Revolution Trains is offering the class 37 as its next locomotive in N gauge, 1:148 scale. CAD is largely complete and we will be opening the pre-order book once specific locomotive selections have been finalised.
CAD renders clockwise from top left: As built 37/0 with split headcodes, class 37/0 as built with centre headcodes, class 37/6 with WIPAC light clusters and class 37/9 ‘slug’ with experimental Mirrlees engine.
Our extensive research and tooling options enable us to offer numerous versions of these highly successful and much-loved machines, with many details specific to individual locos as they changed during six decades of service.
Our aim it to give N gauge modellers the opportunity to depict the full history of the class, with levels of quality and finesse not seen before in N.
A short history of the class 37
Originally designated English Electric Type 3, the locomotives were ordered as part of the British Railway Modernisation plan of 1955.
A total of 309 were built in seven batches between 1959 and 1964. The first built locomotives had driver connecting doors in the nose and split two-character alpha-numeric headcodes; but these were abandoned in 1962 as they were rarely used and caused excessive draughts in the cab.
1960s-1970s
The remaining 190 locomotives were built with four character headcodes mounted in the centre.
The first locomotives were outshopped in all over BR green with grey roofs; by the early 1960s yellow warning panels were added below the headcode boxes.
From the mid-60s all over blue was adopted and the BR double arrows added. The nose ends were painted all-over yellow to aid visibility; some locos had this modification while still in green.
Class 37 – the early years. Clockwise from top left: D6817 (Rob Reedman), D6805, D6708 (both David Page), unknown blue loco 1977 (D J Bailey), unknown loco on parcels (Foulger Rail Photos.) All images used under Creative Commons.
1980s – present day
In the 1980s BR identified a need for locomotives suitable for passenger rosters, and 31 locos were selected for refurbishment. These locos, designated 37/4, were painted into the striking BR large logo livery. Refurbished locos that did not receive ETH became class 37/5. Others were regeared for freight traffic, given extra ballast weight and dubbed 37/7.
In 1986 six locomotives were selected for use as ‘test beds’ for new engines under consideration for use in the proposed new class 38 class. Though the class 38 project was abandoned the locos kept the new engines, and retained the body modifications that had been required.
12 class 37s were selected for use on Channel Tunnel sleeper trains and designated 37/6; the planned service never started so the locomotives were sold to DRS who used them for nuclear waste traffic among other contracts.
A small batch of locomotives were taken on by Network Rail and redesignated class 97 to operate test trains and carry out signalling acceptance trials.
Class 37 – from the 80s. Clockwise from top left: 37418 with saloon ‘Caroline’, 37425 in Regional Railways livery (both Rob Reedman), 97303 Network Rail (High Llewelyn), 37901 and its ‘Mirrlees Pioneer nameplate (Dave’s Archive), 37901 in Europhoenix livery (Rob Reedman), 37419 in EWS colours (Paul Smith), 37690 + 37259 (Jez B) and 37716 ‘super shunter’ at Peak Forest (Phil Beard), 37401 on flasks (Rob Reedman). All images used under Creative Commons.
In recent years, due to their adaptability and low axle weight, numerous class 37s have been brought out of preservation or store for use on the mainline in mixed traffic duties and operated by companies including Rail Operations Group, Europhoenix, ERL and Loram.
The model
In time we anticipate offering examples from every sub-class and every era; but for this launch we are focussing on the early Class 37/0 locomotives in as-built 1960s and 1970s guise, the class 37/9 ‘slug’ engine test beds and the DRS modified class 37/6 locomotives long associated with their nuclear traffic with their distinctive light clusters.
Although exact running numbers for the first run have not been finalised, models will include versions with both split and centre headcode versions in BR green and BR blue plus class 37/6 and 37/9s in railfreight and privatisation liveries, taking this long-lived class from introduction to the present day.
In addition there will be several retailer commissions to be announced later.
Model Features
As well as prorotypical detail variations and our usual focus on accuracy, the Revolution Class 37 will feature numerous features designed to enhance the modeller’s experience; whether operating the locomotives on the layout or showing them off in a display cabinet.
Details, details, details…
There were a total of 309 class 37s built to seven different orders at two locations between 1959 and 1964. Almost from the beginning modifications and variations crept in; cantrail grilles, horn positions, boilers, lamp-irons changed between batches or even individual locomotives.
