CLASS 37
DIRECT Rail Services No. 37419 Carl Haviland 1954-2012 was used to move a two-element IPA cartic on the 6Z60 12.08 Gresty Green-Garston on January 23. No. 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach ‘top and tailed’ No. 50008 Thunderer on the Branch Line Society’s ‘Shooter’s Swansong’ tour (January 14) in memory of the late Adrian Shooter. Starting out from Derby the special visited Hinksey (Oxford) and then Marylebone, Stratford-upon-Avon, London Paddington and back to Derby all via Bicester.
DRS Nos. 37401 and 37422 Victorious were paired on January 8 to haul the 6Z10 12.50 Whitemoor-Stowmarket with HOBC wagons before setting off for West Ealing (Plasser) early next day. This was followed by a lengthy journey north with the 6X12 08.44 West Ealing-Tyne Yard via Carlisle. On January 17, DRS No. 37218 hauled the 6Z19 09.43 York Leeman Road-Scunthorpe and took HOBC wagons from Doncaster to York on January 24.
West Coast Railways No. 37668 began the rescue of failed tamper No. DR73941 on a wheelskate late on January 10, setting off from Tomatin for Dunkeld & Birnam travelling south at low speed. The move reached Larbert early on January 12 and finally terminated at destination two days later as the 8Z51 00.04 Larbert-Rutherglen CE Yard. No. 37668 ran light back to Inverness for route proving and snowplough duties before heading off to Wick and Thurso on January 17 and to the Kyle of Lochalsh next day. Similar work took WCR classmate No. 37676 Loch Rannoch to Oban on January 8, while WCR Nos. 37516Loch Laidon and 47848 moved former Southern Region 2-EPB unit No. 5759 from Southall to Burton Wetmore on January 16 with No. 47812 ‘topping’ the Type 3 from Stafford.
CLASS 43
The four Rail Adventure power cars currently in traffic were used to move a new Merseyrail unit to its new home on January 18. Forming the 6Q43 12.32 Wembley-Crewe Down Refuge Siding power cars Nos. 43484+43465 and Nos. 43480+43468 sandwiched translator and brake force wagons plus brand-new electric multiple unit No. 777140; performed a return trip from Laira to Newton Abbot on January 19.
