 37407 Blackpool Tower runs slowly alongside the mouth of the River Wey, as it leaves Weymouth Harbour station on 1 April 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 16:10 Weymouth Quay to Cardiff Central 'Wessexman' railtour. The Britannia multi-story car park is hardly Weymouth's most attractive building!

37407 Blackpool Tower climbs the 1 in 50 Upwey Bank at Bincombe on 1 April 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z90 16:10 Weymouth Quay to Cardiff Central 'Wessexman' railtour. This was a formidable gradient in the days of steam, but it is no problem for the 37, with its light seven coach train. The train is approaching the site of Upwey Wishing Well Halt, which was opened by the GWR in 1905, and closed by British Railways in 1957.

There are no waiting passengers at Chetnole on 20 April 1995, so 37407 Blackpool Tower passes straight though with the 2O85 06:46 Westbury to Weymouth Regional Railways service. There were however some passengers to be picked up at Yetminster, approximately 1½ miles before. Such was the stillness of the morning, that I distinctly heard the train approaching from Thornford, slow down and stop at Yetminster, then after a brief stop accelerate away again. All this several minutes before it came into view!

37407 Blackpool Tower passes Berkley on 20 April 1995 with the 2V70 08:40 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads service. The spring sunshine has melted the frost from the grass, which was still quite noticeable when I saw the train on its southbound working, earlier the same morning at Chetnole.

37407 Blackpool Tower passes Penmaenmawr on 9 August 1995 with the 1K61 10:23 Bangor to Crewe Regional Railways service. This one of the many occasions during the 1990s that a forecast of unbroken sunshine tempted me to make the long drive from Oxfordshire to the North Wales coast for a day of Class 37 photography.

37407 Blackpool Tower accelerates away from Llandrindod Wells with the 1Z54 special to Rhymney on 21 July 1999. This train was provided in connection with the Royal Welsh Show, which is held at nearby Builth Wells. Possibly because it was midweek, and in 1999 Class 37s were still reasonably commonplace, there were very few other photographers about to record this working.

37407 Blackpool Tower passes Eastrington on 3 November 2020 with the 3S14 11:33 Woodburn Junction to Hull Rail Head Treatment Train. 37423 is bringing up the rear. The sun had only just come out, after a largely dull afternoon.

37407 Blackpool Tower passes through Shipton's tiny station on 17 October 2024 with the 5Z69 09:25 Kidderminster Severn Valley Railway to Eastleigh Arlington barrier vehicle move, comprising former First Great Western Motorail vans 96605, 96603, 96607 & 96602. This was running over two hours late, due to an earlier track circuit failure near Evesham. There was a lot more cloud than at the train's booked time, and it was probably lucky that I was standing in the shadow of one of the lorries in the car park belonging to Mathews Cotswold Flour, so that I couldn't see just how close the sun was to one of the clouds as the train approached!

37408 Loch Rannoch passes Egton on the meandering Esk Valley line with the 1Z09 16:38 Grosmont to Birmingham New Street NYMR/Rail Magazine railtour returning from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on 8 May 1993. The tour was organised to celebrate the 200th issue of Rail magazine and appropriately utilised preserved Class 40 D200 on the NYMR. Despite appearances I had not resorted to bush clearance on the embankment in order to open up the view!

37408 Loch Rannoch approaches Sparkford on 10 July 1993 with the 2V87 16:30 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads Regional Railways service. This was a brief southern foray for Loch Rannoch at the time, as apart from a few weeks in June, it spent most of the summer working on the North Wales coast.

A rainy day in South Wales! 37408 Loch Rannoch heads towards Aberthaw Power Station on 22 April 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z60 11:18 Cardiff Central to Bridgend Ford Works 'Scrummager 3.1' railtour. After traversing the power station loop, the train would return to this location, and then reverse, heading on towards Bridgend hauled by 60081 Bleaklow Hill, which can be seen on the rear of the train.

37408 Loch Rannoch brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z60 11:18 Cardiff Central to Bridgend Ford Works 'Scrummager 3.1' railtour at Aberthaw on 22 April 1995. 60081 Bleaklow Hill is at the front of the train. This picture was taken specifically to show the loco passing between the two semaphore signals.

After having crossed the busy A48 road into the Ford engine plant at Bridgend, led by 60081, 37408 Loch Rannoch has brought the train back out from the works, and waits on the other side of the road with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z60 13:57 Bridgend Ford Works to Cardiff Central 'Scrummager 3.1' railtour on 22 April 1995.

37408 Loch Rannoch passes Miskin in failing light on 22 April 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z60 13:27 Bridgend Ford Works to Cardiff Central 'Scrummager 3.1' railtour. This is something you hardly ever see now, a four coach railtour, and one that only traverses a short route, and doesn't take all day!

37408 Loch Rannoch arrives at Abergele on 9 August 1995 with the 1D67 11:24 Crewe to Holyhead Regional Railways service, passing the splendid 1902 LNWR signal box. Although it looks like this is only a two coach train, it is in fact the usual five coach load, with the last three hidden by the curve of the loop line!

37408 Loch Rannoch passes Sandycroft on 31 May 1997 with the 1H44 13:23 Holyhead to Manchester Piccadilly 'Irish Mancunian'. 37408 was the last of the class to retain the large logo livery, although by this date it had lost its 'Westie' logo. To the disgust of many Class 37 enthusiasts, it was repainted into EWS red a year after this picture was taken.

37408 Loch Rannoch passes Ashford Bowdler on 6 November 1999 with the 1Z66 08:02 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. Photo taken from a public footpath crossing. I was going to investigate locations further north, but judging by the cloud in the background it was probably best that I didn't!

37408 Loch Rannoch approaches Llanishen on 18 March 2000 with the 2F45 16:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. This a was a busy moment, as approaching from the opposite direction was 37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 with the 2R40 16:48 Cardiff Central to Rhymney train.

37408 Loch Rannoch & 37416 Sir Robert McAlpine pass Kinloid on 6 October 2001 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z82 12:50 Mallaig to Fort William 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour. Unfortunately the early morning sunshine that had greeted the tour on the outward run, had now disappeared.

37408 Loch Rannoch & 37416 Sir Robert McAlpine crosses the Caledonian Canal swing bridge at Banavie in pouring rain on 6 October 2001 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z82 12:50 Mallaig to Fort William 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour.

Immaculate 37408 Loch Rannoch and not quite so pristine 37426 pass Wistanstow on 25 May 2002 with the 1V77 08:33 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central service. The loco haulage was in connection with the Heineken Rugby Cup Final between Leicester Tigers and Munster, although the double heading was merely to get 37426 to Cardiff Canton for routine maintenance.

37408 Loch Rannoch emerges from the trees at Ystrad Mynach on 7 June 2003 with the 2R36 15:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney Wales & West service. It would return approximately an hour later with the 2F46 17:15 Rhymney to Cardiff.

37408 Loch Rannoch rounds the curve at Ystrad Mynach on 7 June 2003 with the 2F46 17:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Wales & West service. At least the conifer tree in the background has disguised what would otherwise be a redundant telegraph pole sticking out of the top of the locomotive!

37408 Loch Rannoch passes Nant-y-Derry on 23 August 2003 with the 1Z37 09:37 Hereford to Fishguard service. This was one of a number of specials run in connection with a rugby match at Cardiff, but in this case commendably extended on to Fishguard.

37408 Loch Rannoch passes some fine autumn foliage at Crosby Garrett on 30 October 2003, as it works the 1E23 13:33 Carlisle to Leeds Arriva Trains Northern service. 37411 is bringing up the rear. Note the remains of the old loading dock on the right. Crosby Garrett station closed in October 1952.

37408 Loch Rannoch brings up the rear of the 2C67 07:58 Knaresborough to Leeds Arriva Trains Northern service, as it passes a farm occupation crossing at North Rigton on 6 September 2004. 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society is at the front of the train.

During 2003 & 2004 Arriva Trains Northern utilised a pair of hired in EWS 37s on a daily Knaresborough - Leeds - Carlisle - Leeds - Knaresborough circuit using a rake of four Mk2 coaches. Catching a very brief patch of sunshine on the approach to Rise Hill Tunnel on 6 September 2004, 37408 Loch Rannoch heads north with the 1M53 09:47 Leeds to Carlisle service, with 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society bringing up the rear. The background indicates some more typical S&C weather approaching!

37408 Loch Rannoch brings up the rear of the 1E23 13:33 Carlisle to Leeds Arriva Trains Northern service at Aisgill on 6 September 2004. 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society is at the front of the train. Naturally these trains attracted much attention from photographers, but I only ventured up to the Settle & Carlisle line a couple of times to see them.

With the hills in the background shrouded in mist, 37408 Loch Rannoch arrives at Caerphilly station with the 2R14 09:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service on 28 May 2005. Some idea of how gloomy it is can be gauged by the fact that the street lights are still on in the middle of the morning!

A couple of weeks before its accident at Rhymney which resulted in the loco's withdrawal, 37408 Loch Rannoch arrives at Tirphil with the 2F14 09:13 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 16 July 2005. The loco has already been in the wars, note the damage above the left buffer. The original Loch Rannoch was 37012, which was obviously a Scottish allocated loco. It carried the name from 1982 until 1986, when the plates were transferred to 37408. Not really a very appropriate name for working in the Welsh valleys, something like Lake Bala would be more in keeping!

37408 Loch Rannoch is a long way from the land of the lochs, as it heads down the Rhymney Valley on 16 July 2005 with the 2F38 1515 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. It is pictured here passing Troedrhiwfuwch (between Pontlottyn and Tirphill).

In the very last rays of the setting sun, 37409 Loch Awe rounds the reverse curves at Achallader on 20 July 1997 with the 1B01 19:50 Fort William to Euston ScotRail sleeper, which the 37 will work as far as Edinburgh. Obviously no one would actually be trying to go to sleep this early in the evening, which is just as well as I could never work out how you could possibly get to sleep with a 37 at the head of the train!

I didn't often get days of unbroken sunshine when I visited Scotland in search of Class 37s during the late 1990s. Therefore the climb up the hillside at Achallader on the morning of 22 July 1997 was well worth the effort to catch 37409 Loch Awe crossing the viaduct over Allt Coire Achaladair with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper (21:30 ex Euston).

37409 Loch Awe passes Torlundy on 22 July 1997 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper (21:30 ex Euston). Not a very inspired location, but with some unaccustomed Scottish sunshine, I wasn't going to pass up the chance of another picture, after initially seeing this train at Achallader.

37409 Loch Awe & 37428 David Lloyd George approach Muir of Ord on 10 August 1997 with the Grampian Railtours 1Z66 08:45 Aberdeen to Kyle of Lochalsh 'Northern Belle Kyle Centenary Express' railtour.

37409 Loch Awe & 37428 David Lloyd George pass Maryburgh on 10 August 1997 with the Grampian Railtours 1Z66 08:45 Aberdeen to Kyle of Lochalsh 'Northern Belle Kyle Centenary Express' railtour. Initially this was just a quick grab shot en-route to Achanalt, but I rather like the way the fences and the entrance to the field lead the eye into the picture.

37409 Loch Awe & 37428 David Lloyd George pass Achanalt on 10 August 1997 with the Grampian Railtours 1Z66 08:45 Aberdeen to Kyle of Lochalsh 'Northern Belle Kyle Centenary Express' railtour. Not a particularly easy picture to take, as I was standing on top of the rather rustic looking trackside fence, in order to get the best viewpoint!

37409 Lord Hinton propels inspection saloon 975025 Caroline past Fritwell with the 2Z01 09:26 Ealing Broadway to Ealing Broadway (via Birmingham) special on 8 September 2010. This train was booked to return via the Cotswold Line, but in the event came back via Bristol Parkway resulting in some very late running. Just visible in the distance (underneath the small aqueduct) is the entrance to Ardley Tunnel.

37409 Lord Hinton & 37229 Jonty Jarvis 8-12-1998 to 18-3-2005 pass an exceedingly gloomy Little Haresfield on 25 June 2011 with the Spitfire Railtours 1Z31 05:03 Birmingham International to Penzance 'Kernow Explorer II' railtour. Somebody is having a laugh with the headcodes for the three railtours heading for the Cornish Mazey Day celebrations, as this 37 hauled tour is 1Z31, whilst the 20 tour is 1Z37 & the 31 tour 1Z20!

37409 Lord Hinton brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z61 06:23 Crewe to Eastleigh 'Hampshire Hotchpotch' railtour on 5 May 2012. 20312 & 20308 are on the front of the train, powering away from a signal check at Walton Well Road, Oxford,, although they will shortly be stopping to pick up passengers at Oxford station.

Looking immaculate in its freshly applied ScotRail livery, 37409 Loch Awe passes Tackley on 12 January 2024 in the company of D8096 (20096) & D8107 (20107) Jocelyn Fielding 1940-2020, running 16 minutes early as the 0Z97 10:27 Eastleigh Arlington to Crewe. No Class 37 received this livery in BR days, the closest being ScotRail branding applied to the Regional Railways livery on 37427 Highland Enterprise.

37409 Loch Awe, D8096 (20096) & D8107 (20107) Jocelyn Fielding 1940-2020 pass Thrupp on 4 February 2024 with the 5Z82 10:20 Crewe to Southall Loco Services Ltd stock move. This had been running early, but due to the preceding 1O14 10:26 Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth Voyager apparently coming to a stand for a while near Fenny Compton, this passed me exactly at the booked time. Hampton Gay church, on the site of a deserted medieval village, can be seen in the background.

37409 Loch Awe brings up the rear of the 16:45 Kidderminster to Highley service on 19 May 2024, as it arrives at its destination behind 69009 Western Consort. Both locos were visiting the Severn Valley Railway for their annual Diesel Gala.

37410 Aluminium 100 arrives at Crianlarich on 9 June 1997 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William ScotRail sleeper service. Crianlarich is one of those places that judging by road signs has more importance than it deserves. Because of its location at a junction of important roads, the remote and small Scottish settlement is signposted from seemingly all over central Scotland, including Fort William, Perth, Glasgow, etc.

37410 Aluminium 100 & 37153 emerge from the trees in Glen Falloch on 11 August 1997, as they head towards Crianlarich with the 7Y45 09:10 Coatbridge to Corpach empty flats. The train is crossing the bridge over Eas Eonan, one of the many small streams that flows off the mountains into the River Falloch.

A dramatic and very lucky spotlighting effect at Jamestown, near Inverkeithing on 26 April 1998. 37410 Aluminium 100 & 37406 The Saltire Society roll slowly round the curve and prepare to stop at an adverse signal, when a brief patch of sunshine appears from nowhere and illuminates the locos - perfect! The train is the Regency Rail Cruise Kyle of Lochalsh to Bristol Temple Meads 'Lord of the Isles' railtour. This pair of locos worked as far as Edinburgh Waverley, from where 37402 & 37431 took over.

