Class 37 65th Birthday Gala

[PP57601]

Whilst I fully appreciate the exact ‘sticky digits’ won’t be known this far out, is there any indication of which mainline companies / preserved railways might be intending to send locos to this gala at the Severn Valley Railway in October.

65 Years of Class 37 - Severn Valley Railway

The Autumn Diesel Bash will be taking place at the Severn Valley Railway from 2- 5 October, celebrating 65 years of the Class 37.

svr.co.uk

This year’s Autumn Diesel Bash celebrates 65 years of the versatile and incredibly popular Class 37.

The event will feature four intensively-timetabled days, taking place from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 October.

We’ll be adding more information in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, the first loco has been announced as 37248.

Kidderminster Diesel Depot & Carriage Shed will be open for tours. These can be booked at The Fifty Fund Sales Stand on Kidderminster concourse (cash only please). There are two tours available:

• Diesel Depot Only – Tour lasts 1 hour approx and costs £10
• Diesel Depot and Carriage Shed – Tour lasts 2 hours approx and costs £20

The tours go through areas where there is uneven ground and there is a lot of walking involved, please check with the team at the sales stand if you have questions regarding accessibility.

 

[Sheldonian]

Would be nice to get a steer.
With lots of competing events, sure lots of people might wish to know whether to keep the weekend free.
Sure it ill be a crackin event though. The SVR rarely let us down

 

[37114]

Whilst I fully appreciate the exact ‘sticky digits’ won’t be known this far out, is there any indication of which mainline companies / preserved railways might be intending to send locos to this gala at the Severn Valley Railway in October.

D6948 is confirmed from Gloucestershire and Warwickshire railway

 

[birchesgreen]

Whilst I fully appreciate the exact ‘sticky digits’ won’t be known this far out, is there any indication of which mainline companies / preserved railways might be intending to send locos to this gala at the Severn Valley Railway in October.

I think there will be some Class 37s attending.

 

[PP57601]

I think there will be some Class 37s attending.

Wow. Remind me to seek out your wit when looking for a comedian ‍♂️

 

[Forty29]

The SVR are probably waiting which mainline companies will donate their loco for the gala like the spring diesel gala to save transportation costs( to the SVR). Any locos from another preserved line will obviously have to be delivered and paid for. I'm guessing.
Hopefully 37688 will make an appearance, and 37901

 

[31160]

I've heard various numbers but I haven't seen anything confirmed as such,3x37/4 a/9 and 37350 would be a minimum at a guess

 

[PP57601]

Personally I’d like to see a few of the following:

37424
37009
37003
37688
37250
37254
37263
37294
37800
37901
97302

 

[Richard Scott]

Personally I’d like to see a few of the following:

37424
37009
37003
37688
37250
37254
37263
37294
37800
37901
97302

Don't think 37263 will be running there again, apparently wheelsets are in poor condition.

 

[31160]

Personally I’d like to see a few of the following:

37424
37009
37003
37688
37250
37254
37263
37294
37800
37901
97302

Good shout on the 97/3s forgotten about them, but do 003/9 even work? As I say I've heard 3 x 37/4 s but the 3 I've heard don't envolve 24

 

[Harpo]

Don't think 37263 will be running there again, apparently wheelsets are in poor condition.

37263 still showing on the SVR diesel roster for plenty of forthcoming jobs but then they didn’t seem to think it important to publish public updates to last years one either. (One for the ‘Marketing Diesels’ thread?)

https://svr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SVR-2025-Diesel-Roster-for-Public-Issue-1.pdf

 

[Richard Scott]

37263 still showing on the SVR diesel roster for plenty of forthcoming jobs but then they didn’t seem to think it important to publish public updates to last years one either. (One for the ‘Marketing Diesels’ thread?)

https://svr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SVR-2025-Diesel-Roster-for-Public-Issue-1.pdf

Only what I was told but, as with lots of things, may be Chinese whispers.

 

[Harpo]

Only what I was told but, as with lots of things, may be Chinese whispers.

Quite. And hard to get the real facts when the day-to-day SVR diesel gen is on a private Facebook group.

 

[Forty29]

With most of the lines locos at the great gathering when 263 is rostered seems the logical choice.
Also sister 264 would be welcome sight at the gala.

 

[PP57601]

37250 also now confirmed, so we are up to three locos so far

37248
37250
37263

 

[SuspectUsual]

37250 also now confirmed, so we are up to three locos so far

37248
37250
37263

We need some split box action

 

[Forty29]

We need some split box action

Perhaps Colas will supply 057 before the boxes are removed? Expecting D6700 to appear as doing the circuit.

 

[31160]

Pretty sure 37350 is more or less a given as attending, and I would of thought anyone remotely interested in 264 has had enough opportunity as it is , better of going for mainline stuff that can't be had elsewhere

 

[Peter749]

The BLS Gen page says

37248, 37250, 37263, 37264, 37403, 37418, 37508, 37688 are expected so far with a railtour using 37403 to get stock to the railway

At least they are using their own 37263

 

[Neilo09]

Timetable up without loco allocations, reporting up to 10 37’s

 

[kje7812]

Quoting from the latest Branch lines newsletter

What I can tell you is that we’re in discussion with three more heritage Class 37 owners and four main line operators to hopefully secure further visitors, and we’ll make announcements as soon as we can!”

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Don't think 37263 will be running there again, apparently wheelsets are in poor condition.

Hopefully will be returning back to the Telford Steam Railway after the event. Been told it will be on Polar Express thunderbird duties.

 

[Harpo]

The BLS Gen page says

37248, 37250, 37263, 37264, 37403, 37418, 37508, 37688 are expected so far with a railtour using 37403 to get stock to the railway

At least they are using their own 37263

The railtour reference has now disappeared from the BLS Gen page and the BLS fixtures list no longer shows a 2/10 railtour to Kidderminster or 5/10 return railtour.

 

[TheLancsNinja]

The railtour reference has now disappeared from the BLS Gen page and the BLS fixtures list no longer shows a 2/10 railtour to Kidderminster or 5/10 return railtour.

Yeah, they posted on WNXX last night that both tours are cancelled sadly - no reason given.

 

[xotGD]

SVR website:

"We hope to have up to ten Class 37s for the event! Keep your eyes peeled…"

 

[Harpo]

SVR website:

"We hope to have up to ten Class 37s for the event! Keep your eyes peeled…"

The cover of October’s Railways Illustrated is declaring 15! Two weeks to go and still only 3 confirmed.

 

[Wyrleybart]

The cover of October’s Railways Illustrated is declaring 15! Two weeks to go and still only 3 confirmed.

I am sure there will be a pair of maroon ones along with a rake of air braked stock, but it is obviously only a guess, as ERS seem to be using air braked Mk2s and Mk3s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Sep 2025 ==

I am assuming 37308 will be un tarpaulined for the event and maybe even pressure washed to clean it up. Maybe parked in a headshunt at Kidderminster Town station.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

37508 confirmed by the SVR.

 

[Peter749]

The cover of October’s Railways Illustrated is declaring 15! Two weeks to go and still only 3 confirmed.

The SVR FB page quoted 37248, 37250, 37263, 37264, 37403, 37418, 37508, 37688 last week - I think that is more than 3 visitors

 

[Harpo]

The SVR FB page quoted 37248, 37250, 37263, 37264, 37403, 37418, 37508, 37688 last week - I think that is more than 3 visitors

Is that the private group that someone who is registered on Facebook has to request to join?

The official SVR website and the SVR’s public Facebook page still only have four confiremed. Over to the ‘marketing diesels’ thread…..