Time Capsules - Old Photographs from the past

64577 passing Bonnington (Eastern Edinburgh) 1961

This is a suburb of Edinburgh, south-west of the Leith Docks.

The locomotive in the photograph is no. 64577, a Class J37 0-6-0 originally designed by William Reid, Locomotive Superintendent of the North British Railway from 1903 to 1919.

J37 production started with four batches of five built at Cowlairs in 1914-5, and accelerated at the end of World War 1, with a large order of 34 locomotives placed with the North British Locomotive Co. This was followed by 50 further locomotives built in five batches between 1918 and 1921 by both manufacturers. A total of 104 J37s were built.

All of the J37s survived to Nationalisation (1948). British Rail moved a number of them to ex-LMS sheds, where they were usually used for goods duties, and occasional passenger work to Carstairs.

Withdrawals started in 1959 and were initially slow. Thirteen remained in service in June 1966 operating short distance goods and coal trains in the Lowlands and Fife. All were withdrawn by 1967.

Text courtesy of Peter Langsdale.

Photo © The Step Back Through Time Collection