Class 37 - BR Green - 37403 (C)

Class 37 - BR Green - 37403 (C)With an overhaul and repaint sponsored by the newly formed Trainload Freight West, later known as Transrail, Motherwells 37403 was catapulted to celebrity status in February 1994 after being backdated to its original British Railways green livery. The makeover was undertaken to mark the centenary of the completion of the West Highland line between Glasgow Queen St and Fort William, the operator being responsible for providing Class 37s for freight,

With an overhaul and repaint sponsored by the newly formed Trainload Freight West, later known as Transrail, Motherwell’s 37403 was catapulted to celebrity status in February 1994 after being backdated to its original British Railways green livery. The makeover was undertaken to mark the centenary of the completion of the West Highland line between Glasgow Queen St and Fort William, the operator being responsible for providing Class 37s for freight, infrastructure, passenger and sleeper services on the 122-mile route.

Outshopped by BRML Springburn, its impressively authentic new look included its original D6607 numbers, with only small nose end repeaters stating 403, as well as cast red Eastfield depot plaques above its similarly-backed nameplates. The latter also showcased a new name for this locomotive, Ben Cruachan, swapped over from 37404. This was its third name in just seven years, having originally been dedicated Isle of Mull in January 1986 and Glendarroch in November 1988.

The penultimate English Electric Type 3 delivered, it was released from Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, in October 1965, joining Swansea Landore’s (87E) fleet. Given the new TOPS number 37307 in March 1974, it became the youngest of the 31 Class 37/4s after being ‘refurbished’ at Crewe Works with ETH (electric train heat) equipment for ScotRail operations in June 1985.

After more than a decade north of the border and now owned by English Welsh & Scottish Railway, it moved to Toton between November 1997 and November 1998 before spending the next 14 months back at Motherwell. Throughout this period it was common in passenger service on both the Cardiff-Bristol-Weymouth and North Wales Coast diagrams as well as the ScotRail sleepers. Re-allocated to the Nottinghamshire depot in January 2000 it featured prominently on the Rhymney line loco-hauled before it was stopped at the end of March the same year.

Seven years later 37403 was acquired from store at Margam by the Scottish Railway Preservation Group (SRPS) and it moved to the Bo’ness & Kinniel Railway with 37413 in November 2008. Following an eight-year restoration it returned to the main line in July 2016.