Morris Lubricants is supporting the preservation of a “celebrity” Class 37 diesel-electric locomotive.

24/01/2017
by James Dawe

Direct Rail Services (DRS) has placed loco 37714 into the care of the Heavy Tractor Group to operate and maintain at the Great Central Railway.

 

One of only four surviving 37/7 class locos, it has attracted interest from rail fans across the country, including Morris Lubricants. The Shrewsbury-based company has supplied lubricants from its Locomax range for the loco in return for having its name on 37714.

 

The new livery has gone down a storm on social media with trainspotters travelling from all over the country to photograph the loco.

 

Keiron Thorogood, Morris Lubricants’ rail account manager, said the high level of interest generated by having the company’s livery on the loco was completely unexpected and it had become a “bit of a celebrity”.

 

“The fact that the loco was already painted in our colour, DRS blue, was very opportune,” he added. “Trainspotters have been champing at the bit to come and see it in a different livery.

 

“The Heavy Tractor Group asked for the company’s assistance with our Lodexol MTL traction motor grease and we were happy to support the project.

 

“My job within the company started within heritage railways and my passion for trains. Morris Lubricants is already well established as a leader in the heritage sector and is now perfectly placed to be a major player in the mainline rail industry with our Locomax range of quality engine and gear casing oils and traction motor greases.

 

“The rail industry, which uses large volumes of lubricants, is a huge market for the company and we have the product range to service it. We want to be the number one supplier of lubricants to heritage and mainline rail.”

 

He explained that loco 37714, which was built by English Electric in 1961, is due to be repainted in the new year and is likely to tour the country and operate on heritage railway lines in the future.

 

The Class 37 locos, which were originally ordered as part of British Rail’s modernisation plan, became a familiar sight on many parts of the rail network, particularly on Inter-City services in East Anglia and within Scotland.

 

Nicknamed ‘Tractors’ because of the agricultural sound of the diesel engine, the locos also operated on secondary and inter-regional services for many years and were designed for both passenger and freight work.

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