New Announcement; Class 37s Come To The Four As Welsh And Scottish Classics Announced

[Warbonnet]

When we launched our Class 37 locomotives back at Warley we had decided to cover various subclasses and oddities not ever done in ready-to-run format before. After all, we were a young company and the howls of "duplication" weighed on our minds. 

However, we were amazed to hear the sheer volumes of demand for our dreamy Tractors to cover existing ground too, such as the famous Class 37/4 sub class. 

So, for our third run of these English Electric icons, the first half of the announcement (more on that later!) will cover these oft demand legends of the 1980s-present. 

Not only that, but the investment in additional tooling for these locomotives (as they are quite different to anything we have done before, including the modern Class 37/4s) meant we could add in some new features. So, for the first time, a working fan will be included in all models and the body shells will feature all new tooling, with separately applied bonnet top doors, enhanced grilles and more introduced onto the models.

Let's have a look at what makes up this initial announcement:

37408 Loch Rannoch EWS Maroon/Gold

Arguably the most popular of the Class 37/4s in the British Rail and early privatisation era, No. 37408 Loch Rannoch clinged obstinately to its large logo paint scheme – the last so adorned – until being called to Toton in mid-1998 for a repaint. Following a protracted overhaul, which included a new toughened centre window, it debuted in the revised maroon and gold of its owner EWS, sans-nameplates, in November and wasn’t reunited with its famous name until the following February. Over the next seven years, the former No. 37289 (built as D6989) was a regular performer on loco-hauled services around the country, particularly Birmingham/Crewe-Bangor/Holyhead, Cardiff-Fishguard/Rhymney and Crewe/Manchester, Leeds-Carlisle/Knaresborough and even in Scotland on the Fort William sleeper. It could also be found on a wide variety of freight and even Railtrack/Network Rail test trains and was variously allocated to Crewe Diesel, Motherwell, Cardiff Canton, Toton and Margam during this period.

Outshopped in the same livery in March 2002, its rock star status meant that it was never long before it gained various accoutrements, including regular bouts of Eastfield ‘Westies’, silver buffers, white lamp irons, black headcode panels and even Immingham 40B shedplates. It seemed inevitable that Rannoch would return to large logo in due course and would have been a favourite for preservation, but after running away and colliding with its stabled rake of coaches at Rhymney on 1 August 2005 the locomotive was stored and repairs were not authorised. It was eventually scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in January 2008.

37414 Railfreight Construction

The introduction of Class 156 ‘Super Sprinters’ on the West Highland from January 1989 and on the Far North/Kyle lines in the May triggered an exodus of Class 37/4s to freight work. By the end of that year, Laira, Motherwell and Tinsley had gained allocations, while Immingham and Thornaby both acquired three locos each in the middle of 1990, by which point half the sub class were south of the border. One of these was No. 37414, which was on china clay duties in Cornwall until transferred to the North Lincolnshire depot’s FABI pool that September. This loco, which retained its Western Region-style lamp irons at the No.2 end only, had been repainted in the Roundel triple grey scheme with Distribution decals in August 1989, but quickly swapped these for more appropriate Construction brandings after its move. This saw it mostly outbased at Buxton in the Peak District to haul aggregates, cement and the iconic ICI limestone trains.

While it wasn’t completely allergic to passenger work during this period, it moved to Crewe Diesel in November 1992 to join the RCMC Regional Railways North West pool, initially to work Liverpool Lime St/Crewe-Cardiff trains, still wearing its classic Railfreight image. In March 1993 it became the first member of the fleet to receive the new Regional Railways livery along with the name Cathays C&W Works 1846-1993, becoming a stalwart of the North Wales coast and the famed ‘club’ trains from Liverpool and Manchester Victoria. It soldiered on until it was stored by EWS in March 2000 and was scrapped at TJ Thomson’s of Stockton exactly nine years later.

37420 The Scottish Hosteller Large Logo w/Highland ‘stag’

No. 37420 was the penultimate member of the Inverness ‘eight’, Nos. 37414-37421, the octet of locomotives allocated to the far north for working passenger and freight trains to Aberdeen, Kyle of Lochalsh and Wick/Thurso, that famously wore the Highland Rail ‘stag’ branding. Converted to Class 37/4 configuration in December 1985 its new specification included various cosmetic upgrades as well as electric train heat (ETH) capability rated at 30, enough to provide juice to six or seven pressure vent Mk.2s, modified CP7 bogies regeared for a top speed of 80 mph and Brush BA1005A alternators to replace the original generators.

