On 18 November 1987 class 37/4 37426 appeared on the 0750 Swansea Manchester service and 1412 return to Cardiff in place of the usual class 47. The 1412 train is seen here at Wilmslow.
The train was 37 hauled on only one other occasion during the timetable, with 37430 on 13 May 1988. Pictured at Wilmslow station on the 1412 Man Picc - Cardiff.
During the summer timetable 1988 class 37s were booked to work 2 return trips from Cardiff to Manchester. This is 37427 at Manchester Piccadilly having arrived on the 0550 from Cardiff Central, 2 June 1988.
Besides the booked class 37 hauled workings that summer, other Cardiff - Manchester trains also occasionally saw loco haulage. On one such occasion 37084 waits at Stockport with the 0810 from Cardiff.
Class 37 workings stopped at the end of the summer timetable, but from early 1989 they returned due to faults with the class 155 units. This is 37407, just transferred from Scotland, leaving Wilmslow with the 1000 Man Picc - Cardiff on 1 February 1989.
Another photo from the winter of 1989 with 37428 bringing the 0550 Cardiff - Manchester into Wilmslow, 25 February.
In summer 1989 an evening Cardiff - Manchester and return working was booked for class 37 haulage, and in addition to 37/4s green 37350 (D6700) appeared on 3 occasions. Here it is leaving Wilmslow 22 May 1989 with the 2030 Man Picc - Cardiff.
Another unusual engine to appear was 37425, rolling into Wilmslow on 10 June with the 1610 from Cardiff.
A final view from summer 1989 with regular performer 37408 south of Wilmslow
with the 1610 ex Cardiff, 20 June. Class 37 haulage stopped at the end
of the summer timetable that year - you'll find more photos of 37s on
these workings from 1988 & '89 elsewhere on this site.
During the mid 1990s class 37s returned to the route on a Fridays only evening train from Cardiff to Manchester. On 16 August 1996 37427 waits at Wilmslow with the 1645 (FO) Cardiff - Manchester Piccadilly.
The working continued for another 3 years, on 28 May 1999 37409 was in charge, again seen at Wilmslow.
The last Friday only 1645 Cardiff - Manchester to be 37 hauled was on 9 July 1999. 37424 did the honours at a dull Wilmslow station.
Class 37s did appear on occasions in later years when big rugby or football games at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff meant some of the scheduled trains were loco hauled instead of units. On 20 May 2000 37038 worked the 0833 Man Picc - Cardiff, seen at Crewe.
Another day when the 0833 Manchester - Cardiff was hauled was 2 March 2002 when 37421 worked, photographed at Stockport.
During the Commonwealth
Games in Manchester there was an additional 1917 Man. Picc. - Cardiff
train worked each day by 37612. It is seen in the evening sun at Piccadilly
on 29 July.