Class 37 Locomotives in Scotland

Class 37 Locomotives in Scotland
Author: Colin J. Howat
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2024-09-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 139812110X

Rare and previously unpublished photographs celebrating the venerable Class 37 locomotives at work in Scotland.

The English Electric Class 37/4 Diesel Locomotives

The English Electric Class 37/4 Diesel Locomotives
Author: Fred Kerr
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2022-09-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1399096168

In the prelude to the privatisation of BR the Provincial Sector (later Regional Railways) became responsible for local / secondary train services and initiated the refurbishment of 31 Class 37 locomotives, fitted with train heating equipment – hence designated Class 37/4 - to support the shortfall of DMU trainsets. Their initial task was to work services on Scottish lines radiating from Inverness to points north and Glasgow to service the West Highland Line with a small batch based in South Wales to service Cambrian Line services and services from Cardiff traversing the Marches Line to serve Liverpool. These services were soon replaced by Sprinter trainsets thus releasing the fleet to other duties including freight operators hence, at privatisation in April 1994, the fleet became owned by freight companies who subsequently hired locomotives to both other freight companies and passenger operators. Throughout their working life the fleet members have proved invaluable and capable of powering a variety of services whose history confirms both the locomotives’ adaptability and prowess in handling the duties allocated to them. Fred Kerr’s book seeks to show this adaptability by detailing the reason for their initial creation and the tasks successfully undertaken once released from their initial roles as support for the shortage of DMU trainsets. The advent of privatisation saw an increased demand for their ‘go-anywhere do anything’ ability which is also displayed by the range of photographs that illustrate the wide range of duties performed by class members. Once withdrawn from service some class members were purchased for preservation and – such was their adaptability – that preserved examples were hired by train operators to cover duties that no other class of diesel locomotive was capable of achieving.

Scottish Traction

Scottish Traction
Author: Colin J. Howat
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2017-10-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1445673754

Colin J. Howat looks at traction around Scotland.

The Railways of Glasgow

The Railways of Glasgow
Author: Gordon D. Webster
Publisher: The History Press
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2014-06-02
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 0750957204

The city of Glasgow, formerly one of the largest industrial centres in the world, was once responsible for building about one-quarter of the world's railway locomotives. This was complemented by a massive urban railway network: the second largest in the UK. However, the Beeching Report of 1963 inevitably took its toll on Glasgow. This book examines the changing face of Glasgow's railways ever since that infamous report, starting with the period of rationalisation and industrial decline that followed. It also explores the revival enjoyed in the last few decades, with lines reopened and modern rolling stock introduced. Furthermore, with Glasgow hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games, it looks at the emphasis being placed on the railway as further development work takes place.

First Generation Scottish DMUs

First Generation Scottish DMUs
Author: Colin J. Howat
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2019-08-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1445691884

With previously unpublished, First Generation DMUs in Scotland covers virtually the whole of Scotland and encompasses locations from Arbroath in the north to just south of the border to Carlisle.

Scotland's Railways in the 1980s & 1990s

Scotland's Railways in the 1980s & 1990s
Author: Peter J. Green
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2021-01-18
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1526773554

“A book full of nostalgia for those who thought railways after the end of steam would be an endless stream of lookalike boxes . . . a revelation.” —Rail Advent In the 1980s and early 1990s, Scotland was an excellent destination for the railway enthusiast. The many locomotive hauled trains running through splendid scenery, together with the surviving railway infrastructure and mechanical signaling, provided many fine photographic opportunities. Peter J. Green’s first railway visit to Scotland was on board the Fair Maid railtour to Perth, behind Flying Scotsman in 1983. The following year, he again traveled to Scotland, this time on the F & W Railtours’ The Skirl o’ the Pipes 4, to Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig, his first visit to the Scottish Highlands. Green had previously been traveling abroad for railways, but impressed by what he saw, he decided that he would quickly return to photograph the Scottish railway scene, before it changed too much. This was the start of a series of visits, each for one or two weeks, between 1984 and June 1991, covering the whole country. This book is a photographic record of the locomotives, trains and infrastructure of the railways of Scotland and the landscapes through which the trains ran, as recorded by Green’s various cameras during the period of his visits. “Lots to enjoy, not just the Scottish locomotives themselves, but their trains and the world beyond, which in some cases has changed beyond recognition in the years since these photographs were taken. Highly recommended.” —The Railway Magazine

Real Railway Tales

Real Railway Tales
Author: Geoff Body
Publisher: The History Press
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2014-05-05
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 0750957026

Running a railway is a complex business, constantly throwing up drama, misadventure and the unexpected. Geoff Body and Bill Parker have collated a rich selection of railwaymen’s memories and anecdotes to create an enjoyable book of escapades and mishaps, illustrating the daily obstacles faced on the railways, from handling the new Eurostar to train catering, nights on the Tay Bridge to rail ‘traffic cops’, and from mystery derailments to track subsidence. However interesting the infrastructure of the large and varied railway business may be, the real heart of this great industry lies in its people, the complex jobs they occupy and the dedicated way in which they carry them out.