Class 37s – Book Review

The Class 37 (originally the English Electric Type 3) is one of the best known and well loved diesel locomotives to have worked on Britain’s railways. Though not the most powerful of engines, its flexibility has allowed it to travel across more of the system than almost any other engine.

A personal portrait of these locomotives by Mark V. Pike is presented in the succinctly titled book Class 37s. It was published by Key Books in November 2022 as Volume 23 of their Britain’s Railways Series.

The Class 37: A jack of all trades……and Caroline’s chauffeur!

A strapline on the back cover of the book claims it to be an ‘illustrated history of the Class 37s’. Though undoubtedly well illustrated, describing the book as a history is more than a stretch! Instead the author presents a selection of photographs based around various themes. Whether the images are all by Pike is not stated, but the fact that none have a credit or attribution assigned suggests that to be the case.

Due to their ‘go anywhere’ characteristic the locomotives were popular engines for charter trains which are covered by Pike before a chapter showing their use on heritage railways. The book closes with a selection of photographs showing the Class 37s hauling the stock associated with track testing.

Over 60 years old and still going strong….though no early pictures

The Class 37s became operational over 60 years ago in December 1962! The oldest images in this volume, however, date back to 1987. This means that a quarter of a century of operations has been missed, apart from retro liveries being carried by preserved examples. Of equal importance is that due to the rapid deindustrialization of Britain during the 1980s, many of the iconic Class 37 hauled services to mines and steelworks are completely absent. Other books are available which cover the complete history of the locomotive in greater depth.

Class 37s were a common sight in South Wales. But there are sadly few images of them at work in the area, most of them sited around Newport and Cardiff hauling Llanwern steelworks trains. However, growing up in the Gwent valleys during the 1970s diesel locomotives other than Class 37s did not exist – at least in mu world! Indeed trains going to and from Ebbw Vale steelworks existed well after the 1987 date of the earliest of the photographs of this book. Nevertheless you get a good impression of the character of these locomotives from this volume. 

In Summary

If you are already a ‘growler’ or ‘tractor’ fan then the coverage of their more unusual recent activities will appeal. Although not a history of the Class 37s, it must be said that a good comprehensive single volume on the engines is not currently available.

Outine Contents

• Miscellaneous Operations
• Caroline
• Charters
• Heritage Lines
• Test Trains

About the Author: Mark V. Pike

Mark Pike has a lifelong interest in UK railways that started at the age of about six when his father used to take him to watch trains at Poole station in Dorset, just after steam had been abolished in the late 1960s. He later joined the railway at the age of 19 as a permanent way trackman at Bournemouth and was later an electric track maintenance worker at Dorchester for over 20 years. Now semi-retired, he is still an avid railway photographer, with various images appearing regularly in mainstream railway magazines and books.

(from Pen and Sword Books)

Related reviews

Diesels Around Cardiff by Andrew Wiltshire
Railways in South Wales and the Central Wales Line in the Late 20th Century by Peter J. Green