37185 (ex-D6885) BR Blue w/Wizzy the Lizard logo

While 37207 William Cookworthy is the most famous of the Cornish-themed Class 37s with its local hero name and full set of nose regalia and ‘Wizzy the lizard’ arrow logos, there were three other Laira-based members of the fleet that also gained painted embellishments courtesy of St Blazey guard and celebrated artist Vic Millington. Of the other trio, 37247 gained Cornish Railways lettering, and 37181 and 37185 were the lucky recipients of the red BR arrow and its intertwined lizard wearing the period British Rail peaked cap.

                  With a gorgeous range of china clay ‘hoods’ having just joined the Accurascale range we knew we wanted the perfect partner in our run 4 of the Class 37 and 37185 fit the bill perfectly. As a Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns-built centre headcode machine it would fill another useful gap in our range. For added attractiveness it carried miniature snowploughs and retained its bufferbeam cowling right up to the middle of 1986, and once transformed it left the Western Region after 23 years for a new life up north. Built in December 1963 and initially allocated to 87E Swansea Landore it was only based at one other depot, 86A Cardiff Canton, before joining Plymouth Laira in April 1983.

                  It received the ‘Wizzy’ arrows ahead of a railtour into the region exactly a year later and retained them for around 14 months, only losing them after transferring to Bristol Bath Road. While its next stop was Thornaby, it is also fondly remembered as one of Tinsley’s ‘banger blue’ unofficial namers, Phil Hodgkiss and colleagues giving it the painted dedication Buccaneer with TI rose emblems in November 1989. In January 1991 it was outshopped in Railfreight Distribution colours. After moving to Toton via Bescot and freshly repainted in ‘Dutch’ livery, it finally gained a cast name, Lea & Perrins at Worcester, in May 1993. It was stored in September 1999 and disposed of at CF Booth, Rotherham, in January 2006.