A clear sunny spring morning in Glen Falloch on 28 April 1998, as 37410 Aluminium 100 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper heads towards Crianlarich. In the still air the train could be heard for about ten minutes before it came into view. The end for regular Class 37 haulage on these trains came in 2006, although Transrail liveried locos and InterCity stock hadn't been seen for a number of years. The replacement traction was the totally unsuitable Class 67. These overweight 125mph locos were only chosen because they were surplus to requirements and can supply ETS, otherwise it is difficult to think of a more inappropriate locomotive for this line.

37410 Aluminium 100 approaches Bridge of Orchy on 28 April 1998 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper. I had already photographed the train in Glen Falloch, but couldn't resist this picture of the four coach train overshadowed by the mountain as it approached Bridge of Orchy station. Unlike the Glen Falloch picture, this did not require any effort, as it was taken from the side of the A82, whilst on the way back to the B&B for breakfast!

37410 Aluminium 100 passes County March Summit in typical Scottish drizzle on 24 May 1999 with the 6Y45 06:36 Mossend to Fort William Enterprise service. It may seem strange to some people that there would be someone standing out in the rain just to take a picture of a freight train. However, once the train had passed I could get back into my car, parked just a few yards away. A different form of 'enjoyment' is being experienced by the two walkers visible above the fourth wagon. They are on the West Highland Way, and are in for a very long slog before the next habitation (Bridge of Orchy).

Gleaming after a repaint, 37410 pulls in to Pengam station with the 2F42 16:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 21 June 2003. To the majority of railway enthusiasts Pengam means the freightliner terminal just to the east of Cardiff, but this is the other Pengam on the now passenger only line to the north of Cardiff. I presume the station does have some regular customers, but each time I have been there actual passengers as opposed to photographers have been noticeable by their absence!

37410 Aluminium 100 passes Ardlui with the Hertfordshire Railtours Dumbarton Central to Dalmally 'Easter West Highlander' ECS on 11 April 2004. It would pick up the tour passengers (who had been on a coach trip) from Dalmally, before returning to Dumbarton. Luckily, in view of the mileage required to get to Scotland, there were three Class 37 hauled railtours operating over the West Highland line during this weekend.

37410 Aluminium 100 heads through picturesque Glen Lochy on 11 April 2004 with the Hertfordshire Railtours Dumbarton Central to Dalmally 'Easter West Highlander' ECS. It would shortly return hauled by 37427 (which can just be seen on the rear of the train) with the tour passengers, heading back to Dumbarton.

37410 Aluminium 100 & 37418 East Lancashire Railway pass through a very damp Cam & Dursley station, returning from Sharpness with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:28 Crewe to Whatley 'Industrial Invader' railtour on 18 September 2004. 37047 & 37109 were on the rear of the train. In view of the awful weather and the lack of good photographic spots on the Sharpness Branch, I just waited at Cam & Dursley for it to come back, after seeing it pass through a little earlier.

Now running 90 minutes late due to EWS failing to provide a pilotman for the Highworth Branch at Swindon, 37410 Aluminium 100 & 37418 East Lancashire Railway pass Broughton Gifford, on the single track Melksham line, with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:28 Crewe to Whatley 'Industrial Invader' railtour on 18 September 2004. The long wait here was enlivened (if that's the right word) by a car crash on the nearby main road, which resulted in the Wiltshire Air Ambulance landing in the nearby field!

37410 approaches Copyhold Junction, near Haywards Heath with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:35 Paddington to Ardingly 'Buffer Puffer 4.0' railtour on 20 January 2007. On the right is the short Ardingly branch, the destination for this tour, and the intended destination for a similar tour two years earlier, that saw it get this far but lack of paperwork saw it miss out on the branch. Indeed this tour was not without its problems, as 37410 had been removed from the train at Three Bridges to have its water topped up, as it had shut down and was relying on sister loco 37406 doing all the work pushing from the rear!

37410 slowly approaches Copyhold Junction, after traversing the Ardingly branch on 20 January 2007 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:35 Paddington to Ardingly 'Buffer Puffer 4.0' railtour. Unfortunately this corresponded with a cloud blocking the sun, but as this a very unusual location for a passenger train, it was still worth a picture.

37410 & 37406 The Saltire Society head north from Brora through the mist and drizzle with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z31 06:00 Inverness to Thurso & Wick 'Orcadian' railtour on 10 June 2007. With the cloud rolling in off the sea there was little prospect of any better weather during the day. A long drive from south of Inverness for one picture!

Making a welcome change from the usual pair of Class 37s on railtours of the period, and also an unusual midweek railtour, 37410 single handedly takes charge of the Kingfisher Railtours 1Z60 07:40 Derby to Eastbourne 'Eastbourne Flyer 1' railtour on 16 August 2007, seen here passing Oakley.

37411 arrives at Abergavenny on 23 July 1995 with the 1M33 13:05 Cardiff Central to Liverpool Lime Street service. Note the variation in the Regional Railways livery of the coaches. The station building dates from 1854, and was designed by Charles Liddell, for the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway.

37411 pulls out of Hereford station on 11 August 1995 with the 1M89 16:45 Cardiff to Manchester Piccadilly Regional Railways service. All three elements of a traditional steam age railway station can be seen in this view. The goods shed (albeit disused), superb gothic revival station building, and just visible under the footbridge, the signal box.

37411 passes Ponthir on 18 August 1995 with the 1M89 16:45 Cardiff to Manchester Piccadilly Regional Railways service. Note the variation in livery on the coaches, most of which seem to be minus any branding.

37411 approaches Droitwich on 4 November 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:03 Birmingham New Street to Llandrindod Wells 'Heart of Wales Rambler' railtour. It almost looks like someone has deliberately marshaled the stock with alternating coaches in repainted Network SouthEast livery (with the red band changed to blue), and the original Regional Railways colour scheme!

37411 passes Defford on 16 June 1996 with the Sundays only 1M15 16:10 Cardiff to Birmingham New Street service. This was the usual traction on this train, and I saw it again three months later, and yet again in a different livery nearly two years later.

37411 approaches Droitwich on 16 June 1996 with the Sundays only 1V19 19:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central service. It has just traversed the single track line from Stoke Works Junction, and is joining the main line from Kidderminster. Droitwich still retains its semaphore signals, but alas 37s no longer pass this way on scheduled passengers trains.

37411 arrives at Trowbridge on 21 June 1996 with the 2V70 08:40 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads service. This was one of the most regular locomotives on this diagram, being used through the mid to late 1990s. The grass covered platform is the disused southern end of platform 2, fenced off to form its own nature reserve!

37411 passes Oddingley on 23 June 1996 with the 1M15 16:10 Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street service. It's return working (the 1V19 19:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central) would turn out to be a bit of a surprise, as unique Transrail branded blue liveried 37116 was added to the front of the train.

37411 catches the last rays of the setting sun as it passes Defford on 15 September 1996 with the Sundays only 1M15 16:10 Cardiff to Birmingham New Street service. As an interesting comparison, the same loco was pictured at this same location nearly two years later, by which time it had acquired EWS red livery.

Ex-works 37411 diverges from the main line at Feeder Bridge Junction, Bristol and takes the line towards Dr Days Junction on 10 April 1997 with the Thursdays only 6V34 10:34 Fawley to Margam fuel oil tanks. This view from the A4320 gives an excellent view of the junction with North Somerset Junction also visible at the rear of the train. Unfortunately most people didn't take any notice of the advert on the hoarding. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

Proving that the EWS livery doesn't always look drab, and that when cleaned and caught in the right light, can look quite presentable. 37411 Ty Hafan & 37416 pass the site of the former Midland Railway station at Stonehouse on 12 July 1997, as they head north with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z32 05:49 Cardiff Central to Cambridge 'Fenland Excursioner' railtour.

37411 Ty Hafan passes Twerton on 23 April 1998 with the 2O93 16:33 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth Wales & West service. The imposing eighteenth century Kelston Park can be seen in the background, in its commanding position on a ridge above the valley of the River Avon.

The woolly residents of the lineside field at Pontlottyn keep a watchful eye on the assembled photographers, as 37411 Ty Hafen heads up the Rhymney Valley with the 2O43 17:04 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service on 1 May 1998.

37411 Ty Hafen runs round its train at Rhymney on 1 May 1998, after having arrived with the 2O43 17:04 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. The buildings in the background are presumably part of the former Rhymney Loco Shed (88D).

37411 Ty Hafan passes the sidings full of parcels vehicles at Bristol Kingsland Road on 8 May 1998, as it accelerates away from Temple Meads station with the 2O87 09:00 service to Weymouth. It's a pity that the 06:53 Weymouth to Temple Meads Class 150 DMU decided to get in the way at the crucial moment!

A train that ceased to be loco hauled with the start of the summer 1998 timetable was the 1M15 16:10 Cardiff to Birmingham New Street and 1V19 19:40 return South Wales & West services. On the final day (17 May 1998), 37411 Ty Hafan is pictured passing Defford with 1M15. This of course was back in the days when EWS locomotives were kept reasonably clean!

37411 Ty Hafan gleams in the evening sunshine, as it arrives at Rhymney station on 27 August 1998 with the 2O38 16:27 Cardiff Central to Rhymney. There is clear evidence that the station is a shadow of its former self, with just a single platform in use.

37411 Ty Hafan passes Pontlottyn on 27 August 1998, as its heads down the Rhymney Valley with the 2F22 17:42 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. The flat area behind the train is the site of Rhymney Merthyr Colliery, which closed in 1967.

37411 Ty Hafan passes through Glen Falloch on 11 April 2000 with the 1Y11 04:50 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper. The miserable weather was unfortunately typical of my visits to Scotland during the last days of the Class 37s on the West Highland Line. 

37411 Ty Hafan approaches County March Summit in typical Scottish weather conditions of near darkness and drizzle on 11 April 2000. The four coaches immediately identify this as the 1Y11 04:50 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper.

Just about the most difficult conditions that I have ever taken a railway picture in! 37411 Ty Hafan approaches Horseshoe Curve, near Tyndrum, on 12 April 2000 with the 6Y45 06:36 Mossend to Fort William Enterprise service. Pouring with rain, and with abysmally low light levels (especially for Fujichrome 100), it was a real effort to get this picture, and not just because of the walk of over a mile to get there! As EWS were about to withdraw this wagonload service, I wanted a picture at this particular location, whatever the weather. The biggest problem, in addition to the rain being driven into the lens, was the high humidity causing the lens and viewfinder to fog up. I kept cleaning the filter on the front of the lens, but when I took this the viewfinder was so steamed up that I could hardly see what I was pointing the camera at!

37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society & 37418 East Lancashire Railway bask in the sunshine at Wick on 19 April 2003, after having run round the stock of the ECS from Georgemas Junction, from where the passengers had detrained from the Pathfinder Tours 1Z64 07:45 Inverness to Georgemas Junction 'Orcadian' railtour.

37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society & 37418 East Lancashire Railway weave through the reverse curves near Forsinard on 20 April 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z63 13:40 Wick to Inverness 'Orcadian' railtour. Only a few hundred yards from the road, but not a sign of civilisation in any direction!

A ewe and her lamb witness the passing of 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society & 37418 East Lancashire Railway at Rogart on 20 April 2003. They are working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z63 13:40 Wick to Inverness 'Orcadian' railtour.

37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society emerges from the early morning mist at North Rigton on 6 September 2004 with the 2C67 07:58 Knaresborough to Leeds Arriva Trains Northern service. 37408 Loch Rannoch is bringing up the rear.

37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society brings up the rear of the 1M53 09:47 Leeds to Carlisle Arriva Trains Northern service at Rise Hill Tunnel on 6 September 2004. After taking the conventional picture of 37408 Loch Rannoch leading the train, I couldn't resist this picture of the train about to enter the tunnel.

37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society crosses Aisgill Viaduct on 6 September 2004 with the 1E23 13:33 Carlisle to Leeds Arriva Trains Northern service. 37408 is on the rear. Typically, although there was the occasional brief sunny spell while I was waiting, the sun managed to avoid coming out at the critical moment. Perfectly normal for me on the S&C!

37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society accelerates away from Bargoed on 16 April 2005 with the 2R14 09:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. Ideally framed between the two semaphore signals, the train has just come off the viaduct to the north of Bargoed station. The picture is taken from an exceedingly overgrown occupation bridge in the middle of a wood.

37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society heads north through the trees at Troedrhiwfuwch (between Pontlottyn and Tirphill) with the 2R26 12:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. For once I was glad that the sun wasn't shining as not only would this location have been impossibly backlit, but also completely ruined by shadows. 37411 was soon to loose its nondescript EWS livery in favour of a return to 1960's green.

On one of its last workings before being repainted into early BR green livery, 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society passes Troedrhiwfuwch (between Pontlottyn and Tirphill) with the 2F34 14:15 Rhymney to Cardiff service on 16 April 2005. This location is the one open field in an otherwise slightly overgrown section of line and the clear section of line is just long enough for a train such as this. Whilst the 37s were working the line it was therefore customary to keep walking from one side of the field to the other to photograph both up and down trains. Apparently I have a reputation for taking numerous pictures in these ideal conditions - bright sun with dark clouds in the background. I can assure you it is purely down to luck and there are many times when it just doesn't happen at the right time!

Ex works retro green liveried 37411 (D6990) arrives at Hengoed on 28 May 2005 with the 2R22 1159 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. This was one of two Class 37 repaints to mark the final year (in theory) of Class 37 haulage in the Welsh Valleys.

Freshly repainted into 1960s green livery, 37411 (D6990) approaches Bargoed on 28 May 2005 with the 2F30 13:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. 37411 had originally emerged from the English Electric Vulcan Foundry in this livery as D6990 in June 1965, and would later become 37290 with the advent of TOPS, and finally 37411 upon ETS conversion in 1985. The amount of vegetation growth in just six weeks since I took a picture of 37425 (also coincidentally ex-works) at this location is very striking.

37411 approaches the staggered platforms of Llanbradach station on 17 September 2005 with the 2R14 09:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. Strong backlighting, but you don't pass up the chance to photograph a green Class 37 in the sun!

In a very lucky bit of sunshine, 37411 passes the site of Cefn Onn station with the 2F22 11:14 Rhymney to Cardiff on 17 September 2005. Cefn Onn station was a very remote spot prior to the building of the nearby M4 motorway and ubiquitous housing development. Situated in a deep cutting near the entrance to Caerphilly Tunnel, and only accessible by foot, patronage was low, and consequently it closed in 1986, although a new park and ride type station opened just to the south to serve the new housing estates.

37411 approaches Llanbradach on 17 September 2005 with the 2F34 14:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central. This picture would be impossible today, as not only are there of course no loco hauled trains on the line, but this convenient vantage point (from the edge of the public road) has now been obstructed by the inevitable palisade fencing.

