Ooh thanks! I especially liked the phot of 37708 - the three "Shark" plough brakes really mark it as unusual. I never did like that Loadhaul livery with the orange overlapping onto the yellow nose though.
As for 37212, let me take you back to 1983 ...
Saturday 01st October, the last Saturday of the "Summer", although officially the heating period had started. I finished a night shift at Leeds Control and was armed with the knowledge that (required) 37239 was allocated to the 09:00 Tenby - York via Leeds. I got some sleep behind 46044 on the 07:28 Leeds - Newquay, forward to Gloucester with 47414 on the 08:25 Manchester - Cardiff. At Gloucester 37239 appeared as booked, and I enjoyed the run up Lickey. A surprise waited at New Street. There sat big required 37212. I saw somebody I knew so yelled out of the window "What's that doing?" "Poole - Newcastle." "Don't be daft, that's air cons.""Well it arrived on air cons, so they're sending it back on air cons." A plot began to emerge ...
I stuck with 37239 right through to Sheffield, and alighted there to wait for 37212 just behind. Sure enough, it rolled in with the 09:40 Poole - Newcastle, which divided at Sheffield. The train loco and leading 4 vehicles continued to Leeds, whereas a separate ETH 47 took over for the run to Newcastle. I gleefully joined the Leeds portion, scoring my second NB 37 in succession, and off we set towards Leeds. At this time the main route into Leeds station was from Gelderd Rd Jn across the viaduct, which was taken out of use when the route was electrified. We came to a stop at Gelderd Rd Jn, then after the driver spoke to the signaller the route cleared for the (then rare) alternative route in via Copley Hill. Off we set, with me scoring new 37 track in the process, then we overtook 37239 which was held on the viaduct due to a signal failure. As we approached Leeds station 37239 ran in on the opposite side of the platform. So I was able to get off 37212 and back on 37239 - much to the surprise of the people I'd said goodbye to at Sheffield. Home to York for a few hours sleep, then back to Leeds for another night shift. (Yawn).
As for 37212, let me take you back to 1983 ...
Saturday 01st October, the last Saturday of the "Summer", although officially the heating period had started. I finished a night shift at Leeds Control and was armed with the knowledge that (required) 37239 was allocated to the 09:00 Tenby - York via Leeds. I got some sleep behind 46044 on the 07:28 Leeds - Newquay, forward to Gloucester with 47414 on the 08:25 Manchester - Cardiff. At Gloucester 37239 appeared as booked, and I enjoyed the run up Lickey. A surprise waited at New Street. There sat big required 37212. I saw somebody I knew so yelled out of the window "What's that doing?" "Poole - Newcastle." "Don't be daft, that's air cons.""Well it arrived on air cons, so they're sending it back on air cons." A plot began to emerge ...
I stuck with 37239 right through to Sheffield, and alighted there to wait for 37212 just behind. Sure enough, it rolled in with the 09:40 Poole - Newcastle, which divided at Sheffield. The train loco and leading 4 vehicles continued to Leeds, whereas a separate ETH 47 took over for the run to Newcastle. I gleefully joined the Leeds portion, scoring my second NB 37 in succession, and off we set towards Leeds. At this time the main route into Leeds station was from Gelderd Rd Jn across the viaduct, which was taken out of use when the route was electrified. We came to a stop at Gelderd Rd Jn, then after the driver spoke to the signaller the route cleared for the (then rare) alternative route in via Copley Hill. Off we set, with me scoring new 37 track in the process, then we overtook 37239 which was held on the viaduct due to a signal failure. As we approached Leeds station 37239 ran in on the opposite side of the platform. So I was able to get off 37212 and back on 37239 - much to the surprise of the people I'd said goodbye to at Sheffield. Home to York for a few hours sleep, then back to Leeds for another night shift. (Yawn).