The End (Again!)
The Class 37/4 locomotives which are currently plying the North wales Coast (and indeed those that have done) are soon to be removed from these duties thus bringing to an end 'proper' trains along this route.
Oddly enough this is not the first time the sub-class has been involved in the end of an era for during 1989 a similar thing happened on the routes north of Inverness. Mind you there was a major obstacle to the phasing in of 'Sprinter' units, namely the Ness bridge was washed away effectively cutting the route in two.
The change over was effected using road transport, a most bizarre scenario as (then) brand new Class 156 units were transported from Inverness and the lorries returned loaded with a Class 37/4!
Some (if not all) of the locomotives involved have at some stage put in sterling service along the Coast, here are three views of them in action.
Wearing the much lamented large logo livery 37415 awaits departure from Dingwall with the 18:06 for Wick and Thurso on 7th March 1989.
37421 is seen at Kyle of Localsh with the 11:10 departure for Dingwall on 8th March 1989. A repaint was to follow into Regional Railways livery and the name 'The Kingsman' was applied and the locomotive became a regular performer along the North Wales Coast. At it's final classified repair which saw a repaint into EWS livery the names were not refitted, this being the policy of the owning company. Ultimately this was the only named Class 37/4 not to be re-united with it's nameplates as (after much furore and protest) 37408 'Loch Rannoch' and 37418 'East Lancashire Railway' eventually had their plates re-fitted.
Having left Kyle of Localsh 37421 waits at Strathcarron for 37419 which is working the 10:52 Dingwall - Kyle of Localsh.