A very lucky brief patch of sunshine at Pontlottyn on 17 September 2005. 37411 (D6990) heads up the Rhymney Valley with the 2R36 15:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. The loco had been repainted into 1960s green livery a few months previously.

37411 Caerphilly Castle approaches Tirphil on 4 December 2005 with the 1Z21 09:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central. I deliberately chose this unusual composition to show off the rusty barns and to lessen the effect of the very head on lighting in the sudden and unexpected burst of sunshine.

Under a dark grey sky, 37411 Caerphilly Castle accelerates away from Pontlottyn on 4 December 2005 with the 1Z33 12:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central, with 50049 Defiance bringing up the rear. This was during the Arriva Trains Wales sponsored 'Loco Hauled Farewell' day, to mark the end of proper trains in the Welsh valleys.

10 December 2005 was supposedly the last day of loco hauled trains on the Rhymney line (of course it wasn't!). Luckily it happened to be a perfect sunny winter's day, after the fog had reluctantly cleared around mid morning. This was yet another case of the weather forecast being hopelessly wrong. Full cloud was predicted, with the slight possibility of a sunny break. Instead it was completely clear at dawn, leading off course to the fog in the valleys. Once that had cleared there was not a cloud all day. 37411 Caerphilly Castle rounds the curve at Ystrad Mynach with the 2F26 12:15 Rhymney to Cardiff. Note the absence of photographers in the field (it really was empty, they haven't been cloned out!). The local farmer is notoriously anti railway photographer, and nobody dared venture into the field. He will not have anything to worry about now, as there will be precious few photographers along the line now!

37411 Caerphilly Castle glints in the lower winter sun as it pulls away from Aber station with the 2R30 1359 Cardiff to Rhymney service on 10 December 2005, ostensibly the last day of Class 37 haulage in the Welsh Valleys. In reality it was another year before the final 37 service ran, due to continuing shortage of units.

37411 Caerphilly Castle passes Marshfield on 4 March 2006 with the 10:25 Cardiff Central to Newport, one of a series of specials run in connection with the Powergen Cup Rugby Semi-Finals Double Header (London Wasps v Leicester Tigers and Bath v Llanelli Scarlets). 47854 is on the rear.

On 20 May 2006, the rain had just stopped when 37411 Caerphilly Castle skirted the Dovey Estuary at Penhelig with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z48 06:41 Sheffield to Pwllheli 'Snowdonian' railtour. However, it was still a typical dreary Welsh day - note the heavy cloud looming over the mountains in the background! During the long wait for the railtour to return from Pwllheli, the opportunity was taken to visit a slightly smaller railway, with a trip on the 2' 3" gauge Talyllyn  Railway.

37411 Caerphilly Castle is pictured passing Llangelynin on 20 May 2006 with the 1Z49 16:22 Pwllheli to Sheffield returning 'Snowdonian' railtour. This dramatic location is on the coast between Barmouth and Tywyn. To take this picture I was standing on a large bolder in the middle of nowhere with the field on the left sloping down to the Irish Sea, and the foothills of Cader Idris on the right. Typically, the sun came out a minute after the train had passed, and was out for most of the time whilst driving home afterwards!

37411 Caerphilly Castle passes Claydon, on the approach to Banbury with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007. Having now done both the 'Bard' and 'Birch' part of the tour, it was running as 1Z38 13:00 Stratford-on-Avon to Quainton Road. In marked contrast to every other location I visited during the day, I was the only person to witness the tour passing this spot. Although the fog had lifted, it was still as dull as ever!

37411 Caerphilly Castle arrives at Quainton Road with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, now running as 1Z38 13:00 Stratford-on-Avon to Quainton Road. The booked lengthy stop at Calvert Junction was ignored (as I suspected), and I could here the train approaching as I walked up the slope to the bridge. At least the tour participants got some extra time to look around the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.

37411 Caerphilly Castle passes the site of Waddesdon Manor station in near darkness with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, now running as the 1Z39 17:00 Quainton Road to Bristol Temple Meads. The bridge at Quainton Road can just be seen in the distance, and the headlight of the train could be seen during the tour's lengthy photo stop, while all the time it was getting steadily darker. Waddesdon Manor station closed as long ago as 1936, probably due to the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere, well over a mile from the nearest village.

37412 & 37670 pass Norton Fitzwarren on 30 October 1991 with the 6S55 09:45 Burngullow to Irvine china clay slurry tanks, in the days when they could still justify their nickname of 'Silver Bullets'. The wagons on the right show that Taunton Cider's rail output was still substantial.

37412 & 37674 growl past Ashchurch with the 6V70 08:20 Bescot to St Blazey china clay empties on 14 August 1992. Both locos were allocated at the time to Laira's MDRL Railfreight Distribution pool and carry the appropriate livery. In this role 37412's ETH would get little use, although of course previously it had been a passenger loco in Scotland, and a few years after this picture was taken it would become a passenger loco in Wales.

37412 & 37671 Tre Pol and Pen speed through South Brent with the 6S55 09:45 Burngullow to Irvine china clay slurry tanks on 26 September 1993. At this date the train still deserved the name 'silver bullets' as the stainless steel wagons had yet to acquire the grime of later years. The Cornish allocated 37s worked the train all the way to Scotland, and at 550 miles this is the longest freight flow in the country. The signal box is all that remains of South Brent station.

At Newton St Loe, just to the west of Bath, the railways is carried on a lofty embankment high above the River Avon. On 23 October 1994, 37412 Driver John Elliott heads along the embankment with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 07:50 Bristol Temple Meads to Sandplace 'Pixie Returns' railtour. Originally the tour was scheduled to traverse the entire length of the Looe branch in Cornwall, but the lack of check rails on the curves saw the train only getting as far as Sandplace.

37412 Driver John Elliott passes Talaton, on the single track former Southern Railway West of England line at Talaton with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 07:50 Bristol Temple Meads to Sandplace 'Pixie Returns' railtour on 23 October 1994. Unfortunately, the fine early morning autumnal light seen earlier at Newton St Loe was now gradually fading away.

37412 Driver John Elliott passes Twerton on 22 July 1995 with the 2V87 16:30 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads service. Although by no means as grown up as this location is now, already by 1995 the portal of Twerton Tunnel is only partly visible through the bushes in the background.

37412 Driver John Elliott passes the 15th century church at Bruton on 5 August 1995 with the 09:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth Regional Railways service. A very tricky shot to get right, as I had to fire two cameras at exactly the right time to place the 37 directly below the church but just past the central tree. Easy enough normally, but when the train is traveling directly across the frame such as this, it is very difficult to get it exactly right!

37412 Driver John Elliott passes Duffryn on a slightly misty 18 August 1995 with the Fridays only 2B72 11:30 Bristol to Cardiff Central. I used to get fed up with seeing this particular loco, as it always seemed to appear on any Class 37 booked passenger workings I went out for in the mid 1990s. Now of course I wouldn't mind seeing it again!

With the town of Ludlow in the background, 37412 Driver John Elliot heads north on 20 August 1995 with the 1M33 13:05 Cardiff Central to Liverpool Lime Street Regional Railways service. Sundays are traditionally a quiet day on the railways, but in 1995 the Welsh Marches line was enlivened by this and the return 1V61 19:14 return working from Liverpool.

37412 Driver John Elliott passes Badgeworth on 29 September 1995 with the 07:10 Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street service. This was a short term replacement, as the new timetable had seen insufficient Class 158s brought into the area for these trains.

I had guessed that there would just be enough room at Spetchley on 29 September 1995 to fit a four coach train into the picture. I was only just right! 37412 Driver John Elliott speeds past with the 10:43 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central sprinter substitute service.

37412 Driver John Elliott passes Spetchley in fading light on 29 September 1995 with the 1V24 17:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central sprinter substitute service. There is certainly an odd mix of liveries in such short train!

The southbound shot from the Severn Bridge is well known, but the northbound less so, mainly due to the fact that to get the sun on the nose an early morning train is required, also recently the Tesco distribution depot has hardly added to the view. However, it still affords an almost aerial view, and on 30 March 1996 the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:15 Cardiff Central to Newquay 'Cornish Raider' railtour was an ideal candidate for this location, despite the unusually short train being a bit lost in the view. 37412 Driver John Elliot is about to pass under the 1966 built road bridge, which incidentally suffers from an alarming amount of movement from the large lorries that at the time (before the opening of the second Severn Bridge) were passing just behind me in quick succession.

37412 Driver John Elliot approaches Tiverton Parkway with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:15 Cardiff Central to Newquay 'Cornish Raider' railtour on 30 March 1996. A railtour using such a short rake of coaches is highly unusual and probably wouldn't be viable today.

Viewed from high on the hill to the south west of the town, 37412 Driver John Elliot has just passed through Lostwithiel station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:15 Cardiff Central to Newquay 'Cornish Raider' railtour on 30 March 1996. This high vantage point clearly shows the still extensive track layout at this busy Cornish location. Just in front of the train the Fowey freight line can be seen diverging to the right. Unfortunately the perfect sunny conditions seen earlier in the day at the Severn Bridge and Tiverton Parkway hadn't persisted this far south!

37412 Driver John Elliott brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 08:15 Cardiff Central to Newquay 'Cornish Raider' railtour at Tregoss Moor on 30 March 1996. 37671 Tre Pol and Pen is at the front of the train, heading out across the National Nature Reserve, and by the look of it, into the cloudy weather.

Dramatic backlighting at Bugle on 30 March 1996. 37412 Driver John Elliott emerges from the black clouds in to the light, as it works the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 16:15 Newquay to Cardiff Central 'Cornish Raider' railtour. 37671 was on the rear of the train.

37412 Driver John Elliott was a regular loco on the 1M15 16:10 Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street service during 1996. Here it is approaching Abbotswood under uninterrupted blue skies on its familiar duty on 21 July 1996. The train would later return as the 1V19 19:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central.

37412 Driver John Elliot just manages to find a small gap in the encroaching late evening shadows as it passes Blackwell with the 1V19 19:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central service on 18 August 1996. Not only was the sun dying rapidly, but look how close I came to being bowled by a Class 158!

Very lucky lighting at Thornford on 13 September 1997. 37412 Driver John Elliott catches a small patch of sunshine as it heads north with the 2V89 17:20 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads service. 37412 was a regular on the Weymouth trains during the late 1990s, and bizarre though it seems now, people would get fed up with seeing it!

A Class 37 was required on the Pathfinder Tours 1Z40 08:01 Crewe to Cleethorpes 'Lancs-Lincs' steam hauled railtour on 27 March 1999, to top'n'tail between New Holland and Cleethorpes. 37412 Driver John Elliott is seen here on the curve between Ulceby South Junction and Habrough Junction. The main tour locomotive LMS 'Black 5' 45407 can be seen on the rear of the train.

37412 Driver John Elliott passes Marshfield in the rain on 11 November 2000 with the 2V42 10:28 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. The driver is not waving at me, but at the driver of the Class 66 which was rapidly approaching on the up line in the foreground. If the weather wasn't bad enough, the fact that I had to crop the image has further worsened the quality of the picture.

On Sunday 22 July 2001 there was an unusual choice of traction for the 6M48 10:54 Llanwern to Lackenby steel empties. 37412 Driver John Elliott & 37415 were booked for the train, so it definitely required a trip to Claydon (near Cheltenham) for a record shot. Unfortunately this is just about the worst possible combination of extreme backlighting and a very high midday summer sun. However, I wasn't going to turn up the opportunity to photograph a pair of 37/4s on a steel train.

37412 Driver John Elliott emerges from the fog, as in enters Leominster station on 13 October 2001 with the 1Z10 08:00 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. Obviously things were getting desperate on the heritage traction front by 2001, if I was prepared to undertake a 150 mile round trip for a picture in these abysmal weather conditions!

37413 Loch Eil Outward Bound & 37674 growl through Cheltenham station on 24 April 1993 with the 6V70 08:20 Bescot to St Blazey china clay empties. Although both are appropriately liveried and allocated (Laira's MDRL Railfreight Distribution pool), 37413 certain isn't going to make much use of its ETS capability on jobs like this!

37413 Loch Eil Outward Bound & 37672 Freight Transport Association pass the photographers at Cogload Junction on 22 January 1994 with the 6V70 08:20 Bescot to St Blazey china clay empties. Although a popular location for railway photography, the number of photographers has been swollen by the imminent approach from the opposite direction of the Hertfordshire Railtours 1Z33 07:35 Waterloo to Weymouth 'Push Pull Farewell' railtour.

37413 Loch Eil Outward Bound passes Old Denaby on 9 December 1995 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 07:35 Cardiff Central to York 'Yorkshire Rambler' railtour. Around this time Pathfinder organised a number of tours using a short rake of coaches and powered by a single 37, instead of the usual pair. These were marketed as 'Regional Ramblers' as per the headboard.

37413 Loch Eil Outward Bound & 37509 pass Mobberley on 20 July 1996 with the 7H44 11:05 Oakleigh to Tunstead empty PHV stone hoppers. These 1930s designed vacuum braked wagons were withdrawn the following year.

37413 Loch Eil Outward Bound passes Rowton on 17 August 1996 with the 1K71 14:53 Holyhead to Crewe service. Just 15 minutes after photographing this, 31233 Severn Valley Railway & 31201 passed by with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z69 13:40 Crewe to Crewe (via Chester) 'Crewe - Chester Flyer' railtour.

In the pouring rain, 37413 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society & 37405 start to accelerate, as they come off the impressive Culloden Viaduct on 5 April 1998 with the Regency Rail Cruises Aberdeen to York 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour. It seems that whenever I visit this location it is either raining, or else the midges are making life unbearable!

Llanfair PG station on Anglesey is famous for having the longest place name in the UK, the full version being Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. As can be seen here, the station name board needs five posts to support it! 37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 passes through on 11 September 1993 with the 1K67 16:00 Holyhead to Crewe service.

37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 approaches Yetminster on 9 October 1994 with the 2V87 16:25 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads Regional Railways service. This was a weekend break in the south for 37414, as it had been working on the North Wales coast the week before, and would return there a few days later.

37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 passes Valley on 15 June 1996 with the 1K69 13:53 Holyhead to Crewe Regional Railways service. This is typical Anglesey scenery, with bumpy rock strewn fields, liberally dotted with gorse and derelict buildings.

37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 passes Mold Junction on 3 May 1997 with the 1K73 12:22 Bangor to Crewe service. The waste ground between the train and the former railwaymen's cottages was once an extensive area of sidings.

37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 departs from Patchway station with the 2O87 07:45 Cardiff to Weymouth Wales & West service on 29 August 1999. Unfortunately, 1999 was to be the last year of Class 37 haulage to Weymouth, and with hindsight more effort should have be put into capturing the last workings. At the time complacency set in when the same locos appeared week after week. How times change!

37414 Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993 passes Pontlottyn on 18 March 2000 with the 2F29 12:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. Regional Railways liveried Class 37s had become the norm on the North Wales coast, but in South Wales the livery was a bit more unusual. EWS red was dominant in the Valleys.

