37418 & 37407 power 'The Simply Awkward Week Adventure' 30/12/2025

Описание: The awkward week between Christmas and New Year, where you’re not sure what day it is, when the bins are due, and a set of weighing scales could be cause for alarm. Thankfully however, UK Railtours would provide a welcome distraction with an excursion around the south-east with top and tailed Class 37s: ‘The Simply Awkward Week Adventure’. The 37s in question would be Loram Class 37 - 37418 "An Comunn Gaidhealach", and Europhoenix Class 37 - 37407 "Blackpool Tower".

The tour would start out of Peterborough, working around the fabric of railway lines across London to reach the capital at London Victoria, before venturing south to visit four branch lines which scarcely see heritage traction. The first of these would be the Caterham branch, diverging from the Brighton Mainline at Purley; a reversal here, and another at Purley, would allow the tour to visit the Tattenham Corner branch. Another reversal, this time at South Croydon, would see the tour heading south to East Grinstead; the branch line formed on the truncated line to Lewes. A brief layover here would allow enthusiasts plenty of time to photograph idling 37s in the afternoon sun. After departing, a further reversal at Oxted would see the tour traverse onto its fourth branch line for the day as it headed for Uckfield. Once part of the Wealden Line to Lewes, the railway was truncated at Uckfield to form a branch line in 1969; both it, and the East Grinstead branch, are referred together as the Oxted line.

As the morning light broke weakly through the nearby trees, 37418 would be a welcome disturbance as it accelerated away from Virginia Water, bound for London Victoria. On the Caterham branch, 37407 would provide the theatrics as it accelerated the tour through Whyteleafe station, looking superb as it caught the brief patches on sunlight. Onto the Tattenham Corner branch, and the 1-in-83 gradient at Kingswood, with 37407 issuing a spectacular soundtrack as it thrashed towards the branch’s titular terminus. The brief layover allowed a quick return shot at Kingswood station; a pretty scene with 37418 coasting the tour back towards South Croydon. The final shot before the East Grinstead break would see 37407 tackling the steep 1-in-65 gradient at Dormans, on the approach to the terminus. During the pause at East Grinstead, 37407 could be seen basking in the fortuitous afternoon light, with the metals of the Bluebell Railway just beyond. Another heritage railway would be skirted by the tour, when 37407 led the consist through Eridge which serves as one end of the Spa Valley Railway. Viewed from the SVR platform, 37407 had built up a rate of speed as it entered the station, accompanied by a blast of the horn. Finally, with a beautiful sunset backdrop, 37418 would lift the tour away from Uckfield, powering up the 1-in-75 gradient of Crowborough Bank at High Hurstwood; a sound which echoed through the valley for minutes afterward.

00:00 - 37418 Virginia Water
01:56 - 37407 Whyteleafe South
03:46 - 37407 Kingswood
05:27 - 37418 Kingswood
06:20 - 37407 Dormans
07:31 - 37407 East Grinstead
08:20 - 37407 Eridge
09:21 - 37418 High Hurstwood

All footage filmed on Tuesday the 30th of December 2025.