37901 start up at Ropley - Mirrlees MB275 - 6 cylinders

[@ianjones4116]

She spent a fair bit of time at Shrewsbury in the early 90s, rember my Dad coming home, me pestering after him, "what you been on today"? Never asked how he was, lol. It was there for crew training and route learning. Did some time on steel coils to Dee Marsh. She isn't far from me now at Llangollen. Not as many hours on that engine as an original EE motor. Should help keep her going for many more years. I hope.

[@FirstGearSims]

The Mirrlees 37's sound absolutely epic, nice catch!

[@dieselbuddysatgeisslertran777]

fantastic coldstart.... awesome !!! :)))

[@christianfeldmann8287]

I love the turbo sound and the smoke and like harley davidson sound

[@marcconyard5024]

Similar Mirlees-Blackstones powered the Lady Class ferries on Sydney Harbour. One of my favourites was the Lady Northcott. I'd take a railing position on the top deck right below the funnel on my thirty minute trip to Manly and just drink the lazy sound of the engine.

[@Davo37609]

This sounds particularly good on my latest KZbin update on Sunday night just gone.

[@ianjones4116]

'Yess' !!! She is back in mai line service with Rog in 2022 !! Long live 901 😁👍👍😎😎

[@danielsellers8707]

That'll be the 37 that didn't sound like one!

[@kevvynolan8753]

Now 2024 in trainload metals livery on the main line!!

[@justinobrien3593]

Nice loco I seem it at crewe works open day February 1986 when they was rebuilding loads of class 37s plus renumbering them and 37901 was in there I will have to go to the east lancs railway to see her soon 😀 good video of these beasts 👍 😀

[@Al-kk4pf]

If you go to see 37901 at the East Lancs then you will be disappointed. Its no longer preserved and is now owned by Europhoenix. It is undergoing overhaul at Leicester depot.

[@hongkongphooey78]

Reminds me of my old Austin meastro van.

[@benconway9010]

Why???

[@harbourwoodlandvisitor2445]

you don't see Austin maestro vans on the roads anymore but up to 2019 there was one for sale in mint condition. sat there for months in a car showroom forecourt on the A6 in Derbyshire. it must have been for sale for a long time before it just disappeared one day. I'm guessing it eventually got sold but what an unusual find among all the modern cars that were for sale there. i think it was for sale at £2000.

[@hongkongphooey78]

@@harbourwoodlandvisitor2445 Thanks Andy, they had a really good perkins diesel engine in them, and it sounded like a tractor.

[@danielcapo8661]

Nice start

[@joenichols725]

Hope thay keep her going

[@joenichols725]

She still sounds good

[@justinobrien9164]

It sounds weird a tractor with a class 60 power unit installed no they're supposed to be very expensive to maintain that's why all them class 60s are lined up withdrawn at toton tmd at least one thing theres plenty of spares available for class 37901 and and other class 37'9's good looking loco tho I love tractors best loco's on the rail network plus the class 20's

[@lfewell2161]

These engines were being tried out for the proposed class 38 loco which never materialised . Do any plans or drawings exist of these locos as it would be interesting to see what they would have looked like.

[@g8ymw]

I should imagine the engine would have many components common with the Class 60

[@gordonstone-ni2uh]

Mirlees and Blackstone's got "screwed over" by British Government great shame they built some first class engines ! my friend worked for them in both factories until the end sadly . They would rather " purchase abroad" !!! nothing left here now . all gone !

[@falken_gt4]

Similarities to the Spitfire swapping from the Merlin to the Griffon Engine

[@basiltaylor8910]

Glos Warwickshire Railway Diesel Gala held late July ,this year it is the 26th-27th-28th July, so bring that Blackstone Beauty for some serious singing.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

this loco is part of the slug 6 group because its sister 37906 is also called the slug six as 37901

[@user-zt1er1uj6i]

We used to call 37/5 slugs... and 37/9 super slugs. :)

[@74HC138]

And it still sounds like a tractor :-)

[@chrissyhenderson2427]

I just adore this video, the sound quality is great, is this loco still around in preservation?

[@LT72053]

The Mirrlees-engined prototype 37901 has been restored to working order and is now awaiting the completion of some internal work before returning to the main line (Europhoenix company)

[@chrissyhenderson2427]

@@LT72053 That's great, thanks for replying.