37415 Mt Etna & 37426 Mt Vesuvius pass through Lostock Gralam station on 9 June 1996 with the 7H51 11:55 Northwich to Tunstead stone empties. Both locos received their unofficial volcanic names at Tinsley depot, presumably due to their noise and smoke!

37415 approaches Llanfairfechan on 13 May 2000 with the 1D79 17:19 Crewe to Holyhead service. The A55 road is at a higher level here, and like the railway, passes through a tunnel as it negotiators the headland between here and Penmaenmawr.

In miserable light, 37415 accelerates away from Rannoch station with the 1Y11 04:50 Edinburgh to Fort William ScotRail sleeper on 19 September 2002. In pre digital days this was at the limit of what was possible using ISO100 film. Canon A1, 100mm lens, Fujichrome 100, 1/250sec f2. Despite the awful light, I think the snaking curve of the track and the mountains in the background make an impressive picture. I can't imagine I will repeat the long walk for a Class 67!

37416 Mt Fuji & 37674 shatter the peace at Standish Junction on 9 October 1993 as they head south with the well loaded 6V70 08:20 Bescot to St Blazey china clay empties. There was certainly no mistaking what was coming, as this train could be heard a long time before it appeared underneath the farm bridge at Little Haresfield, which can just be seen in the background.

When the 'silver bullets' fully lived up to their name! 37416 (unofficially named Mt Fuji) & 37413 Loch Eil Outward Bound pass Narroways Hill Junction, Bristol on 3 March 1994 with the 6S55 09:40 Burngullow to Irvine china clay tanks. After spending the afternoon at this location, watching everything go by in the gloom, it was a relief when the sun finally made an appearance just at the critical moment. However, it was only very fleeting, and even here it is basically only the train that is lit!

37416 emerges from the Severn Tunnel, and climbs towards Pilning on 2 October 1996 with Riviera Ltd stock working back south, after being used during the summer months on the North Wales Coast. This wasn't the only noteworthy train at this location on this day, as King Edward I also passed by with a railtour.

37416 is nearing journey's end as it approaches Pontlottyn on 25 July 1997 with the 2R42 17:04 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. A high viewpoint was deliberately chosen to give a 'train in the landscape' type of picture.

Bovine indifference at Kintradwell Links (near Brora). 37416 & 37427 hug the seashore, as they head south with the Regency Railcruises 1Z37 Wick to Inverness 'Cock o' the North' railtour on 23 May 1999. The name Links doesn't refer to a golf course, but is here used in its original meaning, referring to a rough grassy area between the sea and the land. The word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word 'hlinc'. Note the seabirds circling above the locomotives. Whilst I was waiting I was persistently dive bombed by a pair of Oyster Catchers, who obviously had a nest nearby.

37416 & 37427 approach Alness on 23 May 1999 with the Regency Railcruises 1Z37 Wick to Inverness 'Cock o' the North' railtour. The Cromarty Firth can be seen in the background, which is now dominated by the North Sea oil rig platform construction site at Invergordon.

37416 & 37427 pass Muir of Ord on 23 May 1999 with the Regency Railcruises 1Z37 Wick to Inverness 'Cock o' the North' railtour. Note the manicured greens of Muir of Ord Golf Course in the foreground on the left, and behind the locomotives. The fact that the course is bisected by the railway presumably adds a whole new set of hazards for the players!

37416 & 37427 pass Plean on 24 May 1999 with the Regency Railcruises 1Z37 Inverness to Bristol Temple Meads 'Cock o' the North' railtour. An extremely windy day, but luckily with some spells of sunshine amid the cloud.

There is still plenty of snow on the mountains, as 37416 runs through Glen Falloch on 11 April 2000 with the 6Y45 06:36 Mossend to Fort William Enterprise. Unfortunately yet again there was no sun, but by 2000 I was often travelling to Scotland regardless of the forecast, as the days of Class 37s in the Highlands were numbered.

37416 passes Achallader on 11 April 2000 with the 6Y45 06:36 Mossend to Fort William Enterprise. I had already photographed this train several miles further south in Glen Falloch, but such is the tortuous nature of the West Highland route, and the slow timings, that it was easily possible to get this second picture, despite a long walk back to the car at Glen Falloch, and an even longer walk up the mountainside to this vantage point.

37416 crosses the A85 road in the centre of Crianlarich village on 12 April 2000, as it slowly pulls out of the nearby station with the 1Y11 04:50 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William ScotRail sleeper. I had intended to redo this picture in better weather, but never got around to it before the 37s were replaced on these trains by 67s. Despite the dismal weather, I particularly like this picture, with its inclusion of the impressive war memorial on the right. The sign on the lamppost is an election poster for Tony Ffinch, who won the following day's by-election, to become Conservative councillor for the Highland Ward of Stirling Council.

With the island of Eigg visible in the background, 37416 Sir Robert McAlpine & 37408 Loch Rannoch pass Kinloid with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z81 09:25 Fort William to Mallaig 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour on 6 October 2001. A couple of other photographers had earlier inspected this viewpoint, but decided it wasn't quite right, and so wandered off across the fields towards Mallaig. Unfortunately, a solitary cloud blocked out the sun at their chosen location!

37416 Sir Robert McAlpine & 37408 Loch Rannoch pass County March Summit in typical Scottish weather on 7 October 2001 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z83 10:00 Fort William to Cardiff Central 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour.

37416 Sir Robert McAlpine & 37408 Loch Rannoch sweep round the curve at Glen Falloch on 7 October 2001 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z83 10:00 Fort William to Cardiff Central 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour. The poor light and torrential rain have not helped the picture quality!

37416 Sir Robert McAlpine & 37408 Loch Rannoch stand at Arrochar & Tarbet station on 7 October 2001, while the driver performs a RETB token exchange. The train is the Pathfinder Tours 1Z83 10:00 Fort William to Cardiff Central 'Monarch of the Glen' railtour.

37416 passes Lochyside on 11 June 2005 with the SRPS 1Z19 14:37 Mallaig to Kilmarnock 'West Highlander' railtour. The 1,072 feet high peak of Meall Bhanbhaidh is prominent in the background on the left, and the multiple peaks of Beinn Bhan can be seen in the distance.

Fantastic evening lighting in Glen Falloch on 11 June 2005 as 37416 & 37401 The Royal Scotsman head south with the SRPS 1Z19 14:37 Mallaig to Kilmarnock 'West Highlander' railtour. Some compensation for the fact that a little earlier in the day I had run into the back of a Land Rover towing a trailer at Fort William, causing considerable damage to my car. Rather than follow the AA's plan which involved taking the car further north before heading back south, I elected to drive home with a crumpled bonnet and damaged font end!

The sun has just risen at Defford on 16 July 2005 as 37416 & 37406 The Saltire Society head north with the Past Time Rail 1Z37 05:08 Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli 'Cambrian Coast Flyer' railtour. You can tell it is early as the sun is (just) on the front of the locomotive on a line that is several degrees off of running north to south.

37417 Highland Region passes Penmaenmawr on 9 August 1995 with the 1D62 07:50 Birmingham International to Bangor service. Note how the side of the loco is quite clean, while the yellow front end is absolutely filthy, rather defeating the object of it being yellow!

37417 Highland Region runs alongside the A55 dual carriageway at Penmaenmawr on 9 August 1995 with the 1K63 11:31 Bangor to Crewe service. Unfortunately 37417 has gone the way of most of the road vehicles seen here. It was cut up at Booths, Rotherham, in 2013.

37417 Highland Region passes Penmaenmawr on 15 June 1996 with the 1K63 11:22 Bangor to Crewe Regional Railways service. As usual in high summer, the quarry workings in the background are partly obscured by blue haze, despite the intense sunshine.

Sometimes it rains in Wales and sometimes it really rains! I had just photographed D172 with the Pathfinder Tours 'North Wales Coast Explorer' railtour at Rhyl on 26 August 1996, and it seemed a good idea to wait a few minutes to see 37417 Highland Region with the 1D69 12:18 Crewe to Bangor Regional Railways service. However, in those few minutes the weather really deteriorated, and 37417 pulled out of the station in a torrential downpour. Needless to say this was the August Bank Holiday!

37417 Highland Region passes Sandycroft signal box on 31 May 1997 with the 1K67 13:22 Bangor to Crewe North West Regional Railways service. With the transfer of many Class 37/4s away from Scotland in the mid 1990s, it often happened that locos would have totally inappropriate names for the area in which they operated!

37417 Highland Region was a surprise choice for the 6M14 14:47 Newport to Rugby coal on 22 May 1998. This is the only occasion that I saw a Class 37/4 on this working, which was more usually worked by a 37/7, so was worth recording despite the appalling light. The light was so bad that I had to use 1/250sec f4 on Fujichrome Provia 400. It was therefore lucky that the train was moving very slowly, but also explains the very limited depth of field, the result of using a Pentax 6x7 200mm lens wide open!

37417 Rail Magazine passes Pooley Green (between Egham and Staines) on 31 January 1999 with the 11:03 Victoria to Victoria VSOE luxury Sunday lunch special. The train had reversed at Aldershot, after being brought down from London by 37248 Midland Railway Centre, which is bringing up the rear here.

37417 leaves Fishguard Harbour station on 2 August 2003 with the 1R38 13:55 Wales & Borders departure for Rhymney. The Irish ferry terminal can be seen in the background. Both the harbour station and the nearby Fishguard & Goodwick station (which was closed when this picture was taken, but has since reopened) are actually in the village of Goodwick. The town of Fishguard is over a mile away, on the opposite side of Fishguard Bay.

37417 is pictured here at Llanbradach on 27 September 2003 with the 2R10 08:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service, which at this time was utilising ex Virgin Mk 2 coaches, which were almost an exact colour match for the EWS red of the locomotive. Llanbradach station has staggered platforms and with no train due in the opposite direction, there was nobody getting in the way of the picture at the critical time.

The immaculate condition of the locomotive brightens up the gloomy day at Caerphilly on 7 February 2004. 37417 arrives with the 2R26 12:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney. As Virgin Trains had stopped using loco hauled trains two years before, there were surplus Mk2 coaches to be had. Hence the use debranded ex Virgin stock here.

37417 Richard Trevithick passes the houses of Gilfach, as it heads down the Rhymney Valley with the 2F18 10:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 24 April 2004. The country park in the foreground was formerly crossed by another railway, linking the Rhymney Line with the now closed Brecon & Merthyr line on the opposite side of the valley.

37417 Richard Trevithick is dwarfed by the scenery as it makes a noisy departure from Bridge of Orchy on 10 June 2005 with the 1Y11 04:50 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William ScotRail sleeper. Presumably the passengers were supposed to be awake by this point in the journey. With a 37 up front it would be very difficult to stay asleep!

A trace of evening light at Tulloch on 10 June 2005, as 37417 Richard Trevithick accelerates away from the bridge over the River Spean with the 1B01 19:45 Fort William to Edinburgh (for Euston) ScotRail sleeper service. An interesting location, but unfortunately the lighting angle is not as good as that morning's shot of the northbound working.

37417 Richard Trevithick was left at Machynlleth on the outward leg of the Pathfinder Tours 'Snowdonian' railtour on 20 May 2006, as only a single locomotive is allowed over the Barmouth Bridge. It is seen here paralleling the A470 at Carno along with sister loco 37411 Caerphilly Castle on the return 1Z49 16:22 from Pwllheli. Although the use of a long lens has emphasised the hills in the background, this is not the shot I had intended to take. I discovered on arrival at this location that my Canon 50mm f1.4 lens had suffered the inevitable broken focusing mechanism that this particular design is very prone to after even the most minor knock.

37417 Richard Trevithick slowly comes off the Prologis Park branch at Three Spires Junction with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:00 Reading to Round Oak 'Industrious Trader' railtour on 15 November 2008. Despite the gloomy weather, I decided that I had to get a picture of this tour at this location, as for some reason I had so far managed to overlook the location entirely. Ironically the lighting would have been perfect here had the sun decided to come out! The appalling state of 37417's bodywork can be seen in this picture, with large areas of missing paint and several holes appearing in the rusting bodywork. Dominating the background is the Ricoh Arena, Coventry's large modern  entertainment complex.

As 37417 Richard Trevithick came off the Prologis Park branch line at Three Spires Junction at not much more than walking speed with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:00 Reading to Round Oak 'Industrious Trader' railtour on 15 November 2008, I decided to take this close up view of the locomotive as it passed under the bridge to show the appalling state of the bodywork. Note the large areas of missing paint and several holes appearing in the rusting bodywork.

37418 Pectinidae approaches Grange-over-Sands on 25 April 1992 with the 2C47 10:25 Preston to Barrow-in-Furness Regional Railways service, which was being loco hauled in place of the usual DMU in connection with the Longsight 150 event. The mud flats of the River Kent estuary are behind the train, with the dark outline of Arnside Viaduct just visible directly above the loco.

37418 Pectinidae passes Grange-over-Sands on 25 April 1992 with the 2C48 12:08 Barrow-in-Furness to Preston Regional Railways service, which was being loco hauled in place of the usual DMU in connection with the Longsight 150 event.

37418 arrives at Llandudno Junction on 11 September 1993 with the 1D37 09:50 Manchester Victoria to Holyhead service. The loco had been allocated to the Regional Railways North West fleet a few months earlier, but retained its Railfreight Petroleum livery, although its former Pectinidae nameplate had been removed.

37418 East Lancashire Railway passes Penmaenmawr on 9 August 1995 with the 1K59 09:13 Bangor to Crewe service. Regional Railways liveried locos and stock seemed a bit mundane at the time, but like the BR blue era before it, it looks much more interesting in retrospect!

37418 East Lancashire Railway passes Penmaenmawr on 15 June 1996 with the 1D65 10:18 Crewe to Bangor Regional Railways service. It's hard to believe now, but there was formerly a gas works on the land just to the right of the train.

37418 East Lancashire Railway approaches Sandycroft on 31 May 1997 with the 1D73 14:18 Crewe to Bangor North West Regional Railways service. Here it is travelling through the virtually flat valley of the River Dee. As it heads west, it will traverse progressively hillier terrain.

37418 East Lancashire Railway passes through Tame Bridge Parkway station on 13 June 1998 with the 1D57 20:15 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead service. Although obviously having just photographed the 37s, the photographers at the end of the platform were waiting for the Pathfinder Tours 'Birthday Bash' railtour, which at this point was due to feature a very unusual (especially at the time) pair of Class 73s. Unfortunately one of them derailed in Bescot yard, and so with no indication of how long the delay would be, I decided not to wait around. In the event the train passed here behind 73128 & 37675, over an hour late at 20:50. The tall bridge in the background is an aqueduct carrying the Tame Valley Canal over the line. It is very unusual in that the canal was built after the railway!

