Bachmann 32-394DS

British Rail Class 37/5 37521 Colas Rail Yellow & Orange

Contents

Class & Prototype

The British Rail Class 37 is one of Britain's most successful diesel locomotive designs, with 309 locomotives built 1960-1965 by English Electric. Powered by the proven 12CSVT diesel engine producing 1,750 bhp, these Co-Co diesels served for 65 years on freight, passenger, and mixed-traffic duties across the entire BR network. Known as "Tractors" for their distinctive exhaust note, Class 37s worked everything from East Anglian expresses to West Highland Line services, Welsh coal trains, and nuclear flask operations. Extensive 1980s refurbishment created specialist subclasses including 37/4 ETH passenger variants, 37/5 freight, 37/7 heavy freight, and 37/6 Nightstar variants. Approximately 60 remain in mainline service with 30 preserved. Comprehensive OO gauge models available from Bachmann, Accurascale, and Hornby; N gauge from Graham Farish; O gauge from Heljan across extensive livery ranges spanning BR green through privatisation eras.

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery

Colas Rail is a modern European railway company combining infrastructure construction with freight operations across 20+ countries. Formed in 2008 from the merger of Seco Rail and Spie Rail, the company operates diverse locomotive classes including Class 56 'Gridirons', Class 66s, and Class 70 PowerHauls in distinctive orange and yellow livery. Major projects include High Speed 1 construction, London Waterloo upgrades, and Morocco's Al Boraq high-speed line. As both a Network Rail contractor and freight operator, Colas Rail represents contemporary railway engineering excellence with over 170 years of heritage dating back to French railway pioneers.

The distinctive Colas Rail livery features a striking tri-colour scheme designed for maximum visibility during infrastructure operations. The design comprises a split-colour body with bright yellow covering the one half and vibrant orange covering the other half of the locomotive sides (approximately Humbrol 24 Trainer Yellow and Humbrol 82 Lining Orange respectively). The upper section and roof are finished in matt black, creating a characteristic angled demarcation line that cuts diagonally across the locomotive body, separating the coloured lower sections from the black upper area. Bold black "COLAS RAIL" or "COLAS RAIL FREIGHT" lettering spans across the yellow section, with the company's distinctive logo prominently displayed on the cab sides. This high-visibility half-and-half colour combination ensures operational safety while creating one of the most recognisable corporate identities in contemporary British railways, making Colas Rail locomotives particularly popular subjects for railway photographers and model railway enthusiasts seeking authentic modern prototype liveries.