Class 37 - EWS - 37408

37408 Loch Rannoch EWS Maroon/Gold

Arguably the most popular of the Class 37/4s in the British Rail and early privatisation era, No. 37408 Loch Rannoch clinged obstinately to its large logo paint scheme – the last so adorned – until being called to Toton in mid-1998 for a repaint. Following a protracted overhaul, which included a new toughened centre window, it debuted in the revised maroon and gold of its owner EWS, sans-nameplates, in November and wasn’t reunited with its famous name until the following February.
Over the next seven years, the former No. 37289 (built as D6989) was a regular performer on loco-hauled services around the country, particularly Birmingham/Crewe-Bangor/Holyhead, Cardiff-Fishguard/Rhymney and Crewe/Manchester, Leeds-Carlisle/Knaresborough and even in Scotland on the Fort William sleeper. It could also be found on a wide variety of freight and even Railtrack/Network Rail test trains and was variously allocated to Crewe Diesel, Motherwell, Cardiff Canton, Toton and Margam during this period.Outshopped in the same livery in March 2002, its rock star status meant that it was never long before it gained various accoutrements, including regular bouts of Eastfield ‘Westies’, silver buffers, white lamp irons, black headcode panels and even Immingham 40B shedplates.
It seemed inevitable that Rannoch would return to large logo in due course and would have been a favourite for preservation, but after running away and colliding with its stabled rake of coaches at Rhymney on 1 August 2005 the locomotive was stored and repairs were not authorised. It was eventually scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in January 2008.