37025 Mainline Steam Heat Fund
Purchased in 2000 by the Scottish Thirty-seven Group, 37025 'Inverness TMD' made a successful return to traffic in 2007 following an extensive restoration.
With the main restoration now complete, the Group's attention is being concentrated on restoring the locomotive's boiler and, more importantly, work to enable the locomotive's return to mainline operation. However, the biggest problem we have is the wheelsets which are not currently suitable for regular mainline use.
The Group has recently purchased 6 wheelsets that are in very good condition. We have enough money to pay for the wheelsets and transport them back to our base at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway. However, before they can be fitted to 37025, they need to be overhauled so that they meet the strict safety standards required of a locomotive to enable it to be certified for use on the mainline. This will require sending them to a specialised company for overhaul which we will need additional funding for.
We urgently require your help, through donations, to raise enough money to pay for the overhaul of these wheelsets. We have so far made excellent progress with 37025's restoration but we need your help to make this final step. The alternative is a fully operable locomotive with near new wheelsets stuck within the confines of a preserved railway for the rest of its days. With your aid people will, once again, be able to experience the joy of being hauled behind an original Class 37/0 diesel locomotive, with operational Steam Train Heating on the mainline in Scotland. What a prospect!
With a good deal of hard work by the many volunteers at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, we will be able to fit the overhauled wheelsets to 37025 along with recertifying the Steam Heat Boiler. Before this can happen, we are appealing to those of you with fond memories of steam heat plus 37's in Scotland, especially in the Highlands (even of this loco steaming), to sponsor the overhaul.
Please send your donation to:
We even accept Paypal donations to boilerfund@rocketmail.com
Every donation comes with the promise of invitations to the first public run of 37025 with its boiler in operation and its first public run on the mainline.
For more information, email mainline025@yahoo.co.uk or boilerfund@rocketmail.com