The Inverness batch was also fitted with Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) equipment soon after ‘refurbishment’ to work the Dingwall-Kyle line and the recently commissioned section to Wick and Thurso. Like all 31 members of the sub class, the former No. 37297 (originally D6997), was released from Crewe Works in large logo livery. However, in comparison to the Eastfield and Cardiff allocations, and the RETB-fitted Class 37/0s that preceded them, this group did not universally receive names.

Happily No. 37420 was one of the three that did, being dedicated The Scottish Hosteller on 28 June 1986 at the Inverness Open Day. After four and a half years working out of the Highland capital, it joined the Thornaby FCTY Trainload pool in May 1990 retaining its full Scottish regalia, albeit with a colourful Kingfisher logo on the cabside, until it became the last ‘37/4’ painted into the general user InterCity Mainline scheme the following December. Six years later it also became the last Type 3 to carry Regional Railways livery and it was switched off in July 2000. It was cut up at Hull’s of Rotherham in February 2008.

37421 Colas Rail

Stored by EWS at Motherwell in March 2005 and sold for preservation at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway in 2009, No. 37421 was one of four Class 37s that was purchased by Colas Rail in 2013 for a return to the main line, along with Nos. 37116, 37175 and 37219. While the latter pair debuted for their new owner in the middle of 2014, it would be another year before No. 37421 would re-enter traffic along with BR green-liveried former Harry Needle Class 37/0 No. 37057/D6757, just in time to assist on the newly acquired Network Rail infrastructure monitoring contract.

For the next four years, the Colas Class 37/4 was a solid performer on various test formations, until called to South Wales in May 2019 to provide power for Cardiff-Rhymney line commuter turns along with hired-in Nos. 37025 and 37418. This followed a fallow few months when the locomotive was under repair and eventually returned after a bogie swap with No. 37175. The Rhymney workings ended in March 2020 and it was back to test train work, mixed in with NR saloon duties with No. 975025 Caroline and the odd infrastructure duty.

Cosmetically, towards the end of that same year it swapped its Colas ‘hard hat’ logos for new diamond stickers, although it has stubbornly retained its unique arrangement of single lamp irons on different sides of the locomotive at each end. Despite the increasing number of Colas HST power cars on the NR services, No. 37421 is still a regular atop PLPR (Plain Line Pattern Recognition) and UTU (Ultrasonic Testing Unit) formations and is expected to remain a key component of the operator’s fleet for several years to come.

37429 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Large Logo w/Welsh dragon

Representing the original Cardiff Canton batch of six Class 37/4 conversions is No. 37429, ‘refurbished’ by Crewe Works from No. 37300 (originally D6600) in March 1986. Nos. 37426-37431 were originally planned to join the rest of the sub class on the Scottish Region. However, before they were completed the London Midland identified a more pressing need for this batch, although they were allocated to Canton in South Wales due to this depot’s extensive knowledge of the English Electric Type 3s.

The introduction of Electric Train Heat (ETH) fitted locomotives to the restricted weight Cambrian route from Wolverhampton to the Welsh coast allowed InterCity to supplement its tired Mk.1 fleet on London Euston to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli services with air-conditioned Mk.2 coaches, although Mk.1s – often Network SouthEast liveried sets – were still regulars on the summer-dated trains into the 1990s. Unlike their cousins north of the border, the Welsh ‘37/4s’ were primarily passenger machines and they also found themselves allocated to Liverpool Lime St/Manchester Piccadilly/North Wales-Cardiff and Cardiff-Bristol-Weymouth diagrams. Outshopped in large logo livery, it soon gained a small red Welsh dragon logo on the driver’s cabsides, and later acquired the Sir Dyfed / County of Dyfed nameplates from No. 37180 in April 1987.

