37 108 + 97 252 'ETHEL 3' at Fort William. 1985.
37 108 sits coupled to 97 252 ETHEL-3 (Electric Train Heating Ex Locomotive no.3) or former class 25/3 no.25 314 if you prefer. They are in the station sidings at Fort William with sleeper stock off the overnight from London Euston. Despite being high summer the mountain of Stob Coire 771m is shrouded in low cloud beyond Loch Linnhe.
With the arrival of Mk3 sleepers on the West Highland Line and no suitable ETH fitted locomotives the ETHEL's were a stop gap measure until a fleet of class 37's were rebuilt with ETH capabilities and designated class 37/4. The ex class 25's should have carried ex locomotive numbers in the ADB968xxx range but instead were allocated departmental locomotive numbers in the class 97/2 range this despite not being able to work under their own power. Ethel 3's use in Scotland was from July 1983 until September 1986 when it initially moved south for use on steam hauled charters from London to provide electric train heat but several more moves followed before it found itself out of use and dumped at Inverness. Withdrawl came on 18.11.1993 after just over 10 years service and the end came in August 1994 when it was cut up at M.C. Metals Ltd, Springburn, Glasgow.
37 108's career after leaving service on the West Highland line saw it move from Eastfield TMD in north Glasgow to the southside of the Clyde and Motherwell shed in April 1986 where it was soon renumbered 37 325 and into the dedicated Ravenscraig Steelworks iron ore train pool gaining the name 'Lanarkshire Steel' in the process. In September 1989 it reverted to its previous identity as 37 108 still based at Motherwell before leaving Scotland for good in 1991 initially for Stratford in London before a stint at Tinsley in Sheffield. From September 1996 it was stored unserviceable and new owner EWS authorised component recovery at Wigan Springs Branch in September 1998 despite its withdrawl date being listed later as 10/12/99 by then just a paper exercise. It's fate seemed sealed as destined for little more than scrap at Wigan but it was rescued by the Type Three Traction group in January 2000 and moved to Carnforth WCR Co. depot for safe storage. It survives to this day in private ownership and is currently to be found at Crewe Heritage Centre.
37 108 + 97 252 'ETHEL 3' at Fort William. 1985.
37 108 sits coupled to 97 252 ETHEL-3 (Electric Train Heating Ex Locomotive no.3) or former class 25/3 no.25 314 if you prefer. They are in the station sidings at Fort William with sleeper stock off the overnight from London Euston. Despite being high summer the mountain of Stob Coire 771m is shrouded in low cloud beyond Loch Linnhe.
With the arrival of Mk3 sleepers on the West Highland Line and no suitable ETH fitted locomotives the ETHEL's were a stop gap measure until a fleet of class 37's were rebuilt with ETH capabilities and designated class 37/4. The ex class 25's should have carried ex locomotive numbers in the ADB968xxx range but instead were allocated departmental locomotive numbers in the class 97/2 range this despite not being able to work under their own power. Ethel 3's use in Scotland was from July 1983 until September 1986 when it initially moved south for use on steam hauled charters from London to provide electric train heat but several more moves followed before it found itself out of use and dumped at Inverness. Withdrawl came on 18.11.1993 after just over 10 years service and the end came in August 1994 when it was cut up at M.C. Metals Ltd, Springburn, Glasgow.
37 108's career after leaving service on the West Highland line saw it move from Eastfield TMD in north Glasgow to the southside of the Clyde and Motherwell shed in April 1986 where it was soon renumbered 37 325 and into the dedicated Ravenscraig Steelworks iron ore train pool gaining the name 'Lanarkshire Steel' in the process. In September 1989 it reverted to its previous identity as 37 108 still based at Motherwell before leaving Scotland for good in 1991 initially for Stratford in London before a stint at Tinsley in Sheffield. From September 1996 it was stored unserviceable and new owner EWS authorised component recovery at Wigan Springs Branch in September 1998 despite its withdrawl date being listed later as 10/12/99 by then just a paper exercise. It's fate seemed sealed as destined for little more than scrap at Wigan but it was rescued by the Type Three Traction group in January 2000 and moved to Carnforth WCR Co. depot for safe storage. It survives to this day in private ownership and is currently to be found at Crewe Heritage Centre.