D6948 entered service from the new diesel depot at Cardiff Canton on 30th October 1964, and along with the other EE Type 3s allocated there, spent a large amount of time hauling coal trains up and down the South Wales valley lines plus other freight trains a little further afield. Just like D6915 was to, D6948 was also sent north to West Yorkshire arriving at Wakefield shed in August 1967 before joining D6915 on the opening of the new Healey Mills depot in December of that year. Unlike D6915, it didn’t stay too long in Yorkshire, for in January 1972 it moved back to Cardiff Canton where it stayed for the next 20 years, becoming part and parcel of the South Wales railway scene. Allocated to the Trainload Freight Metals sector in 1988, it became surplus to requirements and was transferred to Tinsley depot, Sheffield in August 1992 for storage being further moved to Doncaster Belmont yard in October 1992 and Cardiff Canton in August 1994.
By now, three ‘shadow’ freight companies had been formed by BR as part of the privatisation process and 37248 was one of those assets allocated to Mainline Freight at the end of 1994. This was beneficial, as Mainline needed everything it had been given and 37248 was reinstated to traffic at Cardiff in anticipation in November 1994, being formally allocated to Mainline’s central depot at Toton, Nottinghamshire on 1st January 1995. A repaint into the company’s striking aircraft blue livery soon followed and it was named ‘Midland Railway Centre’ on the 14th October that year at an event held during the MRC’s gala weekend.
Following a successful bid for all 3 trainload freight companies by US railroad Wisconsin Central, English Welsh and Scottish Railways (EWS) was formed in February 1996 and took over all Mainline’s locomotive assets. 37248 continued to be based at Toton but was then allocated to EWS’s Old Oak Common depot in West London in November 2000 meaning more work in London and the South East which included a number of appearances at the head of the prestigious VSOE Orient Express between Victoria and Folkestone. The locomotive was eventually deemed as surplus to requirements and re-allocated to Crewe depot in September 2003 and eventual storage in November of that year after 7 years in EWS ownership, managing to maintain its Mainline blue livery throughout. The loco was subsequently moved to Margam depot in South Wales for further storage from where it was privately purchased in September 2005 and moved to West Coast Railways Limited at Carnforth for the next chapter of its colourful life.
| Date | Working |
|---|---|
| 30/10/1964 | Delivered new to Cardiff Canton depot (86A) |
| 01/11/1964 | Observed at Doncaster Works |
| 14/01/1965 | Down light engine through Cardiff General |
| 02/05/1965 | Stabled on Cardiff Canton |
| 08/08/1965 | Stabled on Ebbw Jn (86B) |
| 10/08/1965 | Stabled on Canton (86A) |
| 11/08/1965 | 0T00 Light Engine through Cardiff Gen |
| Aug-67 | Transferred to Healey Mills |
| 03/08/1968 | 7N64 through Rose Grove |
| 02/01/1972 | Transferred to Cardiff Canton |
| Apr-74 | Renumbered to 37 248 |
| 29/07/1976 | 1600 Crewe - Cardiff |
| 16/10/1976 | 1205 Cardiff - Treherbert |
| 29/01/1978 | Stabled on Ebbw Jn (EB) |
| Mar-79 | Twin Tanks Fitted |
| 01/03/1980 | Wales v Scotland Rugby International trains to Cardiff |
| 21/11/1980 | 1B02 2125 Swansea - Bristol TM |
| 21/05/1981 | 1350 Cardiff - Weston |
| 21/05/1981 | 1550 Weston - Swansea |
| 21/05/1981 | 2C77 1938 Swansea - Cardiff |
| 28/07/1981 | 0Z00 Bromsgrove - Worcester |
| 28/07/1981 | 0Z00 Worcester - Cardiff |
| 28/04/1982 | Arrived on works for Dual Brake fitting |
| May-82 | Working a weed killing train @ Llangynwyd on the Maesteg Branch |
| 11/08/1982 | Last Classified Repair |
| 11/08/1982 | Left works after Dual Brake fitting |
| 25/04/1984 | 2C06 0737 Cardiff - Milford Between Swansea - Carmarthen |
| 25/04/1984 | 2C67 1117 Milford - Swansea Between Carmarthen - Swansea |
| 02/06/1984 | 1S19 2124 Bristol TM - Glasgow C Between Worcester SH - Birmingham NS piloting ? |
| 14/07/1984 | 1Z27 0500 Cardiff - Cleethorpes Between Sheffield - Cleethorpes With 37249 (37903) |
| 14/07/1984 | 1Z27 1400 Cleethorpes - Cardiff Between Cleethorpes - Sheffield With 37249 (37903) |
| 12/12/1984 | 1S19 2124 Bristol - Glasgow Lickey Banker |