With St Mary's parish church, Burry Port, in the background, 37418 East Lancashire Railway approaches Pwll on 18 July 2002 with the 1B97 13:35 Fishguard to Rhymney Wales & Borders service. At this time Wales & Borders hired three 37s from EWS, principally for Cardiff to Rhymney trains. However, on a weekday one diagram was extended to Fishguard. Pembrey & Burry Port station can just be seen in the far distance, but this would not be visible today, as Burry Port bypass now crosses the railway by the line of bushes in the background.

37418 East Lancashire Railway accelerates away from Brithdir on 18 July 2002 with the 1B97 13:35 Fishguard to Rhymney Wales & West service. I had seen this train a little earlier in the day at Pwll, but only now when just a few miles from its destination did the sun decided to come out. Note how the Great Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica) is doing a great job at disguising the palisade fencing in the foreground!

There is hardly any need to explain where this is! 37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society cross the Forth Bridge on a slightly hazy 18 April 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 05:35 Swindon to Inverness 'Orcadian' railtour.

In the very last of the weak evening sunlight on Good Friday 18 April 2003, 37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society pass Easter Clunie (near Perth) with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 05:35 Swindon to Inverness 'Orcadian' railtour. The houses of Newburgh can be seen climbing the hillside in the background.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society accelerate away from Perth on 18 April 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z27 05:35 Swindon to Inverness 'Orcadian' railtour. This location is next to the A9 road, just north of Perth, near Almond Bridge.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society pass Alness in the early morning gloom with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z64 07:45 Inverness to Georgemas Junction 'Orcadian' railtour on 19 April 2003. The tour had traveled up from Swindon the previous day, using 47747 as far as Crewe and 47756 between Crewe and Carlisle, from where the 37s took over.

Not the most comfortable vantage point to wait for a train! Viewed from on top of a dry stone wall, 37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society pass the long closed and exceedingly remote station at Loth on 19 April 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z64 07:45 Inverness to Georgemas Junction 'Orcadian' railtour.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society arrive at Georgemas Junction with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z64 'Orcadian' railtour on 19 April 2003, which had departed from Inverness at 07:45. Passengers transferred to coaches here, to connect with the ferry for the Orkneys.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society accelerate away from Georgemas Junction on 19 April 2003 with the 5Z64 Georgemas Junction to Wick ECS. The train had arrived at the remote junction as the Pathfinder Tours 'Orcadian' railtour, the 1Z64 07:45 from Inverness. The passengers were now on their way to the ferry for the Orkney Isles.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society pass Crubenmore in a lucky patch of sunshine on 21 April 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z18 08:15 Inverness to Swindon 'Orcadian' railtour.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37411 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society pass Jamestown on 21 April 2003 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z18 08:15 Inverness to Swindon 'Orcadian' railtour. Just visible though the mist on the background, above the locomotives, is the Rosyth Docks branch, which diverges from the mainline at Inverkeithing (the town in the background), and passes underneath Jamestown Viaduct, which the train is just crossing.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37421 thrash their way up Glen Falloch with the 1Z23 09:23 Edinburgh to Oban VSOE Northern Belle on 11 April 2004. Slightly unusual for a railtour this was running exactly to time! The West Highland line abounds in good photographic locations north of Crianlarich, but the section from Dumbarton to Crianlarich is a different story. For long stretches up until Ardlui the line is hemmed in by trees. Even here, between Ardlui and Crianlarich, finding an original location away from the hackneyed views in something of a challenge.

In a really luck bit of sunshine, 37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37421 run parallel with the A85 road in Glen Lochy with the 1Z23 09:23 Edinburgh to Oban VSOE Northern Belle on 11 April 2004. After chasing the train from the other side of Crianlarich, it was a case of looking for a likely looking piece of high ground on the south side of the line, and hoping that the background was OK. The brief burst of sunshine with the menacing sky was a bonus.

37418 East Lancashire Railway & 37421 arrive at Taynuilt station on 11 April 2004 with the 1Z23 09:23 Edinburgh to Oban VSOE Northern Belle. Unfortunately, in typical Scottish style the fleeting burst of sunshine I saw the train at Glen Lochy hadn't lasted, and it was now back to the usual 100% cloud cover!

37418 East Lancashire Railway rounds the curve at Grange Court on 6 November 2004 with the 1Z39 10:50 Cardiff Central to Gloucester Arriva Trains Wales rugby special. The relief line on the right has since been removed.

37418 brings up the rear of the 1Z97 09:39 Derby RTC to Cardiff Canton Sidings Network Rail test train at Churcham on 19 February 2019. 37175 is the lead locomotive. Not an ideal location for this going away shot, and slightly ironic in that I cleared away the lineside weeds from the other side of the line, as originally I was going to photograph this train from the other side. The last minute reappearance of the sun required a sudden change of position!

37418 passes Badgeworth on 21 February 2019 with the 1Z97 08:00 Cardiff Canton Sidings to Derby RTC Network Rail test train. This was running 25 minutes late, having left Cardiff 80 minutes behind schedule. 37175 is on the rear.

37418 approaches Pontlottyn on 5 July 2019 with the 2R20 17:01 Cardiff Central to Rhymney Transport for Wales service. The Highland stag emblem on the cabside really ought to be a Welsh dragon! Annoyingly, although it was sunny a few miles to the north, there was a large area of cloud over the Welsh Valleys, that refused to move.

37418 passes Gilfach Fargoed on 8 July 2019 with the 2R20 17:01 Cardiff Central to Rhymney Transport for Wales service. This was running six minutes late, which was fortunate, as the light was getting better all the time, and although thin clouds kept the sun at bay, this is a much better result than I was expecting just a couple of minutes earlier.

37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach passes Over (near Gloucester) on 22 September 2020 with the 6Z37 08:37 Coleham to Gloucester Horton Road, conveying two sets of RHTT tanks, in readiness for the autumn leaf fall season. Luckily there is just enough of a gap to get the whole train in the picture, although the shadows are less than ideal. The main reason for choosing this spot was that it is one of the very few locations in the area where the sun would be on the front. In the event however, as it was running early, this was not so much of a problem.

37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach passes Yarnton on 7 March 2022 with the 6Z37 11:55 Eastleigh Arlington to Sinfin Sidings (Derby), conveying tow repaired bogie oil tanks. I had seen these two tanks on their way south for repair a few weeks earlier, hauled by 56049 Robin of Templecombe 1938-2013. A large logo Class 37 was not to be missed, but unfortunately in the Oxford area most locations were horribly backlit. So here is a record picture of the vintage loco coming almost straight out of the sun. Just look at the length of that shadow!

37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach brings up the rear of the Branch Line Society 1Z20 04:52 Derby to Hinksey Reception Lines 'Shooter's Swansong' railtour at Tackley on the very dark morning of 14 January 2023. 50008 Thunderer can be seen leaning into the curve at the front of the train.

37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach passes the site of Mill Lane level crossing at Islip on 14 January 2023 with the Branch Line Society 1Z21 09:00 Hinksey Reception Lines to Marylebone 'Shooter's Swansong' railtour. 50008 Thunderer is bringing up the rear. Note the floods in the background, caused by the River Cherwell bursting its banks.

After just emerging from Brill Tunnel, the Branch Line Society 1Z22 11:33 Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon 'Shooter's Swansong' railtour heads towards Ludgershall on 14 January 2023, with 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach bringing up the rear. 50008 Thunderer is providing the noisy entertainment up front.

37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach passes Cassington at high speed on 3 July 2024 with the 2Z01 08:25 Worcester Shrub Hill to Gloucester inspection saloon. The red and white Loram livery makes a starling contrast with the green of inspection saloon 975025 Caroline. Heading north along the Cotswold Line is not the obvious route for a train from Worcester to Gloucester. Its meandering route took it via Cheltenham, Bristol, Westbury, Swindon and Oxford.

37419 & 37427 climb the gradient into Tulloch station on 11 April 2000 with the 7D60 15:00 Fort William to Mossend Enterprise on 11 April 2000. As they were booked to stop here for a short while, I couldn't resist getting another shot, as they pulled noisily out of the station.

37419 & 37427 make a noisy departure from Tulloch on 11 April 2000 with the 7D60 15:00 Fort William to Mossend Enterprise. This is the point where the railway leaves Glen Spean, and curves away to the south, first running alongside Loch Treig, and then crossing the wild expanse of Rannoch Moor.

37419 with failed 47807 The Lion of Vienna dead in tow passes Croome with the 1V84 10:15 Glasgow to Penzance Virgin CrossCountry service on 29 July 2001. The tractor worked the train from Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads.

37419 passes through the woods at Triley Mill (near Abergavenny) with the 1Z10 07:10 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special on 16 February 2002. This was in connection with the Wales v France Six Nations Rugby match, being held at the then relatively new Cardiff Millennium Stadium.

37419 makes a spirited departure from Llanishen station on 15 July 2002 with the 2R46 17:47 Cardiff to Rhymney Wales & Borders service. The building on the right had only just been completed when this picture was taken. An office worker was taking a break and having a stroll around the base of the building just before the train was due. He was obviously not a tractor enthusiast, as he disappeared back inside just as it departed!

37419 is pictured at a somewhat deserted Caerphilly station on 12 June 2004 with the 1B96 09:11 Rhymney to Fishguard service, which it worked as far as Cardiff Central. Dramatic lighting, with dark skies, but unfortunately still rather head on. Of course by the time the next 37 was due that black cloud in the background had won, and there was no sun at all. You just can't win!

37419 rounds the curve to the south of Bargoed with the 1Z25 1015 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 4 December 2005. This was during the slightly premature Arriva Trains Wales sponsored 'Loco Hauled Farewell' day.

What was supposedly going to be the last day of locomotive haulage on the Cardiff to Rhymney line on 10 December 2005 involved two challenges; finding somewhere that was clear of the fog in the morning, and finding a new spot away from the hackneyed locations that were swarming with other photographers. I think I succeeded with this location, Coed Llanbradach, between Ystrad Mynach and Llanbradach. My colleague at the top of the valley was standing in sunshine while I waited in the fog for this picture. However, the fog had rolled in when 37419 passed him at Pontlottyn, but had cleared by the time it got to me with the 2F22 11:14 Rhymney to Cardiff. Although not far from the road, the location is not easy to get to, as the path which goes through a farmyard is not obvious from the road. I'm reasonably pleased with the picture despite the encroaching shadows, the few remaining leaves on the trees behind forming a pleasant backdrop.

Last Rites in the Valleys. 37419 catches the last rays of the evening sun as it rounds the curve into Aber (near Caerphilly) on 10 December 2005 with the 2F34 14:15 Rhymney to Cardiff on what was supposed to be the final day of Class 37 haulage on the line. Note the wreath above the left buffer. In the event loco haulage lasted for nearly another year, but eventually the local passengers would no longer have the luxury of proper air conditioned coaches but would have to get used to basic coaching stock, with a diesel engine rattling under the floor! Such is progress.

On what could possibly be its final working, 37419 partners classmate 37425 Pride of the Valleys on the 5Z46 11:42 Coventry to Old Oak Common empty stock working on Sunday 30 April 2006, seen here passing Thrupp, between Banbury and Oxford. The stock had been used on the previous day's 'Whitby Jet' railtour from Coventry to Whitby. 37419 had been assigned to the WNTR stored locomotives pool at Temple Mills.

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 crosses the River Yare at Reedham Swing Bridge on 26 May 2017 with the 2J67 07:47 Lowestoft to Norwich Greater Anglia service. 37405 is on the rear. A perfect start to a splendid day's photography, with not a cloud to be seen all day!

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 arrives at Acle station, to pick up a single passenger, as it works the 2P13 09:17 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Greater Anglia service on 26 May 2017. 37405 is on the rear of the train.

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 passes Beighton (Norfolk) on 26 May 2017 with the 2P17 1117 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Greater Anglia service. Mk2 DBSO 9705 is coupled directly behind the loco, although clearly it just being used as a conventional coach here.

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 rounds the sharp curve at Stracey Arms on 26 May 2017 with the 2P21 13:17 Great Yarmouth to Norwich Greater Anglia service. The long disused, and sailless, Kerrison's Level drainage Mill can be seen in the background, with the buildings of Great Yarmouth just visible through the heat haze in the distance.

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 brings up the rear of the 2J80 14:55 Norwich to Lowestoft Greater Anglia service at Reedham on 26 May 2017. Lead locomotive 37405 is negotiating the pointwork to take the train across onto the Lowestoft line.

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 arrives at Reedham station on 26 May 2017 with the 2J83 15:48 Lowestoft to Norwich Greater Anglia service. The impressive station building is no longer in railway use, and while the main part of the building is now a private residence, the extensions seen here present a ramshackle appearance when viewed from the platform.

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 brings up the rear of the 2J88 19:02 Norwich to Lowestoft Greater Anglia service at Buckenham on 26 May 2017. 37405 is the lead locomotive. The diminutive Buckenham station can be seen in the background. Just four minutes earlier 68003 Astute had passed by in the opposite direction with the 2C35 18:47 Great Yarmouth to Norwich service.

37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 hauls Greater Anglia DVT 82143 past South Marston on 26 September 2018, running as the 5Z19 08:59 Norwich Crown Point to Cardiff Canton Sidings. The more or less complete cloud cover doesn't really match up with the full sun forecast! It's a good job meteorologists are not paid by results!

37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019 passes through Broomfleet station on 17 October 2023 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train. 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine is bringing up the rear.

37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019 brings up the rear of the early running 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train at Greenoak (near Gilberdyke) on 18 October 2023. 37425 Concrete Bob is powering the train towards its next reversal at Brough.

Complete with a 'Leaf Busters' headboard, 37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019 passes Greenoak (near Gilberdyke) for the second time on 18 October 2023 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train. 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine is bringing up the rear. The train had reversed a few minutes earlier at Brough.

37420 The Scottish Hosteller passes Mold Junction on 3 May 1997 with the 1D69 12:19 Crewe to Bangor service. Note the partial removal of the point to the disused siding. You would have thought that while they were at it, the whole thing should have been replaced by plain track!

37420 The Scottish Hosteller passes Bunbury in a very fleeting patch of hazy sun on 2 April 1999 with the 1D75 14:23 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead. The loco has had some very dodgy patch painting of the front end, presumably to cover up some serious rust patches!

37420 The Scottish Hosteller heads through the rain at Ardley on 1 October 1994 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z67 06:45 Manchester Piccadilly to Alton 'Hampshire Hog II' railtour, being a re-run of the 5 March's 'Hampshire Hog' tour. Despite the awful weather, I wasn't going to miss out on a single mainline liveried Class on matching coaching stock traversing the Chiltern Line! Of course there is added historic interest now, as this section of line is once again double track.

37420 The Scottish Hosteller passes Hargrave in very unusual light on 20 May 1995 with the 1D82 18:24 Crewe to Bangor service. This strange effect, with an inky blue-black background didn't last long, but it certainly makes an impressive picture!

