Regional Railways Class 31 and Class 37

[al.currie93]

Hi people!

Can anyone provide me with some more information on the class 31s and class 37s that worked with regional railways? Anyone know how many and the numbers of each class were actually allocated to the sector, how many and the numbers of each class wore the livery, and what trains they typically hauled??

Many thanks

 

[hairyhandedfool]

That I know of 31421, 31455, 31465, 37414, 37418, 37420, 37421, 37422, 37425, 37427 and 37429 were Regional Railways livery. I believe the 31s (with others) worked between Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Liverpool, Blackpool North, Llandudno and/or Barrow-in-Furness, they might even have gone round the Oldham Loop. I believe the 37/4s were used on the Blackpool North/Birmingham/Crewe-North Wales route with other 37/4s. Happy to be corrected on this though.

Typically stock would be Regional Railways Mk1 or Mk2 coaches.

 

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Thanks for this detailed information. During which years did the locos carry the livery? I am aware that Regional Railways existed from 1982 to 1996 but can't find any detail on exactly how much of this period the livery was applied to the locos.

 

[sprinterguy]

Regional Railways as a brand only came into being in 1991 (Some sources say 1989?), as a rebranding of the Provincial sector that had been in existance since sectorisation in 1982.

Only one loco, 47475, was painted in the original Provincial services livery, to match the Transpennine mark 2 coaching stock used on the Newcastle to Liverpool services which had been similarly reliveried quite early on in the sectors' existance. All the 31/4s and 37/4s were repainted after the change of title to "Regional Railways" (which changed the type face to a serif font from rail alphabet and introduced the dark blue and white "flexi-mark" at the ends of the light blue stripe) in the late eighties/early nineties.

If I remember correctly, only one Regional Railways 37/4 was a regular on the Highland Mainline when summer-only loco-hauled services were utilised in 1992/3 (and elsewhere in Northern Scotland at other times); 37427 "Highland Enterprise" (37420, despite being named "The Scottish Hosteller", was transferred away from Scotland before receiving Reggie Railways livery). As hairyhandedfool says, Regional Railways liveried locos were primarily to be found in the North West and along the North Wales Coast.

In many cases, Regional Railways livery superceded BRs' "Mainline" scheme (Essentially unbranded Intercity swallow).

 

[capital12]

That I know of 31421, 31455, 31465, 37414, 37418, 37420, 37421, 37422, 37425, 37427 and 37429 were Regional Railways livery. I believe the 31s (with others) worked between Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Liverpool, Blackpool North, Llandudno and/or Barrow-in-Furness, they might even have gone round the Oldham Loop. I believe the 37/4s were used on the Blackpool North/Birmingham/Crewe-North Wales route with other 37/4s. Happy to be corrected on this though.

Typically stock would be Regional Railways Mk1 or Mk2 coaches.

I've got a feeling 31410 may have carried Regional Railways livery too.

I also think it was 37427 that carried the livery but with ScotRail lettering and was used on loco hauled across much of ScotRail area around 92/93. Although when these ended was it transferred to join the rest in the North West?

 

[sprinterguy]

I also think it was 37427 that carried the livery but with ScotRail lettering and was used on loco hauled across much of ScotRail area around 92/93.

Indeed it was, see my post above.

According to the following page, http://www.c37lg.co.uk/fleet.aspx?strnumber=37427, it was transferred away to Cardiff Canton in September 1995, following the cessation of loco-hauled services on the Highland lines, where it seems to have spent a fair bit of time on Bristol to Weymouth trains before it went back up to Scotland, now sporting EWS livery, around the turn of the Millennium five years later.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I've got a feeling 31410 may have carried Regional Railways livery too.

Add 31439 to that list, too.

 

[D6975]

Regional railways used more 31s and 37s that never got repainted into RR livery than did get repainted. They had blue and mainline 31s, and 37s in Large Logo, Mainline and 3TG.

 

[sprinterguy]

Having done a quick bit of background reading, just to confirm what has already been said, the following locos carried Regional Railways livery in 1994, which is pretty much when the livery was at it's zenith:

31410 "Granada Telethon"
31421 "Wigan Pier"
31439 "North Yorkshire Moors Railway"
31455 "Our Eli"
31465

37414 "Cathays C&W Works 1846 - 1993"
37418 "East Lancashire Railway"
37420 "The Scottish Hosteller" (A fairly late addition - Repainted during 1994)
37421 "The Kingsman"
37422 "Robert F. Fairlie Locomotive Engineer"
37425 "Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob"
37427 "Highland Enterprise"
37429 "Eisteddford Genedlaethol"

And in addition to D6975s comments, in 1994 the following pools had the following locos officially allocated to them:

Crewe Diesel Class 31/4 (North West Passenger)
31410 Regional Railways
31421 Regional Railways
31432 BR Blue
31439 Regional Railways
31444 Civil Link
31455 Regional Railways
31465 Regional Railways

Crewe Diesel Class 37/4 (North West Passenger)
37402 BR Mainline
37407 BR Mainline
37408 BR Large logo
37414 Regional Railways
37418 Regional Railways
37421 Regional Railways
37422 Regional Railways
37425 Regional Railways
37429 Regional Railways