| 06/02/1986 | 1S19 2124 Bristol TM - Glasgow C Between Abbotswood - Birmingham NS With 37206 (37906) |
| 05/07/1986 | 1J20 0730 Euston - Pwllheli Between Shrewsbury - Pwllheli With 37430 |
| 05/07/1986 | 2J26 1530 Pwllheli - Porthmadog With 37430 |
| 05/07/1986 | 1A85 1708 Porthmadog - Euston Between Porthmadog - Shrewsbury With 37430 |
| 07/07/1986 | 1V01 0042 Manchester P - Cardiff Between Crewe - Cardiff With 37430 |
| 16/11/1988 | Rceived E Exam at Cardiff Canton |
| 01/01/1989 | Allocated to FPLW - Freight Petroleum & Chemicals South Wales Pool |
| 14/02/1989 | 1F55 1300 Oxford - Paddington Between Didicot - Reading With 37221 |
| 27/06/1989 | 2200 Paddington - Plymouth Between Exeter SD - Plymouth |
| 07/04/1991 | Allocated to FMAK - Freight Metals Cardiff Pool |
| 05/05/1991 | 1Z15 1035 Newport - Hereford With 37220 |
| 05/05/1991 | 1Z33 1700 Hereford - Abergaveny |
| 16/08/1992 | Transferred to Tinsley, Allocated to MDTT - Railfreight Distribution Tinsley Unrefurbished Class 37 Locos (Extended Range) |
| 09/10/1992 | Stored Unserviceable, Allocated to MDYX - Distribution Stored Locos |
| 12/12/1993 | Allocated to FQXA - Trainload Freight Unallocated |
| 20/03/1994 | Allocated to LNXX - Trainload Freight West - Stored Locos |
| 25/04/1994 | Returned to Traffic at Cardiff Canton |
| 27/04/1994 | Stored Unserviceable |
| 11/11/1994 | Returned to Traffic at Cardiff Canton |
| 29/01/1995 | Transferred to Toton, Allocated to ENTN - Mainline - TO Class 31/37 (Infrastructure North) |
| 05/03/1995 | Allocated to EWCN - Mainline - TO Class 37 (GW Infrastructure) |
| 14/10/1995 | Named "Midland Railway Centre" at Midland Railway Centre |
| 14/10/1995 | 1045 Butterley - Riddings Jcn |
| 14/10/1995 | 1103 Riddings Jcn - Hammersmith |
| 14/10/1995 | 1155 Hammersmith - Riddings Jcn |
| 14/10/1995 | 1213 Riddings Jcn - Hammersmith |
| 15/10/1995 | Midland Railway Centre Autumn Gala |
| 30/09/1996 | Allocated to ENTN - Mainline - TO Class 31/37 (Infrastructure North) |
| 31/03/1997 | 1Z37 Pathfinder Tours's The Scarborough Maid tour Between Reading - Scarbourgh With 37332 |
| 31/03/1997 | 1Z37 Pathfinder Tours's The Scarborough Maid tour Between York - Reading With 37332 |
| 28/10/1997 | 1F98 2000 Birmingham NS - Derby Between Birmingham NS - MP 28.75 |
| 17/01/1998 | Hertfordshire's The East Coast Diversioner tour from Kings Cross - York Via Lincoln With 37057 |
| 17/01/1998 | Hertfordshire's The East Coast Diversioner tour from York - Kings Cross With 37057 |
| 27/11/1998 | Allocated to WKBN - EWS Toton Class 37/0 & 37/3 Systemwide |
| 07/02/1999 | 1103 VSOE Charter Between London Victoria - Aldershot |
| 07/02/1999 | 1503 VSOE Charter Between London Victoria - Aldershot |
| 13/05/1999 | 1H98 Aviemore - Boat of Garten |
| 17/11/2000 | Transferred to Old Oak Common, Allocated to WKAC - EWS Class 37 Old Oak Common - Anglian & South |
| 04/03/2001 | 1V97 1815 Manchester - Paddington Between Birmingham NS - Paddington |
| 07/09/2001 | Transferred to Motherwell, Allocated to WKAM - EWS Class 37 Motherwell - Non RETB fitted |
| 18/12/2001 | Transferred to Old Oak Common, Allocated to WKAC - EWS Class 37 Old Oak Common - Anglian & South |
| 05/06/2002 | 1Y96 1100 Waterloo - Salisbury |
| 05/06/2002 | 1Y97 1719 Salisbury - Waterloo |
| 13/07/2002 | 1Z92 0827 Finsbury Park - Spalding Between Newark North Gate - Spalding |
| 13/07/2002 | 1Z37 1310 Spalding - Finsbury Park Between Spalding - Peterborough West Yard |
| 10/10/2002 | 1Y44 Folkstone - Victoria |
| 14/11/2002 | 1Y46 1121 Victoria - Folkestone |
| 07/12/2002 | 1Z37 0646 Swindon - Lincoln With 37375 |
| 07/12/2002 | 1Z38 1727 Lincoln - Swindon With 37375 |
| 22/03/2003 | 1Z51 0632 Milton Keynes - Aberystwyth Between Milton Keynes - Bescot With 37372 |
| 22/03/2003 | 1Z53 1620 Aberystwyth - Milton Keynes Between Bescot - Milton Keynes With 37372 |
| 10/04/2003 | TOPS Engine hours 7294 |
| 10/04/2003 | 1Y46 1121 Victoria - Folkestone West |
| 24/09/2003 | Transferred to Crewe Diesel, Allocated to WKAD - EWS Class 37 Crewe Diesel - Midlands & North West |
| 12/12/2003 | Transferred to Headquarters, Allocated to WNTR - EWS Tactical Reserve |
| 29/07/2005 | Allocated to WNZX - EWS - Locomotives for disposal |
| 20/09/2005 | Sold to West Coast Railway Company Limited - Allocated to WNSO - EWS locomotives Sold, Awaiting Collection |
