British Rail Class 46


The British Rail Class 46 is a class of diesel locomotive. They were built from 1961–1963 at British Railways' Derby Works and were initially numbered D138–D193. With the arrival of TOPS they were renumbered to Class 46. Fifty-six locomotives were built. The first was withdrawn in 1977 and all of them were withdrawn by the end of 1984.

Overview

The Class 46 design was structurally the same as the preceding Class 45 build, and had the same Sulzer engine, but differed in the fitment of a Brush generator and traction motors, in place of the Crompton Parkinson equipment fitted to the Class 45. Along with the other Sulzer class 44 and 45 designs they are often referred to as "Peaks", so named because the earliest of the Class 44 were named after mountains.

Naming

Unlike the earlier Peak designs, many of which were named, only one class 46 was so graced: D163 carried the name Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry from new. This engine was nicknamed "The Lady" by both staff and rail fans alike. This name is now carried by the preserved Class 45 number D123 / 45 125.

Operation

Despite intermittent use on freight trains, Class 46s were regular performers on passenger turns, particularly North East-South West, Trans-Pennine and secondary North East-London trains, and depot allocations reflected this with locos at Gateshead and Plymouth in 1977 giving a typical spread. Freight workings were also quite often worked over long distances, particularly "clay hoods" carrying china clay from Cornwall to the area around Stoke-on-Trent.
In the 1980s the remaining locomotives were concentrated at Gateshead depot, and the final booked passenger workings for the class were the dated summer Saturday services Bradford - Weymouth, Newcastle - Plymouth, Newcastle - Blackpool North, and York - Blackpool North.

Nuclear flask crash test

On 17 July 1984, 46 009, hauling three Mark 1 coaches, was deliberately crashed into a "Flatrol" wagon loaded with a nuclear waste flask and lying on its side. The train was travelling at about on the Old Dalby Test Track in a test organised by the CEGB. The test was intended to demonstrate to the public that there would be no leak of radioactive material in the event of a rail accident involving a train carrying a nuclear waste flask.
46 009 was scrapped on site at Old Dalby later the same month by Vic Berry of Leicester.

Preservation

Three have been preserved: 46 010 at the Great Central Railway - Nottingham; 46 035 Ixion; and D182 at Midland Railway - Butterley

Gallery