Vintage Trains 2025

My pictures at Stratford on Sunday, showing the train from Derby arriving, on platform, Clun Castle running round after the return trip to Birmingham Snow Hill, and leaving the station on the return as it crosses the Stratford Canal just outside the station. A jogger ran in front of me moments before I took the picture…

 

We travelled on the Snow Hill trip. Nice to have 37240 as the supporting diesel, much preferred to a 47 by me, anyway. Hopefully inBR 2 tone green sometime? So these were during the run round at Snow Hill station. Clun ran backwards coupled in front of the 37 on the return. The very affable and helpful staff were able to answer all my gricerish questions about the day’s operations. A most enjoyable day, many thanks to Vintage Trains and all involved.

 

Do like the third image.
Did 37s ever wear two tone green in BR service ?

 

Excellent photos, thanks for sharing!

 

Er no... On reflection I think not. Plain green as represented by D6700 would be more appropriate.

 

Timings for the Swansea trip on 5th July:

Outward: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U56840/2025-07-05/detailed
Return: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U56841/2025-07-05/detailed

40 minutes at Newport pl1 on the outward journey.
1hr 5mins at Gloucester on the return journey, but unfortunately not platformed so we won't be able to get out. However, it is booked non-stop from Swansea, which will be nice if that actually happens.

 

The pathing stop at Bromsgrove will make for an interesting climb of the Lickey.

Edit: There is a side trip to Port Talbot while the pax are at Swansea: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U56844/2025-07-05/detailed

 

If you look it's class 5 , Empty Coaching Stock.
A side trip for the support crew to service and water the loco at Port Talbot which has reasonable access for a road tanker.

Cheers, Neil

 

No, they didn't. Just dark green with no relief - as @3ABescot says, see D6700.

 

I assumed it is for servicing but wondered why it has to go so far. Thank you for the explanation.

 

I’d love to see it though.

 

It'd look... different, I grant you. To me, the best-looking two-tone green schemes were on the "facelift" 25s (the ones with the re-positioned ventilators and no gangway doors) and the 47s. On a personal note, I'm delighted the DPS turned out D9015 without that horrid yellow warning panel.

I can only assume that the reason DP2 wasn't turned out in a Deltic-style livery was to avoid confusion with the Type 5s.

 

You could add the Deltics to that list, though iirc theirs was a slightly different variant ?

 

It was - the lighter green panel was at the lowest part of the body, whereas on the 25s and 47s the panels were at waist height. The oddest one was on the rebuilt Class 21s, when they became Class 29 and that was on the upper part of the body.

Image via Reddit, of all places:



You can *just* make out the light green under the grime.

 

All over green until 6730, then they had small yellow panels.
37197 did wear something that could be called two tone green/grey way back in the early 2000’s when it was owned by a member of this forum.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hemerdon/32795147021
(Sorry for the continued thread drift)

 

Does anybody know the fate of the Queen Mother?

 

I think Andy maybe referring to the fact that it failed on the Bahamas over Shap trip with low power. We had to be rescued by the 37 and it hasn't been seen since.

 

Failed is a strong word. I would more say that it had a minor low power issue so the decision was taken to send for the 37 to pilot it back as insurance.
As for not being seen since, with the 37 now in operation, if ETH isn’t required why drag a heavier loco around the place burning more diesel. I’m sure she is just having a well earned rest and will be back out again soon.