D942-D6954-37254

D6954 (37254) spent much of its time in South Wales and the West Country but made many forays to other parts of the Western Region and, indeed, the Midland Region as part of the Welsh ralway network came under the Midland Region's jurisdiction; from time to time the loco also turned up elsewhere on the national network.

The only liveries which 37254 carried during its main line career were BR Green (in which it entered service in 1965), then BR Blue, and following Sectorisation "Dutch" (yellow and grey) livery.

Although much of 37254's working life was spent on freight duties, and sometimes banking trains up the Lickey Incline, it also undertook many passenger duties of its own and it was used on several occasions to rescue passenger trains which had failed. The rescue workings included, in August 1991, a failed HST. Notable "non-rescue" passenger workings which 37254 undertook included various Weymouth services, four enthusiasts' railtours (one of which took 37254 with 37162 from Cardiff to Carlisle and back), and - well away from its normal operating area! - '254 worked the 1L21 07.47 Kings Lynn to Liverpool Street commuter service on 19th August 1972.

An unusual working which 37254 undertook, on 1st September 1994, was when - with fellow Cardiff-based 37230 - '254 collected a new Eurostar train from the works at Washwood Heath (in the West Midlands) and took the train to the newly-opened Eurostar Depot at North Pole near Acton, London.

After many years of faithful work 37254 was stored unserviceable on 12th November 1998, and was officially withdrawn (with a defective crankshaft) on 31st January 1999. Subsequently placed in store pending possible sale, 37254 was sold to the Harry Needle Railroad Company in 2001 and was moved to Barrow Hill (Chesterfield) - where it was fitted with the power unit from 37153 and some other work was undertaken with a view to possible main line certification. HNRC later put up a number of Class 37s, including 37254, for sale and following a detailed inspection 37254 (which appeared to be the best of the batch for sale) was purchased in March 2003 for preservation.

After the loco had been delivered to a farm at Sellindge, Kent, a little later that month a small team of family and friends started work - in the open, and without a pit - on the loco's restoration (which was realistically expected to take 5 to 6 years); 37254 moved under its own power, for the first time in preservation, on 5th February 2006 but there was still work to be done. The Restoration Team was delighted to accept the Spa Valley Railway's early 2008 invitation to bring the loco to Tunbridge Wells, and 37254 was delivered on 27th March - finding itself rostered the following day (after inspections had been completed) to work a freight train, and during the April Diesel Gala, 37254 worked its first passenger train since June 1997.