37420 The Scottish Hosteller catches a little weak winter sunshine as it passes Shotton with the 1D67 10:07 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead service on 31 December 1998. I'm not quite sure why someone has scrawled the number 183 on the front end, as 37420's previous numbers were D6997 & 37297.

37421 The Kingsman crosses Pen-y-Clip Viaduct on 15 June 1996 with the 1K61 10:23 Bangor to Crewe. Due to the close proximity of the road and cliffs on the left, this location only gets the sun around midsummer, and even then the area on left is in shade. So I was fortunate that on this occasion the only high cloud of the day softened up the light just enough to reduce the contrast.

From the start of the winter 1997 timetable, several North Wales Class 37 worked passenger trains were extended south to Birmingham. One such is pictured passing Millmeece on 22 November 1997. 37421 is working the 1G97 10:48 Holyhead to Birmingham New Street. At the time an EWS liveried loco was still far from common and the combination of EWS red and Regional Railways coaches made a refreshing change.

37421 runs alongside the M602 motorway at Salford on 28 March 1998 with the 1D37 09:58 Stockport to Holyhead service. A very dull day, but at least that allowed this view from the north side of the line. It looks like this location would be hopeless if the sun had decided to come out at this time of year.

37421 passes Llysfaen on 13 May 2000 with the 1D67 10:07 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead service. The Irish Sea should be visible in the background of this view, behind the A55 dual carriageway, but unfortunately the low cloud is completely obscuring the view. I never did manage to revisit this location in better light.

37421 arrives at Caerphilly station on 20 July 2000 with the 2R42 17:11 Cardiff to Rhymney. 37421 was having a short holiday in South Wales, in between lengthy periods of operation on the North Wales Coast. When loco haulage ended on that route at the end of the year, it migrated to Scotland, before heading back to South Wales a couple of years later.

37421 runs alongside the Afon Dyfi (River Dovey) at Glandyfi with the 1Z36 12:10 Aberystwyth to Birmingham New Street special on 5 August 2002. This was an additional service run in connection with the Jewish conference at Aberystwyth. Interestingly, this mid Wales jaunt was while it was en-route from over a years use in the Scottish Highlands and before a spell of use on the Cardiff to Rhymney line. It would return north of the border after only a few month's use in Wales.

37421 passes Combe on 2 November 2016 with the 1Z78 06:45 Tyseley to Bristol Temple Meads Network Rail test train. Sometimes you can almost have too much of a good thing. Full sun was guaranteed, which has accentuated the autumn colours, both of the leaves and the lichen encrusted branches of the hedge. However, with a yellow train, led by an orange and yellow locomotive, the result is almost too much of one colour. It would have been better if the blue 37025 Inverness TMD was leading, rather than being on the rear!

A wave from the driver of 37421, as the 1Z78 06:48 Bristol Temple Meads to Tyseley Network Rail test train passes through Ascott-under-Wychwood station at high speed on 3 November 2016. Barely visible on the rear is 37025 Inverness TMD, which I had photographed in some much less favourable lighting at Bourton a short while earlier. The bright sunshine was a little unexpected, and did really narrow the choice of Cotswold Line locations, but did allow the very necessary 1/2000sec shutter speed even at ISO 200.

37421 passes Shorthampton on 30 November 2016 with the 1Z78 06:43 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding Network Rail test train. 37219 is the rear locomotive. Despite this location being on my local Cotswold Line, surprisingly this is the first time that I have photographed anything from this particular angle. Admittedly it does involve a long walk across the fields!

37421 passes Chilson in superb light on 1 December 2016 with the 1Z78 08:41 Bristol Temple Meads to Tyseley Network Rail test train. 37219 is the rear locomotive. One or other of the locos (37219 I think) was making a slightly odd noise, with the engine apparently 'hunting' up and down the rev range. Obviously it wasn't anything serious, as the train completed its journey successfully.

37421 passes Chilson on 22 February 2017 with the 1Z78 06:05 Tyseley to Bristol High Level Siding Network Rail test train. InterCity livered 37254 can just be seen on the rear of the train. The background of this view is clearly going to change over the next few years, as a line of trees have just been planted in the field next to the line.

37421 slowly approaches Ascott-under-Wychwood on 23 February 2017 with the 1Z23 07:14 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train. 37254 is on the rear. As this would clearly be held at the next red signal, due to the previous late running HST, it was easy to nip round to Ascott-under-Wychwood station for a second picture.

37421 (with 37254 on the rear) accelerates away from a signal check at Ascott-under-Wychwood on 23 February 2017 with the 1Z23 07:14 Bristol High Level Siding to Tyseley Network Rail test train. A few minutes earlier I had photographed it from the bridge in the background.

37421 approaches the site of Bremell Sidings (near Swindon) on 11 May 2021 with the 1Q15 06:50 Derby RTC to Landore Network Rail test train. After reversing at Swindon, it would return half an hour later, this time with 37175 leading.

Viewed from the extremely tall Grintleyhill Bridge, 37421 runs along the Cotswold Line at Combe on 7 September 2022 with the 1Z22 07:29 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road Network Rail test train. 37219 Jonty Jarvis 8-12-1998 to 18-3-2005 is brining up the rear. This was running 23 minutes late, having missed its path over this section of single line.

37421 passes Daylesford in a surprising few minutes worth of weak sunshine on 8 September 2022, as it heads north along the Cotswold Line with the 1Z23 06:09 Bristol Kingsland Road to Derby RTC Network Rail test train. 37219 Jonty Jarvis 8-12-1998 to 18-3-2005 is brining up the rear. A minute later and all trace of the sun had disappeared.

37421 passes Uffington on 6 October 2022 with the 1Z23 06:41 Bristol Kingsland Road to Derby RTC Network Rail test train, with 37116 bringing up the rear. The previous day's 1Z22 07:13 Derby RTC to Bristol Kingsland Road had been retimed as the 1Z22 09:10 Coventry to Castle Bromwich Junction and 1Z22 08:39 Castle Bromwich Junction to Bristol Kingsland Road, and had missed out the Cotswold Line, which was effectively closed due to the ASLEF strike. As there were still no passenger trains over the Cotswold Line on this day, it was a little surprising that 1Z23 went back via the line (running over an hour early), therefore becoming the only train to traverse the Cotswold Line on 6 October!

37422 brings up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 06:05 Manchester Piccadilly to Bentley Colliery 'Coker Coaler' railtour near Oxcroft Junction on 6 March 1993. 37514 leads the train towards the bridge under the M1 motorway, which is just visible on the extreme right. This section of line, on the Seymour Junction to Elmton & Creswell freight only line, has now been lifted.

37422 arrives at Harworth Colliery on 6 March 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 06:05 Manchester Piccadilly to Bentley Colliery 'Coker Coaler' railtour. 37514 can just be seen on he rear of the train. Considering how litigious Coca Cola are, I'm surprised that Pathfinder managed to get away with that look-alike headboard!

Preceded by a railman with a red flag, 37422 very cautiously approaches Bentley Colliery on 6 March 1993 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z39 06:05 Manchester Piccadilly to Bentley Colliery 'Coker Coaler' railtour. The colliery closed later that year, and this area has been landscaped as Bentley Community Woodland. About the only things in this picture that survives today are the pylons in the background, and the catenary of the East Coast Mainline, which can also just be seen in the background. Thorpe Marsh Power Station which dominates the background was closed in 1994, and the cooling towers and chimneys demolished.

37422 Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer 1831-1885 passes Mold Junction on 12 March 1994 with the 1D37 09:51 Manchester Victoria to Holyhead Regional Railways service. It's amazing just how open and treeless this view is, compared with the verdant greenery of today!

37422 Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer 1831-1885 speeds past Cholmondeston (between Crewe and Chester) with the 18:24 Crewe to Bangor Regional Railways service on 10 June 1994. Not really a very good location, but I happened to be passing, and there wasn't time to find anywhere better!

37422 Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer 1831-1885 approaches Bradford-on-Avon on 13 August 1994 with the 2O87 09:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth service. I always though that the Regional Railways colour scheme looked really smart, especially with a loco and a complete rake of stock all in the same colour scheme. The only thing that could have been better here, was if the sun hadn't happened to disappear behind a small cloud at the critical moment!

37422 Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer 1831-1885 runs between Conwy Bay (with the Great Orme visible in the distance) and the A55 trunk road at Penmaenmawr on 15 June 1996, as it heads west with the 1D37 12:57 Stockport to Holyhead 'Irish Mancunian'.

37422 Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer 1831-1885 passes Valley, as it gets into its stride with the 1H44 13:23 Holyhead to Stockport service on 15 June 1996. The scenery is typical of Anglesey, with scattered farms, and an abundance of hawthorn and gorse bushes. The village of Valley can be seen on the horizon.

37422 Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer 1831-1885 passes Ashley Heath (near Hale) with the 5H44 16:11 Stockport to Chester ECS on 19 July 1997. It had previously worked the 1H44 13:24 Holyhead to Stockport. The name Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer 1831-1885 had earlier been carried by 47645.

Gleaming in its new coat of paint, 37422 Cardiff Canton passes Nantyrhebog (near Carmarthen) with the 1B96 09:11 Rhymney to Fishguard Harbour Wales & Borders service on 21 June 2003. The train has just crossed the large area of boggy ground that is now the Cors Goch Llanllwch National Nature Reserve.

Ex-works 37422 Cardiff Canton approaches Whitland on 21 June 2003 with the 1R38 13:35 Fishguard Harbour to Rhymney Wales & Borders service. This is the view from the A40 Whitland bypass, with Henglos Farm visible on the right.

37422 Cardiff Canton & 37410 Aluminium 100 struggle up the gradient towards Onllwyn with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:19 Birmingham International to Onllwyn 'Principality Freighter' railtour on 14 April 2007. 60038 can be seen on the rear of the train.

37422 Cardiff Canton & 37410 Aluminium 100 accelerate away from Briton Ferry with the 1Z74 13:33 Onllwyn to Birmingham International 'Principality Freighter' railtour on 14 April 2007. Briton Ferry station is in the background, with the now virtually deserted yard on the left.

With the sun virtually behind the train, 37422 Cardiff Canton & 37410 Aluminium 100 speed past Llandevenny with the 1Z74 13:33 Onllwyn to Birmingham International 'Principality Freighter' railtour on 14 April 2007. The Bishton Flyover can be seen in the background which brings the up relief line across the main lines.

37422 Victorious passes Cliffe in miserable light on 11 November 2022 with the 3J51 10:00 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough, Hull and Goole) Rail Head Treatment Train. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots is bringing up the rear.

37422 Victorious passes Goole on 11 November 2022 with the 3J51 10:00 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train, with 37401 Mary Queen of Scots bringing up the rear. Unfortunately this was running 18 minutes late, which meant that the already very dull conditions had turned into near darkness!

37423 Sir Murray Morrison 1873-1948 Pioneer of the British Aluminium Industry speeds through the remains of Calveley station on 10 July 1999 with the 1K65 12:22 Bangor to Crewe service. The platforms here were unusual in being bisected by the bridge carrying the A51 Chester to Crewe road, which makes a neat frame for this picture. The station closed in November 1964.

With Melton Mowbray just visible in the distance, 37423 passes Brentingby on 25 June 2008, hauling inspection saloon 'Caroline' on the 2Z37 08:10 Doncaster to Peterborough via just about everywhere (Alfreton, Lincoln, Sleaford, Nottingham, etc)! Luckily this was not one of the sections of line where 37423 was propelling the saloon. The signal on the opposite line has just changed from red to amber for 66003 with a Corby to Toton departmental working.

37423 Spirit of the Lakes has no trouble in getting up to a good speed as it heads away from Didcot and passes South Moreton with the 2Z01 09:05 Cardiff to Ealing Broadway on 22 September 2010. I had seen this train a little earlier at Steventon, and as it took a diversion off the GWML to visit Oxford, there was easily enough time to get to this spot for another picture, this time with the locomotive on the front.

In superb late afternoon light on 25 March 2011, 37423 Spirit of the Lakes & 37087 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway pass Wadborough with the 6M67 13:02 Bridgwater to Crewe nuclear flask. Although all nuclear flask movements are diagrammed for two locomotives purely for insurance purposes, this would hardly be a taxing load even for a single loco!

37423 Spirit of the Lakes & 37402 Stephen Middlemore 23.12.1954 - 8.6.2013 look superb in the early morning sunshine at Abbotswood on 13 June 2014, as they get into their stride after being held briefly at Abbotswood Junction. They are working the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:47 Stafford to Swanage 'Purbeck Explorer' railtour. Note the two different versions of the DRS compass livery.

37423 brings up the rear of the 3S14 11:33 Woodburn Junction to Hull Rail Head Treatment Train at Eastrington on 3 November 2020. 37407 Blackpool Tower is leading. Eastrington station can just be seen in the distance.

The 3S15 15:19 Hull to York Thrall Europa Rail Head Treatment Train passes Potters Grange Junction, Goole, in the rain, and near darkness on 3 November 2020. 37423 is leading, and 37407 Blackpool Tower is bringing up the rear. I would have preferred something more interesting than a DRS blue loco on the front, but seeing as the light is so awful, and the whole train is covered in typical RHTT filth, it doesn't really matter what livery it is!

37424 stands in the gloom and the drizzle at Crianlarich on 22 July 1997 as it waits for its path south with the 6E16 18:11 Fort William to North Blyth alumina empties. Despite being nearly dark, a record shot just had to be taken, as I was passing by en-route to my B&B. As the light level was so low, it was certainly a good job that it wasn't moving, when all I had was Fujichrome 100!

37424 slows down for the stop at Freshford on 28 July 1999 whilst working the 2V89 17:20 Weymouth to Bristol Wales & West service. 37424 had spent most of its time in the West Highlands since ETS conversion in 1986, but had moved down to the West Country just a few weeks before this picture was taken. It was pretty much the regular loco on the Weymouth diagram throughout July and August, before heading back to Scotland in September 1999.

During its brief holiday in the south, Motherwell allocated 37424 approaches Bradford-on-Avon on 31 July 1999 with the 2O87 09:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth service. After working the Weymouth trains intensively for a month, the loco spent a short spell on the Rhymney Line, before heading back to Scotland.

37424 Avro Vulcan XH558 gets under way after calling at Drigg station on 14 April 2018 with the 2C48 11:56 Carlisle to Lancaster Northern service. DBSO 9705 is at the front of the train. The loco also carries the incorrect number 37558, in recognition of the last airworthy Avro Vulcan bomber, XH558, which remained in flying condition until October 2015.

37424 (37558) Avro Vulcan XH558 crosses Leven Viaduct on 14 April 2018 with the 2C31 17:31 Lancaster to Barrow-in-Furness Northern service. I assumed that the fast flowing River Leven would mean a reflection was unlikely, but was surprised when a partial reflection of the loco appeared in the still water in front of the rocky outcrop. A definite bonus on a perfect spring evening.

