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==37906 in service==
In 1959, British Railways placed an order with English Electric for a batch of 42 1,750HP [[UIC classification | Co-Co ]] diesel-electric locomotives similar to two designs EE were constructing for narrow gauge lines in Africa: the Sudan Government Railways 1000 Class (3ft 6in gauge)<ref>[http://www.12csv.com/main/class/class.php?id=1 English Electric Growl] website, retrieved 1 March 2015.</ref> and the East African Railway 90 Class (metre gauge).<ref>[http://www.12csv.com/main/class/class.php?id=2 English Electric Growl] website, retrived 1 March 2015.</ref> All three classes used EE's 12CSVT diesel engine, and the British Railways examples were very successful. Six further orders resulted in a total of 309 locos entering service with British Railways between 1960 and 1965.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_37#Building Wikipedia], retrieved 1 March 2015.</ref> 37906 was built at EE's Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, works number 3384, and entered service in November 1963 numbered D6906.<ref>[http://www.12csv.com/main/locos/loco.php?id=3384 English Electric Growl] website, retrieved 1 March 2015.</ref> The loco spent most of its working life in South Wales, allocated to Landore Depot in Swansea,<ref>[http://brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=D&id=6906&loco=6906 BRDatabase] website, retrieved 1 March 2015.</ref> with short spells at Cardiff Canton, Bristol Bath Road and Plymouth Laira.<ref>[http://www.12csv.com/main/locos/loco.php?id=3384 English Electric Growl] website, retrieved 1 March 2015.</ref> It was renumbered to 37206 in 1973.
In the mid-1980s British Rail was evaluating diesel engines for new locomotive designs such as the proposed but never-built Class 38. In 1986-87, six Class 37 locos were used to trial two potential engines, the Mirrlees MB275T and the Ruston RK270T. 37206 was fitted with the latter engine and a GEC alternator, and like the other five locos received new bogies and additional ballasting to increase its weight to 120 tons. The experimental locomotives became the 37/9 subclass, and 37206 became 37906, the only Class 37/9 to retain the last two digits of its previous number. Along with the rest of subclass 37/9, 37906 returned to South Wales for use on heavy freight work.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_37#Class_37.2F9 Wikipedia], retrieved 1 March 2015.</ref>