[@bennickss]

@@LT72053 it’s now made its first mainline runs with Europhoenix

[@benconway9010]

is the miralees engine bigger than the EE engine because I notice that the roof is bit higher than the original 37s which I never really thought of before

[@JFinnerud]

Just a good guess, but the Mirrlees apparently is a straight six so it probably stands taller than the EE V12 originally fitted.

[@richardpike1387]

@@JFinnerud that's correct the Mirrlees in 37901 and 902 is a straight 6 cyclinder. The class 60 have the 8 cylinder version of the same engine

[@BikerDarren24]

What is the ticking noise you hear sometimes from then? Anyone know?

[@46harry]

It's called the sprax valve, I don't know what it does though

[@robcollins2017]

To let moisture out that can build up.

[@geoffreybradford]

Top view surprised me in that I didn’t expect to see that big fan , and thought there would be four exhausts not one. I’m apparently thinking of another locomotive type .

[@Auraxium]

Maybe the class 50?

[@chrissyhenderson2427]

Great sound, great little video this...I have a question, prior to the engine cranking what is the whirring noise, I have seen it on a few start-ups on other videos.thanks

[@al66class59]

Probably the fuel pump priming the engine. Don’t know the technical details but if you listen carefully when you turn a key in a car to the step before ignition, you can hear a similar humming.

[@hansell9221]

Does it use an air starter? If so, it's probably a compressor.

[@floriankruger5174]

No there are two Electric Startermotors.

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@floriankruger5174 thats som tough startermotors!!

[@tiggy2756]

Its lube oil priming pump , most big engines have them it provides bit of oil pressure before engine is cranked

[@benconway9010]

these miralees engines sound so similar to to the English Electric engines love the EE engines but do these miralees sound wicked

[@frankwilkinson6328]

Should point that they are Mirlees not Mirales

[@steventhornton4716]

Even modern engines have a hard start

[@Biggles2498]

I am on a cold start for my next 6 months due heart problems (double bypass) does anybody know how I can donate the Class 37 Charity ?

[@gb5uq]

That Blackstone monster is sucking in so much air it's turning the fan. She's gorgeous. Would be amazing to see her in ROG livery. Still, I can dream.

[@kingorry7223]

The recent railway magazine shows her in rog livery so look out for that

[@richardpike1387]

That's not why the rad fan is turning. On the slugs the radiator fan drive was modified so that it ran constantly. On the standard 37 it was thermostatly controled

[@bjoe385]

Richard Pike also I’m guessing the radiator compartment is sealed off from where the engine air inlet is.

[@benconway9010]

@@kingorry7223 rog livery?? What the hells that?

[@kingorry7223]

@@benconway9010 a livery of the mainline company that purchased her

[@jarrinwoodruff1863]

So do these engines pick up one piston at a time starting

[@exb.r.buckeyeman845]

Jarrin Woodruff No, has been standing I expect, when in regular use they would start like a car.

[@1fairhurst]

yep my 10th loco start up video of the day watched

[@cc7112]

is it using "startpilot" (explosion liquid) or air pressure to start the engine?

[@StaxRail]

Effectively just fuel and the generator is fed power to act as a starter

[@kevfrombutterley]

@@StaxRailRefurbished 37s have electric starter motors. Only unrefurbished ones use the generator to start.

[@StaxRail]

@@kevfrombutterley ah, didn't know this. Thanks 👍

[@TheDJRoadrunner]

Why do this Engines have no Glowplugs or Preheater ?

[@davidnewman7331]

Bit like early diesal cars never had lights to let you now they were heated up

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

Back in the day they were never really turned off for any length of time. Always working. I remember in the 80s people living next to Bescot marshaling yard complaining all the locos were left ticking over all night and they could not sleep,thw yard claimed if they turned them off they were impossible to get going again so they kept them ticking over

[@bigmuller1]

Sounds like next doors ford mondeo starting on a cold morning

[@brianblessing8369]

wondering what kind of starter unit this locomotive uses.and what other vehicles could the starter unit be used for,maybe a generator,bus or semi motor or for tractors

[@patrickporter6536]

Main generator..

[@tomb3796]

These are alternator fitted so no main gen to motor. The EE engined refurbs had big bosh starters.

[@user-zt1er1uj6i]

A peak,super slug and a hoover. :)

[@rearspeaker6364]

its not a maxi shed, or a mini shed...........

[@clarky2356]

Thought the class 37 had 2 exhaust

[@Mcsterl]

the EE V12's do, but the Mirrlees 6 Cylinder only has 1 port.