An unbelievably lucky picture at Standish Junction on 24 July 2018. 37424 (37558) Avro Vulcan XH558 and inspection saloon 975025 Caroline catch a very brief patch of sunshine, as they speed southwards, running as the 5Z02 08:00 Crewe Gresty Bridge to Exeter St. Davids. Although naturally it was much sunnier when I was back home in the afternoon, while I was on the bridge at Standish around midday it was largely cloudy, and about this time the cloud cover was almost total. Amazingly, just as the loco came into view under the bridge in the background, the sun found a small hole in the cloud, and stayed out just long enough for the train to pass!

37424 (37558) Avro Vulcan XH558 & 66304 pass Micheldever on 8 August 2022 with the 6Z24 09:04 Crewe Coal Sidings to Eastleigh Arlington, conveying four PFA flat wagons for repair. As this wasn't a very photogenic train, and it was during the middle of the day, in less than ideal light, I opted for this view which shows the train dominated by the chalk cliff and old wartime fuel depot.

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine / Concrete Bob labours slowly out of the Severn Tunnel and approaches Pilning on 13 March 1989 with the 6C34 10:40 Radyr to Exmouth Junction Speedlink Network Coal service. As late as the 1980s there was still a healthy demand for domestic coal trains such as this, hence the establishment of a dedicated (albeit small) network of services. However, this was not to last long, and within a few years this became another class of freight lost to rail.

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob passes Hazel Grove on 30 November 1991 with the Hertfordshire Railtours 1T07 07:45 Euston to Hindlow 'Peak Explorer' railtour. The lighting was terrible, but at least by this stage of the tour I could actually see the train, as earlier in the day the whole area was enveloped in thick fog. Class 37s may have been common in the Manchester area, but Network SouthEast coaches obviously weren't!

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine / Concrete Bob passes Clay Cross on 9 April 1992 with the 6M26 Earles Sidings to Handsworth cement tanks. A very appropriate choice of locomotive, as Sir Robert McAlpine was a pioneer (if we don't count the Romans!) in the use of concrete for building, hence of course the 'Concrete Bob' nickname.

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine / Concrete Bob passes Ffynnongroyw on 20 May 1995 with the 1D76 14:24 Crewe to Bangor Regional Railways service. The buildings and cranes at Mostyn Dock can be seen in the background, with Mostyn signal box just visible where the trees meet the buildings.

Making a change from the usual Regional Railways liveried locomotives, Railfreight Construction liveried 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine / Concrete Bob passes Penmaenmawr on 9 August 1995 with the 1D65 10:24 Crewe to Bangor service.

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine arrives at Ardlui in the rain on 23 April 1998 with the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William sleeper. It was then straight back into the car, to chase it to Crianlarich to get another picture, this time of the Concrete Bob side of the loco!

No prizes for guessing where this is. There is only one location adjacent to the A82 road where there is a railway station with a tea room! 37425 Concrete Bob is pictured in the rain at Crianlarich whilst working the 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William sleeper on 27 April 1998. The locomotive is making a typically smoky departure and is just passing over the junction with the Oban line. At least the awful weather makes the picture look atmospheric!

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine heads south through Glen Falloch on 10 April 2000 with the 7D60 15:00 Fort William to Mossend Enterprise. This was booked for a pair of 37s at this time, but I was glad that it was a single loco, as that better suits the location. Also, the Regional Railways liveried loco was a definite improvement over the EWS red locos that dominated the service!

37425 passes the entrance to the Capital Valley Industrial Estate, as it accelerates away from Pontlottyn on 23 August 2003 with the 2R34 14:59 Cardiff to Rhymney service. The dreaded lineside fencing had just been erected here, but luckily there is a very convenient high mound of earth to climb to get this elevated view.

After seeing 37425 leave Pontlottyn heading towards Rhymney on 23 August 2003 with the 2R34 14:59 Cardiff to Rhymney service, it was just the case of a short walk and an even shorter wait to get a picture of the returning train. Here it is arriving at the diminutive Pontlottyn station with the 2F42 16:15 Rhymney to Cardiff.

37425 passes the church at St George's (sometimes known as St George's-super-Ely) on a dreary 14 August 2004 with the 1B96 09:11 Rhymney to Fishguard Wales & Borders service. The 700 year old church (naturally dedicated to St George) is a little distant from the main part of the village.

37425 passes Gilfach on 24 April 2004 with the 2R18 10:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. The houses on Eastview Terrace, Gilfach Street and Cardiff Road form an impressive, and distinctly Welsh, backdrop.

37425 crosses Bargoed Viaduct with the 2R18 10:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service on 16 April 2005, just a few days after its repaint into large logo livery at Toton. It is not quite a perfect recreation of the late 1980s, as the numbers are in a slightly incorrect size and typeface. Note the gradient on the viaduct.

37425 emerges into a brief patch of sunshine as it approaches Bargoed on 16 April 2005 with the 2F26 12:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. A few seconds earlier and this would not have been in sun. This picture gives the impression that some railway photographers had decided this was a prime location and felled all the trees to open up the view! However, this was not the case, as the tree clearance was purely coincidental, and strangely I was the only photographer to venture to this location!

37425 passes Troedrhiwfuwch (between Pontlottyn and Tirphill) on 16 April 2005 with the 2F38 15:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. Unfortunately the earlier sunshine had now given way to thick cloud, but at least the ex-works loco stands out well in such grim conditions. 37425 was to spend a good deal of time on this route over the next year, resulting in the application of the very appropriate Pride of the Valleys nameplates a few months later.

37425 arrives at Caerphilly on 28 May 2005 with the 2F14 09:13 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service, while 143624 disappears under the bridge with a Cardiff to Bargoed service. Note the Arriva liveried Mk 2 coaches that were employed on this line during the last year of loco haulage, although Virgin liveried stock appeared right at the end.

37425 arrives at Hengoed station on 28 May 2005 with the 2F26 12:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. Arriva liveried stock had just arrived on the line to replace (or supplement) the Virgin rakes. Having tall trees right next to the platform means that Hengoed is not the location to visit with photography in mind if the sun is shining!

A few passengers wait at the tiny station at Tirphil on 16 July 2005, as 37425 rolls in with the 2R10 08:59 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. A good mixture of liveries here, with a recreation of the class 1980s large logo on the locomotive, and two different privatisation colour schemes (Virgin and Arriva) on the coaching stock.

37425 approaches Tirphil on 16 July 2005 with the 2F18 10:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. 37425 was nameless for the first few months after its repainting into this large loco colour scheme. Its Pride of the Valleys nameplates would be unveiled at a ceremony at Caerphilly station later in the year.

37425 storms past Troedrhiwfuwch (near Pontlottyn) on 16 July 2005 with the 2F30 13:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. Hardly the best lighting conditions, with very head on and overhead lighting, hence the choice of a low angle and fairly head viewpoint to accentuate the train emerging from the trees.

37425 approaches Pontlottyn with the 2R34 14:59 Cardiff to Rhymney service on 16 July 2005, a day which the weather forecasters promised us would be full sun. As usual they got it wrong, and many of the day's pictures were spoilt by cloud. Perfect lighting here however, with the sun just glancing across the front of the loco. 37425 was repainted into large logo livery in 2005 to mark the end of loco haulage in the Welsh Valleys. We are obviously at the half way stage in the changeover from Virgin liveried to Arriva liveried coaching stock on the Rhymney line at this point, with two of each type!

37425 arrives at Brithdir station on 16 July 2005 with the 2F42 16:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. Note the long disused up platform succumbing to the vegetation on the right. Even without knowing where this was, most people would guess at Wales, due to the characteristic lines of houses on the hillside.

37425 bursts out of Caerphilly Tunnel and passes Cefn Onn with the 2F18 10:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service on 17 September 2005. In 1986 Cefn Onn station was replaced by the more continentally situated Lisvane & Thornhill station, a few hundred yards to the south.

37425 Pride of the Valleys accelerates away from Llanbradach station on 17 September 2005 with the 2R34 14:59 Cardiff to Rhymney service. Unfortunately a little shaded at this location in September, but who can resist a picture of a large loco Class 37 in the sun!

With the houses of Abertysswg in the background, 37425 heads south from Pontlottyn on 17 September 2005 with the 2F42 16:15 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. The course of the railway on the opposite side of the valley can just be made out in front of the houses.

Gloomy conditions at Pontlottyn on 4 December 2005, as 37425 Pride of the Valleys forges up the valley with the 1Z36 11:56 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service, one of a number of Arriva Trains Wales sponsored 'Loco Hauled Farewell' specials.

One more trip up the valley! 37425 Pride of the Valleys accelerates away from Aber station on 4 December 2005 with the 1Z48 14:56 Cardiff Central to Rhymney service. The ridge of hills that separate Caerphilly from Cardiff dominate the background.

37425 Pride of the Valleys & 37411 Caerphilly Castle pass Washwood Heath Yard with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007. The early morning fog had burnt off nicely when I arrived here, and the preceding trains were seen in nice weak winter sun, but when the tour arrived the sun was just fading out into the cloud that persisted for the rest of the day.

37425 Pride of the Valleys & 37411 Caerphilly Castle emerge from the fog at Wood End, on the Birch Coppice branch with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007. Both locos had only been taken out of store the day before, yet despite this performed faultlessly all day.

37425 Pride of the Valleys returns from Birch Coppice on 17 February 2007 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour. 37411 was now on the rear of the train, working top'n'tail. Note the amount of reinforcing work carried out around the bridge on this recently re-opened freight line.

Henley-in-Arden, on the Birmingham to Stratford-on-Avon line still has a fine selection of semaphore signals. 37425 Pride of the Valleys passes through with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 06:26 Bristol Temple Meads to Stratford-on-Avon 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, with classmate 37411 on the rear of the train. The preceding DMU had been stopped by the signalman waving a red flag from the signalbox window, before proceeding under caution. The assembled photographers (the footbridge was completely packed!) wondered if the same thing would happen to the 37s, resulting in some thrash as they pulled away. Unfortunately they passed through at speed under clear signals.

37425 Pride of the Valleys passes Charndon, on the freight only Oxford to Calvert Junction line with the Pathfinder Tours 'Bard'n'Birch' railtour on 17 February 2007, now running as 1Z38 13:00 Stratford-on-Avon to Quainton Road. As this was now late in the afternoon, the light which had been poor all day was now getting desperate!

37425 Concrete Bob speeds past the site of Oaksey station on 10 October 2017, pushing inspection saloon 975025 Caroline with the 5Z02 12:19 Swindon to Derby RTC. Photo taken from a very conveniently situated (and recently upgraded) footpath crossing.

37425 Concrete Bob made its first proper mainline run after being repainted into Regional Railways livery on 21 September 2020, when it travelled light engine from Crewe to Long Marston, to collect an intermodal wagon. A backlit picture of a light engine wasn't appealing, but by including the footpath style at Broad Marston in the picture, a much more interesting picture was obtained. So here we see the immaculate loco nearing its destination with the 0Z66 07:04 Crewe Gresty Bridge to Long Marston.

37425 Concrete Bob passes Broad Marston on 21 September 2020 with the 4Z67 12:38 Long Marston to Daventry International Railfreight Terminal, conveying a single IKA Megafret twin intermodal wagon. With just a single wagon to deal with, this was the fastest turnaround that I have ever seen at Long Marston, after the arrival of the light engine, and was running 13 minutes early here. I chose this location in preference to the well known Long Marston departure view, as such a short train ideally suits this spot, which is not much use for anything longer. Also the close up view shows off the immaculate Regional Railways livery, and the lighting angle is just about perfect.

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob passes the site of Ashbury Crossing, Shrivenham, on 2 August 2021 with the 6Y03 06:46 Eastleigh to Long Marston, conveying a HOBC (High Output Ballast Cleaner) set for storage. The headboard reads: 'DRS London On A Mission'!

37425 Concrete Bob/Sir Robert McAlpine passes Up Hatherley on 2 August 2021 with the 6Y03 06:46 Eastleigh to Long Marston, conveying a HOBC (High Output Ballast Cleaner) set for storage. Although there is a little weak sun here, as the train came under Badgeworth bridge in the background, it was full sun, but only in the foreground, and not, unhappily for the photographers on Badgeworth bridge!

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob makes a fantastic racket, as it passes Norton Junction on 2 August 2021 with the 6Y03 06:46 Eastleigh to Long Marston, conveying a HOBC (High Output Ballast Cleaner) set for storage. At this point it was running 5 minutes early.

Running 77 minutes late, and with the earlier sunshine now long gone, 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob approaches Norton Junction on 2 August 2021, after running round at Worcester with the 6Y03 06:46 Eastleigh to Long Marston, conveying a HOBC (High Output Ballast Cleaner) set for storage.

The 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train approaches Scagglethorpe on 16 October 2023, with 37425 Concrete Bob leading, and 37401 Mary Queen of Scots bringing up the rear. Locos on RHTT workings invariably get very dirty, so I was really pleased to see that Concrete Bob had received some overnight cleaning. This location is just over a mile north east of the town of Malton. Old Malton Priory can be seen in the background, on the right.

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine looks superb after its overnight wash, as it passes Cliffe on 16 October 2023 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots is bringing up the rear. Luckily 802301 Amy Johnson has just managed to get out the way! This was returning to Hull with the ECS from the cancelled 1A94 12:33 Hull to Kings Cross Hull Trains service.

37425 Concrete Bob passes through Saltmarshe station on 16 October 2023 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots is bringing up the rear.

The 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train passes Hessle on 17 October 2023, with Regional Railways liveried 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine leading, and InterCity liveried 37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019 bringing up the rear.

37425 Sir Robert McAlpine brings up the rear of the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train at Broomfleet on 17 October 2023. 37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019 is at the front of the train.

37425 Concrete Bob crosses Selby Swing Bridge on 18 October 2023 with the 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train. Very head on lighting, but I wasn't going to miss getting this picture, as it is taken from a temporary footbridge, that is already living on borrowed time. 37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019 is bringing up the rear. The silos of Whitworth Bros. flour millers dominate he background.

The 3J51 09:50 York Thrall Europa to York Thrall Europa (via Scarborough and Hull) Rail Head Treatment Train stands in Selby station on 18 October 2023, during a crew change. 37425 Concrete Bob is leading, with 37419 Driver Tony Kay 1974-2019 bringing up the rear. 155347 waits in the opposite platform with the 2R99 14:43 York to Bridlington Northern service.

A frosty morning at Tumpy Green on 10 January 2024. Not long after sunrise, 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine heads north, running as the 0Z42 08:19 Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester route learner. A couple of hours later another Class 37 route learner also came this way.