However, they were removed after just four months and the locomotive was renamed Eisteddfod Genedlaethol – after the famous festival – in the August. In January 1991 it was released from Glasgow St Rollox Works in Railfreight Construction colours, and notably retained its red-backed nameplates like the other three ‘37/4s’ to gain these particular squadron decals. It kept its name on its Regional Railways repaint in May 1993 and was stored in 2001. It was disposed of at EMR Kingsbury in February 2008.

Specification 

Building on the already class leading specification of the existing Accurascale Class 37s, our new production run sees all new tooling to cater for the Class 37/4 variant (and other future variants!) which now includes the operating roof fan which is synced to the DCC sound file and also operates on DC! With subtle tweaks around the bonnet top doors, improved glazing fitment to stop them popping out in rough handing through the postal/courier systems, grille tweaks and building on the already impressive drive train and sound set up, the ultimate Class 37 in OO/4mm gauge has taken another step forward from the competition.

Our new tooling also covers the new limited edition models for the SRPS and Key Model World for 37403 and 37710 respectively! 

Common Features Include:

• Heavy die-cast metal chassis
• Accurate tumbleholme, nose, cab roof and cantrail curves taken from 3D Laser scan and extensive surveys
• Timeframe specific details, including but not limited to;
• Bogies (Fabricated and three variations of Cast)
• Fuel tanks (As built and with later smooth-sided long range fuel tank)
• Three styles of buffer: large round Oleo, oval and squared oval
• With or without cab roof vents and bodyside windows
• Nose and roof aerials and antennas (where applicable)
• Three styles of windscreen: standard, centre toughened and all toughened
• Three styles of cab interior: as built, refurbished and modern DRS locos
• Four bufferbeam variations with different piping configurations
• Door kickplates where applicable
• Multiple body and nose slides to accurately represent almost every member of the class, including three variations of cantrail grille: early EE (for D6700-D6704), later EE and RSH
• Four roof styles: Original double riveted, single riveted, welded and welded with antennas
• Separately applied etched metal and high fidelity plastic detail parts, including grab handles, aerials, steps, wipers, nameplates, crests and more.
• Etched metal door kickplates (where applicable), ‘frost’ grille (where applicable) & super fine etched metal roof grille
• Scale width wire handrails
• Turned brass roof-mounted horns on centre headcode examples
• Full underbody tank detail with brackets and pipework
• Bogies feature separate footsteps, etched footsteps, brake cylinders, speed recorder, end brake rigging and very fine brake chain
• Brake blocks on trucks (bogies) in line with wheels (can be moved for EM/P4 gauges)
• RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels with fine scale ‘drop in’ EM (18.2mm gauge) and P4 (18.83mm gauge) wheels available separately
• Accurate high-fidelity miniature snowploughs
• Fully sprung metal buffers, extra-fine factory-installed pipework and screw couplings
• Correct height mini-tension-lock couplers with NEM socket as well as a fully detailed bufferbeam
• Every model includes PowerPack / Backup Power Capacitor Bank for up to ten seconds of power free running, flicker free lighting and continuous sound

High Performance traction, to include;

• High-quality five-pole motor with two flywheels
• Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running
• Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h)
• DCC ready with PowerPack Super-capacitor for uninterrupted power and super low speed running
• All wheel drive and all wheel pickup

Price, Delivery And Run 3 Part 2

So, what is the price for this newly enhanced and tooled awesomeness with additional features? All five locomotives will be offered in DC/DCC Ready and DCC Sound Fitted formats as per our usual style. The DC/DCC Ready locomotives are priced at £189.99 and the DCC Sound Fitted locomotives are priced at £289.99. 

"That's gone up!" you may say. Well, yes, it has. However! This does reflect additional features, and all new tooling along with revised electronics. On top of that, our previous price was set in 2019, and when you look at the Bank of England Inflation calculator, our prices are within inflation, so if anything, they're actually cheaper than they were in 2019!

So, once again, we lead the way in the best value for the best quality and stand by our tagline of "realistic models at realistic prices!"

These models are now available to pre-order via our network of retailers and of course, on our website direct! Delivery will be Q4 2025.

We will have another Class 37 announcement in the coming weeks covering another variant of these wonderful locomotives, as well as a further announcement of our Accurascale Exclusive models between now and the end of 2024, so stay tuned for those exciting announcements coming very soon!

In the meantime, you can pre-order your Class 37/4 below!

Pre-Order Your Class 37/4 Here!

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