Motherwell Class 37/4 (Scotrail)
For the Highland Mainline, Aberdeen to Inverness, Kyle line trains, etc.
37427 Regional Railways
37428 Trainload Petroleum
37430 BR Mainline
37431 BR Mainline

Motherwell Class 37/4 (West Highland)
Used on the Fort William sleeper, for Intercity, and West Highland freight amongst other things.
37401 Railfreight Distribution
37403 BR Green
37404 Trainload Freight
37406 Railfreight Distribution
37409 Trainload Freight
37410 Transrail
37423 Railfreight Distribution
37424 BR Mainline

Of course, these are only the official allocations, in theory, on paper. In reality, a far wider range of locos could be reasonably expected to "drop onto" any given Regional Railways passenger working: Certainly, a far wider range of class 31s were fair game on the Regional Railways workings in the North West, wearing BR blue, Civil Link or BR Mainline liveries at the time; the North Wales Coast saw a wider range of class 37s; and Motherwell had a sizeable fleet of "no heat" 37/0s and 37/5s that worked the Inverness and Aberdeen sleepers (in pairs, with a generator van) and got turned out for passenger workings on the Highland Main line and on the routes out of Inverness during the summer. In the latter case, many of these locos were the former boiler-fitted locos that had been the mainstay of the West and North Highland routes before they were ousted by the introduction of 37/4s in 1986/87.

And this was when regional loco-hauled passenger services were winding down! If you look back further to the start of the nineties, the range of locos used (and to an extent, liveries displayed before Regional Railways began to be applied) only increases!

 

[L+Y]

That I know of 31421, 31455, 31465, 37414, 37418, 37420, 37421, 37422, 37425, 37427 and 37429 were Regional Railways livery. I believe the 31s (with others) worked between Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Liverpool, Blackpool North, Llandudno and/or Barrow-in-Furness, they might even have gone round the Oldham Loop. I believe the 37/4s were used on the Blackpool North/Birmingham/Crewe-North Wales route with other 37/4s. Happy to be corrected on this though.

Typically stock would be Regional Railways Mk1 or Mk2 coaches.

Don't forget Southport too: my very earliest railway memories are watching 31 and 37 hauled Club Trains coming through Parbold station in 1994/95.

 

[dubscottie]

31233 also carried Regional Railways branding on dutch livery.

Pic here.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/37190-dalzell/10976263585/

In addition to 47475, 08761 & 08720 carried Provincial livery.

Some the ex NSE Mk2's that were used by RR had the red stripe painted blue. The English ones used Provincial light blue while Inverness based ones used rail blue.

There was one Mk2 BSO painted in RR colours in July 1990. The white/light blue stripes were at Intercity height rather than the lower provincial height.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Pic of Mk2 here..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/641617...mQo-ahjx22-gWA2gb-g7BQkf-ggs15k-gaAdbL-g8LH6v

 

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Many thanks for taking the time to post all this information - much appreciated!

 

[40fan]

Regional Railways diagrams Summer 1994

North West Regional Railways (pool LWMC) 37402 37407 37414 37418 37421 37422 37425 37429

Monday to Friday
1J01 0706 Blackpool North-Manchester Victoria (0823)
1D37 1014 Manchester Victoria-Holyhead (1249)
1J44 1330 Holyhead-Manchester Victoria (1619)
1F05 1710 Manhester Victoria-Southport (1821)

1J03 0721 Southport-Manchester Victoria (0835)
1N07 1728 Manchester victoria-Blackpool North (1845)

1D63 0932 Crewe-Holyhead (1130)
1K65 1155 Holyhead-Crewe (1402)
1D82 1824 Crewe-Bangor (2003)
1K78 2032 Bangor-Crewe (2203)

1D74 1424 Crewe-Holyhead (1630)
1G81 1655 Holyhead-Birmingham International (2016)
1D99 2152 Birmingham International-Holyhead (0121)

1G80 0316 Holyhead-Birmingham International (0639)
1D68 0946 Birmingham International-Holyhead (1325)
1K73 1555 Holyhead-Crewe (1802)

2O87 0900 Bristol Temple Meads-Weymouth
1V87 1630 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads

Fridays only
1M89 1645 Cardiff Central-Manchester Oxford Road (2012)

Saturdays
1J03 0721 Southport-Manchester Victoria (0835)
1D37 1014 Manchester Victoria-Holyhead (1249)
1J44 1330 Holyhead-Manchester Victoria (1619)

1G80 0316 Holyhead-Birmingham International (0639)
1D68 0946 Birmingham International-Holyhead (1325)
1G81 1655 Holyhead-Birmingham International (2016)
1D99 2040 Birmingham International-Chester (2221)

1D63 0932 Crewe-Holyhead (1130)
1N05 1310 Holyhead-Blackpool North (1616)

1D39 1015 Blackpool North-Holyhead (1345)
1K73 1555 Holyhead-Crewe (1802)
1D82 1824 Crewe-Bangor (2003)
1K78 2032 Bangor-Crewe (2203)

Sundays only
1D57 0924 Chester-Holyhead (1127)
1K63 1210 Holyhead-Crewe (1430)
1D67 1515 Crewe-Llandudno Junction (1633)
1K67 1658 Llandudno Junction-Crewe (1815)

1N95 0835 Chester-Blackpool North (1109)
1K96 1920 Blackpool North-Chester (2151)

1D69 1653 Crewe-Holyhead (1858)

1M33 1305 Cardiff Central-Liverpool Lime Street (1649)
1V61 1907 Liverpool Lime Street-Cardiff Central (2257)

If I remember correctly on Saturdays 1D63 and 1K73 sometimes produced 2 class 37s, the reason I think was a changeover of the Blackpool-Manchester-Southport locos.