Revolution’s designs incorporate many of these plus others; here are some of the main features.
The first 119 locomotives, numbered D6700-6818, were built at the Vulcan Foundry at Newton-le-Willows and Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns (RSH) at Darlington with split headcode boxes.
When designed, British Railways wanted drivers to be able to move between locomotives, and so the alphanumeric headcode box was placed either side of a pair of doors.
94 of this first batch were fitted with steam heat boilers, making them true ‘mixed traffic’ locos that could operate with coaching stock. The remaining 24 were intended solely for freight, and were built without boilers.
In practice, British Railways found that connecting doors between locomotives were very rarely used, and were unpopular with drivers as they caused cold draughts in the cab, so they were dispensed with.
Instead, the 190 locomotives built from 1962-1964 were fitted with a single four-character headcode panel across the centre of the nose.
Other minor changes included the air horns being moved from the nose to the cab roof, and ‘cow horn’ lamp brackets fitted to locos destined for the Western region.
In the mid-1980s British Rail identified a need for more passenger locomotives, and 31 class 37s were selected for refurbishment at Crewe works. As well as being fitted with Electric Train Heating (ETH) equipment and new bogies, they were rewired and given with new alternators. In addition, the buffer housings were cut away, nose side grilles changed, high intensity headlights added and where appropriate the headcode displays, no longer used, were plated over and fitted with small marker lights.
In 1986-7 9 six locos were selected for use as ‘test beds’ for a new engine for the proposed class 38. Locos 37901-4 had a Mirrlees engine, which required significant modifications to the roof, while 37905-6 had a Ruston engine.
From 1993 12 locomotives were selected for use with the proposed channel tunnel ‘Nightstar’ sleeper services; and converted to the class 37/6 subclass. This involved fitted ETH plus railway standard jumper cables for multiple working.
The cross channel sleeper service was never introduced, and soon after the fleet was acquired by DRS, who fitted WIPAC light clusters plus the UIC third top marker light and ‘cleaned up’ the nose ends; plating over doors and replacing the RCH cables with a MW socket.
Snowploughs have also been fitted to various members of the class at various times depending on needs.
Following the withdrawal of English Electric class 55s and then class 50s, many 37s were given better cast frame bogies, to replace the fabricated ones they had from new.
Most of the class have 12-blade roof fans, but the 37/9s have roof fans with 9 blades.
Ride Height
A bugbear of English Electric Locomotives is the ride height.
The bodyside tumblehome, wheel diameter and ‘squat’ design of the prototype can cause problems for modellers with sharp curves.
Traditionally, this has been overcome either with underscale wheels, a raised body or a combination of both; a compromise that suits no one.
Revolution’s answer is different. Our model has scale wheels but the bodyshell is designed to ride at two heights, and can be easily clipped into either the ‘scale’ position for those with generous curves, or the ‘raised’ position with an additional 1mm of clearance as shown on the right.
Our test modelling suggests the locomotives will negotiate curves down to 295mm with the body at ‘scale’ height, and as low as 225mm with the body raised.
Bufferbeam and end details
All models feature kinematic NEM sockets at both ends.
Models will be supplied with a superdetailed bufferbeam at one end, and a simplified bufferbeam at the other with the N gauge coupler fitted.
However, all models will also include fully painted and assembled clip-fit bufferbeams offering the full flexibility of working couplers or superdetailing at both ends.
In addition, models will be supplied with a snowplough option that can be used with or without the N gauge coupler, provided the centre plough section is removed.
DCC and sound
Revolution models are designed with digital control, accurate lighting and class-beating sound at the heart of every project.
The class 37 is no different. Full lighting functions will be replicated, including day and night running, shunting and park mode where appropriate, and models will feature interior lighting to show off the highly detailed cabs.
Revolution is recording dedicated sound projects for the original, refurbished and Mirrlees engined versions and all models will feature the high-quality speaker customers will be familiar with from our Class 59 and 66 models.
All models will be factory fitted with a speaker so if you wish to upgrade to sound later this is straightforward and accessing the DCC decoder socket will be a simple matter.
Specific running numbers and liveries for the first run models will be confirmed when the order book opens once tooling begins.
We expect the pre-order book for these models to be opening later this year, and the models to ship to customers in Q3-4 2027.
