The End of the Direct Rail Services (DRS) Class 37s, 1997 to 2024
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- The end for the DRS Class 37 diesel locomotives.
With the recent announcement that Direct Rail Services is to retire its fleet of Class 37 locomotives I have taken the opportunity to look back at the DRS 37s in action on the mainline.
DRS purchased its first Class 37s, six 37/6s from Eurostar in 1997. It would go on to create an extensive fleet of the Class.
DRS was set up during the privatisation era of British Rail in the 1990s as a wholly-owned rail freight subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd to operate the nuclear flask traffic.
It would go on to diversify its freight operations and would later become involved in the passenger and charter train market, the operation of rail head treatment trains, test trains as well as wide variety of stock moves.
This video features the DRS Class 37s working Railtours, Charters, the “Cruise Saver Express" Boat Trains, the ‘Caroline’ Inspection Saloon, nuclear flask traffic and other freight operations.
In a following episode I will look at the passenger operation on the Cumbrian Coast and the Wherry Lines in East Anglia, test trains, rail head treatment trains, stock moves and loco convoys.
Captions below in order of appearance
Railtours, Charters and “Cruise Saver Express" Boat Trains
37667+20308+20309 1Z83 Crewe - Norwich Ely North Junction 5/3/2011
37607+37608+47841 1Z59 Glasgow Central - Southampton Eastern Docks South Stoke 2/9/2011
37510+37229 1Z75 London Fenchurch Street - London Bridge Kew East Junction 17/9/2011
37602+37259+47810 1Z77 Eastleigh - Edinburgh Petersfield 13/5/2012
37423+37605+47802 1Z40 Crewe - Norwich Ely North Junction 31/8/2013
37402+37409+37218 1Z39 Dereham - Crewe Prickwillow 8/3/2014
37612+37611 1Z51 Eastleigh - Whitchurch Freshford 22/4/2014
37402+37405 1Z81 Crewe - Canterbury West Otford Junction 28/5/2014
37423+37402+37604 1Z38 Swanage - Stafford Norton Bavant 13/6/2014
37218+37688 1Z36 Stafford - Eastleigh Worting Junction 29/11/2014
37688+37218 1Z36 Stafford - Eastleigh Wallington Viaduct/Fareham 29/11/2014
37419+57310 1Z46 London Euston - Crewe Dudswell 10/5/2015
37059+37069 1Z50 Eastleigh - Walton-on-the-Naze Margaretting 29/7/2017
37069+37059 1Z60 London Euston - High Wycombe Siblet’s Wood 29/7/2017
37069+37059 1Z61 High Wycombe - Redhill Abinger Hammer 29/7/2017
37402+37409 1Z27 Eastleigh - Dawley Loop Southcote Junction 15/2/2019
37409+37402 1Z38 Hanwell Bridge Junction - Sheerness Kingsferry Bridge/Swale 16/2/2019
37402+37409 1Z39 Sheerness - South Croydon Kingsferry Bridge/Swale 16/2/2019
37409+37402 1Z39 Sheerness - South Croydon Warehorne 16/2/2019
37405+37409 1G39 Kings Lynn - London Liverpool Street Coppermill Junction 18/5/2019
37409+37405 1G40 London Liverpool Street - Norwich Stratford 18/5/2019
37218+37059+68004 1Z80 Tame Bridge Parkway - Penzance Dawlish 29/6/2019
37059+37218+68004 1Z81 Penzance - Tame Bridge Parkway Restormel 29/6/2019
37069+37401 1Z11 Norwich - Eastleigh Hinxton 14/8/2021
Inspection Saloon 975025 ‘Caroline’
37402 2Z02 Willesden Brent - Willesden Brent Manningtree 15/4/2014
37401 2Z01 Richmond - London Liverpool Street Lea Junction 18/8/2016
37401 2Z01 Richmond - London Liverpool Street Channelsea Junction 18/8/2016
37409 2Z02 Kensington Olympia - Kensington Olympia Bough Beech 4/4/2019
37402 2Z02 West Hampstead - London Fenchurch Street Benfleet Creek 19/9/2019
37402 2Z03 London Fenchurch Street - Stratford Devils Ditch/Dullingham 19/9/2019
Flask Traffic and other Freight Workings
37667+37510 6Z70 Sheerness - Tyne Dock Kingsferry Bridge/Swale 17/4/2010
37229+37667 6Z72 Hitchin - Sheerness Shepreth Branch Junction 7/9/2010
37688 6Z66 Dollands Moor - Crewe Lenham 19/3/2011
37603+37606 6M95 Dungeness - Willesden Dungeness 27/3/2012
37603+37606 6M95 Dungeness - Willesden Snargate 27/3/2012
37218+37606 4M71 Purfleet - Daventry Old Linslade 1/7/2013
37603+37607 6Z72 Felixstowe - Crewe Devils Ditch/Dullingham 26/10/2013
37059+37605 6M95 Dungeness - Willesden Snargate 17/3/2016
37069+37059 6M95 Dungeness - Willesden Lenham 1/6/2017
37688+37611+20305 6K73 Sellafield - Crewe Eskmeals Viaduct 11/6/2015
37059+37069 6M69 Sizewell - Crewe Belstead 14/6/2017
My follow up video featuring the DRS 37s working passenger services on the Cumbrian coast and east Anglia, plus test trains, RHTTs and other one off workings can be seen here ua-cam.com/video/Wxq2LaQ7nYA/v-deo.htmlsi=BYlWqDbqr6gveWDX
It really does feel like the end of era now
I was a fireman out of eastfield traction depot springburn Glasgow 1974 onwards i drove many 37s when eastfield closed Down DRS bought some of the 37s my brother was a driver with DRS at Carlisle he ended up driving the same 37s and class 20s that I drove in the 1970s it will be a sad day when the class 37s disappear from the mainline there will never be another locomotive like it
Great video mate, really enjoyed the look back.
Glad you enjoyed
Just wondering why they often run so many locos on a single train. I didn't think the class 37s were weak!
The nuclear flask trains are always double headed for insurance purposes incase of failures.
My older brother worked many nuclear flasks with 2 class 37s just in case one broke down he was a driver with DRS for many years out of Carlisle
Legends 👏
Nice video, but a bit sad.
Why are they retiring them?
As TPE have given back the 68 they were hiring they presumably have enough 68/88s to cover the work they have. DRS have also pulled out of Stowmarket where the 37s were used on RHTT duties.
@@LinesideSouthEast will there be many 37s in service after this?
This isnt the end, they have kept 419 and 425 for snow plows
Thats good news.
Just checked the latest news on this on the DRS website, and it lists 407, 419, 422, 424, 425 and 716 as for sale, with bids open until Feb 15th
@@Eccles_Hall thanks
The most stupid idea selling off the 37’s. More reliable than most of todays trains and locomotives.. get Summat with a mtu/ man/ maybach Mercedes’ and parts aren’t cheap where as British locos are reliable.
Will they be cut up
They've gone up for sale, I believe ROG has purchased a few from DRS.
inevitably some will become parts donors :/
The current very undignified DRS loco livery has got to be one of the biggest eyesores ever. Looks like it was designed by a six year old!
Hope not 😢 or it will be a disaster
Replaced by newer, vastly more reliable, vastly more cost effective transport. A dIsAsTeR!!1!. STFU