I have diagrams from other years somewhere, I will post them as soon as I find them.

 

[DarloRich]

There was a Barrow - Manchester Victoria service for a while to. I remember traveling on it. I may have been later that 1994 though.

 

[Darren R]

There was a Barrow - Manchester Victoria service for a while to. I remember traveling on it. I may have been later that 1994 though.

Well according to a photo caption in one of my old spotter's books (from 1994) a Regional Railways liveried 31 was operating the 0930 Barrow to Preston service on 22 May 1993 - if that helps!

 

[40fan]

Regional Railways diagrams Winter 1989/Spring 1990

31.401 DECA
2Y11 0530 Leeds-Sheffield
2Y16 0727 Sheffield-Leeds
2Y17 0920 Leeds-Sheffield
2Y22 1046 Sheffield-Leeds
2Y23 1222 Leeds-Sheffield
2Y28 1351 Sheffield-Leeds
2Y29 1522 Leeds-Sheffield
2Y34 1637 Sheffield-Leeds
2Y35 1820 Leeds-Sheffield
2Y40 2002 Sheffield-Leeds

31.402 PCDB
2J24 1227SX Liverpool Lime Street-Manchester Victoria
2F23 1359SX Manchester Victoria-Liverpool Lime Street
2P86 1707SX Liverpool Lime Street-Preston
2F36 1847SX Preston-Liverpool Lime Street

31.403 PCDB
2P91 0630SX Manchester Victoria-Barrow
2J90 0927SX Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2P93 1302SX Manchester Victoria-Barrow
2J92 1535SX Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2F83 1807SX Manchester Victoria-Southport
2J76 2130SX Southport-Manchester Victoria
2F27 2310SX Manchester Victoria-Liverpool Lime Street

31.404 PCDB
2J28 1427SX Liverpool Lime Street-Manchester Victoria
2F25 1559SX Manchester Victoria-Liverpool Lime Street
2P86 1727SX Liverpool Lime Street-Manchester Victoria

31.405 PCDB
2P48 1507SX Liverpool Lime Street-Preston
2F34 1620SX Preston-Liverpool Lime Street
2P46 2023SX Liverpool Lime Street-Blackpool North
2F31 2227SX Blackpool North-Liverpool Lime Street

 

[D6975]

A small extract from my haulage log for 1990

09/03/90 53973 + 54263 carlisle - barrow
09/03/90 31469 barrow - manchester victoria
09/03/90 31435 manchester victoria - liverpool lime street

The dmu down the cumbrian coast was the 05xx off Carlisle, so 31469 would have been 2J90 and 31435 2F23

 

[Whistler40145]

I also remember a Manchester Victoria to Blackpool North via Atherton & Wigan NW, don't think it lasted long. AFAIK it might have only run on Saturdays, but late morning to lunchtime. The only time I did it, it was double headed with 31413+31427, can someone confirm the service & locos?

 

[40fan]

Regional Railways diagrams Summer 1990

31.401 PCDB
2C29 0602 Liverpool Lime Street-Barrow
2J64 0908 Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2C41 1248 Manchester Victoria-Barrow
2J60 1542 Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2C93 1843 Manchester Victoria-Barrow

31.402 PCDB
2J94 0716SX Blackpool North-Manchester Victoria
2N93 0940SX Manchester Victoria-Blackpool North via Rochdale
2J92 1320SX Blackpool North-Manchester Victoria via Rochdale
2N99 1710SX Manchester Victoria-Blackpool North
2J94 1927SX Blackpool North-Manchester Victoria via Rochdale
2F83 2212SX Manchester Victoria-Southport

31.403 PCDB
2J86 0705SX Southport-Manchester Victoria
2C33 0843 Manchester Victoria-Barrow
2J66 1117 Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2C45 1448 Manchester Victoria-Barrow
2J62 1734 Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2C33 2043 Manchester Victoria-Barrow

31.404 PCDB
2J96 0625SX Barrow-Manchester Victoria (NOT 11 June to 31 August)
2C37 1048SX Manchester Victoria-Barrow
2J68 1318SX Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2C31 1643SX Manchester Victoria-Barrow
2N42 1954SX Barrow-Blackpool North
2F33 2220SX Blackpool North-Liverpool Lime Street

31.405 PCDB 11 June to 31 August
2J96 0625SX Barrow-Manchester Victoria
2D66 0944SX Manchester Victoria-Llandudno
2J34 1704SX Llandudno-Manchester Victoria