AFTER two years out of traffic, Colas Railfreight No. 37057 Barbara Arbon returned to service on November 13, while Locomotive Services’ No. 37409 returned to main line action on November 29, after three-and-a-half years out of service.
However, Direct Rail Services No. 37401 Mary Queen of Scots was finally removed from traffic, ahead of its expected sale, which was due to be concluded as this edition of Rail Express went to press.
Following a brief visit to Loram Derby on November 6/7, which resulted in a return to Nottingham Eastcroft with No. 37116, split-headcode survivor No. 37057 returned to the former Railway Technical Centre site on November 9, to take up its first test train duties for two years. The first job for the ‘37/0’ was a 15-hour long tour of North Yorkshire on November 13, with No. 37175 and Network Rail’s PLPR (Plain Line Pattern Recognition)/Mentor (Overhead Line) monitoring formation.
The pair of Class 37s remained together for a week before No. 37175 was swapped out at Eastcroft for No. 37612. The month ended with No. 37057 working unaided on tours of the North East and North West with a Driving Brake Standard Open (DBSO) formed at the other end
