Private & Preserved

With the Autumn Diesel Gala season in full swing a recent trip to the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway provided an opportunity to photograph several ex-British Rail diesels in pristine BR blue livery. Here 37215 and the recently re-numbered 37324 leave Toddington late on Sunday October 22nd 2000 in glorious light.

The Growler Group operates both of the class 37’s on show and it's second locomotive, 37099, re-entered service on the GWR at the end of September 2000. In a special ceremony the loco was renamed 'Clydebridge' and unveiled as 37324, an identity it carried during the late 1980's.

37324 was one of a batch of Class 37/0 locomotives renumbered into a special 37/3 category for dedicated use on trains serving the Steel industry in and around central Scotland, on primarily Coal and Iron Ore traffic to and from the massive Ravenscraig steelworks.

Opposite BR Sulzer Type 2 24081 seen at the gala near the yard at Toddington on Sunday 22nd October on driver training duties. The BR blue theme was rounded off nicely by the inclusion of 47105 running with its steam heat boiler in full working order.

Steve Beniston owns 37324 with The Growler Group acting as it's trustees and being responsible for it's restoration and operation. During the course of the restoration some notable jobs were tackled including the removal of the power unit to allow for the repair and overhaul of the main generator and a locomotive body lift to enable a bogie change. The loco has also been subjected to a huge amount of body repairs that have brought it up to the same high standard of finish as applied to 37215. Six diesel engines were in use over the three days. 4Visit the Preserved Gallery for more of the same