[@bobingram6912]

Always loved the EE with its twin angled exhausts, this don't look right!!☹

[@garethifan1034]

So this is a different engine to the usual EE 1750hp?

[@LT72053]

Yes indeed, the usual EE is the 12CSVT (V12 engine)

[@jozefbania]

Is that passat tdi?

[@MrAvant123]

Must be big cylinders if only 6 ?

[@benconway9010]

Try 6 :on either side so it's a 12 cylinder not 6

[@kristan999]

It's non-standard so only has 6 cylinders. Re-engined with a Mirlees unit.

[@steventhornton4716]

How many mirrlees 37s were built

[@LT72053]

6 units

[@Al-kk4pf]

​@@LT72053 actually only the first four 37/9 locos had Mirrlees engines. The other two were fitted with Ruston RK270T.

[@macflod]

Why so much smoke

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

it almost look like its struggling to start up

[@Fcutdlady]

I have to say I thought the same

[@ItzChaza]

Its because these engines throttle response acts on oil pressure so the long start is the engine building up oil pressure before the ecu will inject

[@Fcutdlady]

@@ItzChaza consider me educated. Thanks

[@ItzChaza]

Fcutdlady no problem, just another piece of knowledge passed on

[@SteamboatWilley]

Is it an inline 6 or a V6?

[@nounoufriend1442]

Inline 6 , it's 6 cylinder version of class 60 engine

[@SteamboatWilley]

@@nounoufriend1442 Thanks for the answer.

[@nounoufriend1442]

@@SteamboatWilley We had one at immingham TMD ,we used it as source of class 60 spares it was tight fit in engine room at flywheel end

[@tomlowe8563]

She ticks over faster than 906

[@gokceralp]

37s have double exhaust port. And it doesn't sound like a 37.

[@tomstech4390]

Different engine, Prototype testbed for Mirrlees Blackwell 6 cylinder. www.watercressline.co.uk/article.php/554/37901-class-37-mirrlees-pioneer

[@darreng745]

British Rail evaluated two different engine packages across 37901-37904 and 37905-37906 to determine which would be suitable for the Class60 settling in the end on the Mirrless Blackstone unit. I recall 37901 when at Canton and nicknamed the slug due to the engine governor used for the Mirrless powerplant rendering it quite slow to respond to throttle changes, I also have had the pleasure of listening to it on saturdays when it did haulage on the MHR and the sound of it reminded me of the days at Cardiff Central when the thing used to rumble through. The revised engine packages also had new Brush alterantors, replacing the original GEC generators fitted and the roofline modifications were done at the rebuilding as BR wished to use a new roof profile that would be cleaner and also easier for inspection. The only thing that BR did not do and in hindsight and which should have been done was test Sepex with them, and possibly convert them to straight AC machines

[@Fcutdlady]

I was just thinking the same. Don't 37s have the nickname tractors? This doesn't sound tractor like but that's explained by the different engine. Not a criticism, just an observation

[@user-zt1er1uj6i]

@@Fcutdlady Tractors and also syphons

[@benconway9010]

@@darreng745 so what engine was in the other test bed locos then cos I remember them having 2 different engines obviously 1was Mirrlees but what was the other??

[@basiltaylor8910]

A Blackstone Beauty!!! that poor starter motor sounded like Michael Ball on weed. When are you intending to bring the Tractor to the Glos Warwick's Diesel Gala held every late . That is some serious music f---k Glynbourne spin that Blackstone bruiser to life and smell the burnt diesel.

[@bjoe385]

“Michael Ball on weed” that’s a new one on me.

[@basiltaylor8910]

@@bjoe385 Yes after a puff or two of best ganja.

[@lukestrainsandengines4014]

The roof of the mirrlees 37 is too modern

[@jamesburnside3023]

Amazing Railfans allowed in the yard to photograph is that still allowed.

[@Wikkus]

Seriously?

[@MontyCantsin5]

What?

[@christianfeldmann8287]

2stroke?

[@formidable38]

Straight 6, 4 stroke.

[@exb.r.buckeyeman845]

christian feldmann No

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

It's cold, the blue smoke subsides when it get hot

[@nomon95]

started (bad)in four cylinders,no more.Check the smoke,alternativennot constant if all the cylinders work.

[@rolandbraithwaite1027]

more smoke than a steam engine!!!

[@christopherhampson265]

Another v w design. .......

[@rearspeaker6364]

with Peugeot and Iveco contributing!!