37426 passes through Bodorgan station on 6 September 1997 with the 1H44 13:23 Holyhead to Stockport service. With just a few houses for company, Bodorgan station is situated in the undulating south Anglesey landscape, between the villages of Bethel and Llangadwaladr.

37426 passes Tattenhall on 10 July 1999 with the 1G95 06:34 Holyhead to Birmingham New Street service. Not only is Class 37 haulage a thing of the past here, but so is everything in the background! The reclamation yard near the bridge, and the Aldersley Arms pub, with its fake half timber cladding, have been swept away, and replaced by a housing estate. Even more change has taken place just off to the right of this picture, with the construction of a large marina, next to the Shropshire Union Canal.

As late as 2000 it was still occasionally possible to see a Class 37 on the 6B24 15:33 Didcot Power Station to Cardiff Tidal Sidings oil empties. On 19 October of that year, it was surprisingly the turn of a 37/4, rather than the usual 37/7. 37426 passes some autumnal colours at Circourt Bridge, Denchworth.

37426 looks to be in need of a repaint, as it passes through Glen Falloch on 24 April 2003 with the 1Y11 04:50 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William ScotRail sleeper. This was very near the end of 37426's career. Its was withdrawn with high engine hours a couple of months later, but it would be another decade before it was finally cut up.

37427 Bont Y Bermo emerges from Dinmore Tunnel on 31 January 1989 with the 1V08 09:15 Liverpool Lime Street to Cardiff Central Regional Railways service. At the time this line saw regular Class 37 use in lieu of the booked Sprinter diagrams. Unfortunately this uninterrupted view of the twin bores of Dinmore Tunnel from a convenient nearby road bridge has been completely lost due to uncontrolled tree growth. 

37427 Bont Y Bermo passes Leominster on a very dull 31 January 1989 with the 1M17 13:23 Cardiff to Liverpool Lime Street service. This view is no longer possible, as the footbridge from which it was taken has been removed, to be replaced by a more modern structure nearer the centre of the station.

Regional Railways liveried and ScotRail branded 37427 Highland Enterprise passes Rangeworthy on 13 January 1996 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 09:01 Birmingham New Street to Merehead Quarry 'Mendip Rail Meanderer' railtour. Unfortunately the small lineside bushes in this picture are now large lineside bushes, and it is no longer possible to get such a clear view as this.

37427 Highland Enterprise passes Croome with the 1M15 16:10 Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street service on 4 August 1996. Not the standard viewpoint at Croome, but at the top of the cutting near the farm bridge. A position that would not be popular if there were any photographers waiting on the road bridge for a train coming in the other direction! The fine weather with not a cloud in the sky unusually lasted for the entire day and another picture was taken of the return working at Droitwich later in the evening.

37427 Highland Enterprise is a long way from the Highlands as it passes Droitwich signal box with the 19:00 Birmingham New Street to Cardiff Central service on 4 August 1996. It is accelerating off the single track line from Stoke Works Junction. The very low evening sun resulted in the usual vantage point from the bridge being in shade, so this is taken from the small car park to the west of the line, looking over the high fence. A good choice, as we were treated to this burst of clag as the driver opened up. 

Typical Scottish weather! 37427 & 37413 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society arrive at a rain soaked Glenfinnan station on 24 October 1998 with the Pathfinder Tours / Regency Rail 1Z28 12:41 Mallaig to Fort William 'West Highlander' railtour.

37427 & 37413 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society approach Fort William Junction in typical Scottish weather (pouring rain) on 24 October 1998 with the Pathfinder Tours / Regency Rail 1Z28 12:41 Mallaig to Fort William 'West Highlander' railtour. Fort William loco depot can be seen in the background, with a Class 37/6 being the only occupant.

In some welcome autumnal sunshine, 37427 & 37413 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society pass Dalnaspidal as they start the descent from Drumochter Summit with the Pathfinder Tours / Regency Rail 1Z27 10:15 Inverness to Cardiff 'West Highlander' railtour on 25 October 1998. Although intermittently sunny, there was an extremely strong wind blowing, so much so that my tripod blew over! Thankfully this was before I had fixed the cameras to it!

Viewed from the end of Dalmeny station platform, 37427 & 37413 The Scottish Railway Preservation Society come off the Forth Bridge on 25 October 1998 with the Pathfinder Tours / Regency Rail 1Z27 10:15 Inverness to Cardiff 'West Highlander' railtour. It's a pity that the bridge is encased in scaffolding.

37427 passes County March Summit on 10 April 2000 with the 6Y45 06:36 Mossend to Fort William Enterprise. In addition to the usual china clay slurry tanks and empty vans (both destined for Corpach), the train also contains a pair of ex-works Warwell wagons, carrying some unidentified sheeted over heavy machinery.

37427 passes Craven Arms on 22 March 2003 with the 1Z37 0830 Crewe to Cardiff Central rugby special. The long lens and very head on viewpoint was chosen in order to include as many semaphore signals as possible in the picture.

37427 Bont Y Bermo passes through Glen Lochy on 11 April 2004 with the Hertfordshire Railtours Dalmally to Dumbarton Central 'Easter West Highlander' railtour. Luckily the River Lochy in the foreground is very shallow and strewn with boulders, as I had to find a way to get across it without getting wet!

37427 crosses Souldern No.2 Viaduct on 12 March 2005 with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z55 06:45 Derby to Brentford 'Aggregated Syphons' railtour. No luck with the sun here, but I had better luck when the train traversed the Colnbrook branch.

37427 is pictured at Colnbrook bringing up the rear of the Pathfinder Tours 1Z56 'Aggregated Syphons' railtour on 12 March 2005 (strictly speaking the 'Aggregated Syphon' following the failure of the second allocated loco 37669 the previous day). 59202 is on the front of the train, which is seen passing 66239 waiting in the sidings with a flyash train from Burton Power Station.

37427 Bont Y Bermo passes Seascale Golf Course with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z78 04:56 Cardiff Central to Whitehaven 'Cumbrian Warrior' railtour on 2 May 2005, working singly after sister loco 37422 was dumped at Preston with low oil pressure. The timber fence in this picture is obviously designed to prevent sand being blown off the nearby beach onto the track, with limited success by the look of the ballast!

With flanges squealing on the sharp curve, 37427 takes the Pathfinder Tours 1Z79 'Cumbrian Warrior' railtour onto the Workington Docks branch on 2 May 2005. Surprisingly this tour was only running some 30 minutes late, which was not bad considering the other train loco (37422) had earlier failed and had to be removed at Preston.

After visiting the Workington Docks branch, the Pathfinder Tours 'Cumbrian Warrior' railtour on 2 May 2005 had to run to Maryport in order to reverse and gain the up line. In rapidly deteriorating weather, 37427 is pictured passing the wind farm at Siddick on the return from Maryport.

Admittedly 9 June 2005 is near the longest day of the year, but 22:08 is still very late in the day to be taking a photograph of a moving train! In virtual darkness, 37427 Bont Y Bermo heads south through Glen Falloch with the 1B01 19:45 Fort William to Edinburgh (for Euston) ScotRail sleeper service.

37427 Bont Y Bermo accelerates away from Crianlarich with the late running 1Y11 05:05 Edinburgh (ex Euston) to Fort William sleeper on 11 June 2005. This was rumoured to be the last week of Class 37 operations on this train, in the event they lasted for another year, before being replaced by the totally unsuitable Class 67s. The train has just crossed the viaduct spanning the River Fillan, and also the course of the former Dunblane to Oban Caledonian Railway line.

37427 Bont Y Bermo & 37401 The Royal Scotsman pass the site of Bredon station with the Pathfinder Tours 1Z37 05:08 Bristol Temple Meads to Pwllheli 'Snowdonian 11' railtour on 30 July 2005. This picture was taken in extremely poor light at 1/1000sec f2 at ISO1600. The poor weather forecast, combined with the fact that I only had a borrowed car, meant I only photographed this tour locally, instead of following it to Wales. Last time I went to Barmouth for a Pwllheli tour it went to Blackpool instead! At least this picture was on the website before the tour got to Shrewsbury!

37427 Bont Y Bermo passes Up Hatherley on 10 September 2005 with the 6024 Preservation Society 1Z38 09:27 Birmingham Snow Hill to Bristol Temple Meads 'Welsh Marches Express' railtour. The highlight of this tour was of course the return 1Z39 Bristol to Birmingham via Hereford section, which was worked by GWR 4-6-0 6024 King Edward I. I didn't photograph that, but as I was already at this location on the outskirts of Cheltenham, after seeing 33202 & 33103 pass by on another railtour, I decided to wait for this, despite the awful weather.

37428 passes Little Bedwyn in the pouring rain on 23 April 1998 with the 1Z33 11:55 Paddington to Bath Royal Scotsman luxury charter. The loco had only just been repainted into its Royal Scotsman claret livery, but had yet to be named The Royal Scotsman. This was carried out three weeks later at York station. Unfortunately this classic viewpoint is no longer possible, as there is a lot more than these few well trimmed miniature beech trees along the railway fence now!

37428 emerges from Twerton Tunnel on 23 April 1998 with the Royal Scotsman stock, returning from a trip to Bath. It is still gleaming from its recent repaint into Royal Scotsman claret livery, but it would not receive its The Royal Scotsman nameplates for another few weeks. Note the recently planted trees in the foreground, which have now ruined this viewpoint.

37428 passes Kinmel Bay on 10 June 2000 with the 1D73 1415 Crewe to Holyhead service. The town of Rhyl can be seen in the background. 37428 had started the new decade in Scotland, spent the summer on the North Wales coast, went back to Scotland for a few weeks, and ended the year back in Wales!

37428 The Royal Scotsman & 37427 pass Steel Heath on 31 May 2003 with the SRPS 1Z37 04:16 Linlithgow to Shrewsbury 'Shropshire Rambler' railtour. One of the more unusual destinations for the Scottish Railway Preservation Society - i.e. not in Scotland!

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol passes Agecroft (near Salford) with the 1J03 07:12 Southport to Manchester Victoria Regional Railways service on 10 June 1994. Agecroft was a well known photographic location in steam days, but now unfortunately is semi derelict waste ground with numerous bushes and lineside vegetation, including lupins by the look of what is growing next to the track to the right of 37429!

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol passes Valley on 15 June 1996 with the 1K71 14:53 Holyhead to Crewe Regional Railways service. Note how the hawthorn bushes on the right have shaped by the prevailing wind off the nearby Irish Sea.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol approaches Shotton on 15 June 1996 with the 1D82 18:24 Crewe to Bangor Regional Railway service. The train is just approaching the point where the Birkenhead to Wrexham line crosses over this line, which explains why Shotton has two stations.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol passes Bristol Kingsland Road on 7 March 1998 with the 2O87 09:00 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth Wales & West service. Bristol Barton Hill Depot can be seen in the background, with the mostly modern buildings of Bristol rising up on the hill in the distance.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol passes through Severn Tunnel Junction station on 27 August 1998 with five empty wagons and a brake van, having just emerged from the Severn Tunnel. This made a pleasant change from seeing the loco on Bristol to Weymouth passenger trains.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol runs through the Avon Valley near Bathampton on 2 September 1998 with the 2O90 14:33 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth South West & Wales service. This diagram, which ran from 13 July to 4 September, also included the 2C64 07:14 Westbury to Bristol Temple Meads, 2O86 08:30 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth, 2V74 11:03 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads, 2V89 17:20 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads, and was finished off with the 5V89 20:05 Bristol Temple Meads to Westbury ECS.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol accelerates away from Heath Junction on 19 December 1998 with the 2F20 12:10 Rhymney to Cardiff Central service. The train had been held at the junction to allow the 13:02 Pacer from Coryton to proceed in front of it.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol leaves Holyhead on 29 May 1999 with the 1G11 13:54 Regional Railways service to Birmingham New Street. In the background is Holyhead's 1937 built 100 lever signal box, with the diesel fuelling point to the right.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol passes Llysfaen on 13 May 2000 with the 1G97 11:16 Bangor to Birmingham New Street service. Llysfaen station (closed as early as 1931) was situated between the rear of the train, and the conveyor in the background. Raynes Jetty, used for loading stone from Raynes Quarry onto ships, can be seen on the right.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol is nearing journey's end as it passes Valley on 13 May 2000 with the 1D75 14:23 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead service. Tywyn Trewan Common in the background is an important nature reserve, although it seems to be totally dominated by one single species - gorse!

30 December 2000 was the last day of Class 37s on the North Wales Coast, and 37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol is suitably bedecked with headboards, as it passes Mold Junction with the 1D71 12:07 Birmingham New Street to Holyhead service. This had actually started from Wolverhampton, due to late running of the previous train. The sunshine and snow was a definite seasonal bonus.

37430 Cwmbran approaches Chaddington Lane (near Wootton Bassett) on 27 October 1989 with a westbound breakdown train. Unfortunately the signal gantry at this location tends to get in the way for photography. At least on a miserably dull day like this, a picture can be taken from the north side of the line. I have deliberately taken the picture a little early, to balance the composition between the short train and the gantry. Despite the horrendous film grain of Kodachrome 200, it is still very sharp, and on the original scan a magpie can clearly be seen taking off from the stubble field in the background!

The Wales v All Blacks rugby match at Cardiff Arms Park brought some interesting traction to the South Wales Mainline on 4 November 1989. 37430 Cwmbran is pictured here passing Marshfield with the 1V08 09:15 Liverpool Lime Street to Cardiff Central service, while disappearing into the distance is 47592 County of Avon, which is heading for Newport in order to work the 2Z33 13:25 Newport to Cardiff Central rugby special.

With the summit of Beinn Dorain lost in the clouds, 37430 Cwmbran passes County March Summit on 8 June 1997 with the 1B01 19:50 Fort William to Edinburgh (for Euston) ScotRail sleeper. Although mid summer in Scotland offers plenty of daylight hours, it still seems to be mainly cloudy whenever I visit, and this particular evening was especially dark.

37430 Cwmbran passes Duncraig on 22 July 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Keith Royal Scotsman. This is on the very scenic section of line between Plockton and Attadale, where the railway hugs the shoreline. Loch Carron can be glimpsed through the arch.

37430 Cwmbran crosses the flat fields near the estuary of the River Conon, as it heads south from Dingwall, and approaches Maryburgh on 22 July 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Keith Royal Scotsman.

37430 Cwmbran passes through the remains of Culloden Moor station on 22 July 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Keith Royal Scotsman. Although hardly ideal, with only a small sunlit gap to fit the loco in, I particularly wanted a picture of the train passing the grass covered platforms of this station, which apart from the removal of the buildings, has managed to survive more or less intact since its closure in 1965.

37430 Cwmbran passes Moy on 22 July 1997 with the 1H98 13:25 Kyle of Lochalsh to Keith Royal Scotsman. This was very much a grab shot, taken from the A9 dual carriageway, after a quick sprint from Culloden, where I had photographed the train a little earlier.