Hybrid-electric 37207 moves to Great Central

37207 has moved to the Great Central Railway in preparation for the next stage of the Class 37’s reactivation as a hybrid-electric locomotive. The locomotive has been undergoing extensive work to prepare it as the basis for trials with Meteor Power, which has successfully reactivated shunting locomotive 08649 with its electric powertrain concept. The technology has been tested on the Class 37 using the equipment fitted to the Class 08 shunter and the locomotive is now ready to receive its own conversion works.

37207 was due to move to the GCR from its previous base at Wolverton Works on April 21, just in time for it to hopefully be displayed at Quorn & Woodhouse during the GCR’S spring diesel event on April 22/23.

The move to the GCR is being made in conjunction with the Heavy Tractor Group, which owns 37714 Cardiff Canton and is also the custodian of the National Railway Museum’s pioneer Class 37 D6700. The group also has 37605 in store at Swithland on the GCR, although this locomotive is due to be scrapped once it has yielded valuable spare components towards the ongoing preservation of D6700 and 37714. 37207 will be stored undercover at Swithland and some work will be carried out by HTG volunteers while it is at the GCR. Following withdrawal in September 1996, 37207 was sold into preservation and moved to the Plym Valley Railway, where initial restoration work was carried out. It was later sold to Colas, along with a number of previously preserved Class 37s, for reactivation and it was moved to Harry Needle Railroad Company’s base at Barrow Hill.

Work on rebuilding 37207 by HNRC reached an advanced stage when Colas decided to cancel its Class 37 rebuilding project; those locomotives that had not been completed or still awaiting attention were subsequently sold to spot hire company Europhoenix. The locomotive later moved to UK Rail Leasing’s site at Leicester, where it was used as a spares donor to support the operational Europhoenix Class 37 fleet until it was sold on again to Meteor Power in the autumn of 2021. For more information about the HTG, visit www.heavytractorgroup.org