Watercress Line Diesel Fleet

Past & Present  

(Still Under Construction)

D6836/37905 - Class 37

37905 (D6836)
37905 was built at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-Le-Willows (Merseyside) in  April 1963 as D6836 and was initially allocated to Cardiff Canton shed, then to York and Hull Dairycoates.  It had its steam heat boiler removed in 1969, and in February 1974 was renumbered as 37136.

Refurbished and re-engined at Crewe it emerged 11 December 1986 as 37905 and was named "Vulcan Enterprise” at Cardiff the following year.  

37905 worked until 1997 when it went into and out of storage until being sold for preservation in 2005, initially at the Dartmoor Railway and later at the Battlefield Line at Shackerstone.

Out of the six Class 37/9 locomotives the only other survivors are Mirrlees 37901, which is also currently based at the railway, and Ruston 37906 which is owned by Europhoenix Freight.

37324 - Class 37

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1125 - Class 205 DEMU Hampshire Unit ‘Thumper

 UNIT 1125 (205025)

 UNIT 1125 (205025)

Unit 1125 was ordered as a three car unit and entered service between December 1959 & February 1960. The first recorded working of 1125 on the Mid Hants Line was on 21st April 1960 when it worked 1453 Southampton Terminus to Alton and 1553 Alton to Portsmouth services. Following re-gearing in October 1960 1125 was regularly seen on the line. 1125 suffered an engine room fire whilst at Alton on 30th August 1971 and was recovered back to Eastleigh by a Class 33 locomotive

1125 was on duty on the Mid Hants line on 4th February 1973, the last day of BR services. On this occasion it was coupled to unit 1121 to make up a five coach train. 1125 left the Mid Hants line on the last day whilst working the 2002 Alton to Southampton service, it would not return again until May 2004. In June 1986 the unit was renumbered in line with the TOPS computer system and became 205025

 All Photos Taken by Matt Bentley © Alton Digital Image