Welcome to the Growler Group website

Registered charity number 702237

NEWS HEADLINES (see 'Latest News' for more)

27.06.09 - Report & pictures on first day of MRC EE weekend.
25.06.09 - 37248 is prepared for its forthcoming visits (includes movement dates). Passes ultrasonic axle and air tank tests and is ok for movement to the ELR by rail.
25.06.09 - Details on 37248's appearance at the MRC English Electric weekend and ELR summer diesel gala updated.
17.05.09 - 37248 in action at GCR(N) gala

The Growler Group was formed in 1986 and are the proud owners of English Electric Type 3, Class 37 locomotive, 37215 (D6915) and custodians of privately owned 37324 (D6799) 'Clydebridge' and 37248 (D6948). Both 37215 and 37324 are based at Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and 37248 at Ruddington on the Great Central Railway (Nottingham). 37248 has recently returned from hire to the West Coast Railway Company and from its Carnforth base regularly worked the length and breadth of the Network Rail system between 2006 and the end of 2008.

37215 has recently been repainted to a very high standard in British Rail blue livery as worn by the class during the 1970s and early 1980s, whilst 37324 carries the modified blue livery with large numerals applied to members of the class allocated to Motherwell depot in the late 1980s. 37248 carries the maroon livery of the West Coast Railway Company.

The three locomotives were part of a class of mixed traffic locos introduced between 1960 and 1965 eventually totalling 309 in number, a small number of which are still at work for various companies on Network Rail today. Each loco is fitted with a single 1,750hp (1,305kW) diesel engine, which was classed as Type 3 under the original British Railways power classification. In the early 1970’s they were reclassified Class 37 under British Rail’s computer-based TOPS classification system.

37215 was bought from BR in 1994 and, after four long years of hard work by a small band of dedicated volunteers, was returned to service on the GWR in 1998. 37324 arrived at Toddington in 1998 (as 37099) having been purchased privately in 1997, and after further hard work by the Group, returned to service in 2000. 37248 was purchased by three Growler Group committee members in 2004 under the banner 'Type Three Traction' and was restored to operational condition by the West Coast Railway Company at their Carnforth base as part of a loan agreement.

On our website you can find out about the history of our locomotives, learn about their planned workings on the GWR and GCR(N), view the photographic gallery, download membership forms for the Group, take a browse through our sales items and lots more.