British Rail Class 46
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| British Rail Class 46 | |
 97403 Ixion at Coalville open day, 1 September 1985. The number is in the BR Departmental locomotive series. |
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| Builder: | British Rail Derby |
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| Years built: | 1961 – 1963 |
| Early numbers: | D138-D193 |
| TOPS numbers: | 46001-46056 |
| Engine: | Sulzer 12LDA28-B |
| Transmission: | Diesel Electric |
| Wheel layout: | 1Co-Co1 |
| Wheel diameter: | 45 in (1,143 mm) |
| Minimum curve: | 3.5 chains (70 m) |
| Brakes: | Vacuum |
| Brake force: | 63 long tons (64.0 t) |
| Wheelbase: | 59 ft 8 in (18.2 m) |
| Length: | 67 ft 11 in (20.7 m) |
| Width: | 8 ft 10.5 in (2.7 m) |
| Height: | 12 ft 10 in (3.9 m) |
| Weight: | 138 long tons (140 t) |
| Maximum speed: | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
| Engine power: | 2,500 bhp (1860 kW) |
| Rail power: | 1,962 bhp (1460 kW) |
| Maximum TE: | 55,000 lbf (245 kN) |
| Heating type: | Steam |
| Multiple working: | Blue Star |
| Fuel capacity: | 790 imp gal (3,600 l) |
| Route availability: | 7 |
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 The first was withdrawn in 1977 and all of them were withdrawn by 1984.
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.
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[edit] Operation
Despite intermittent use on freight trains, Class 46's were regular performers on passenger turns, particularly North East-South West, Trans-Pennine and secondary North East-London trains[1][2], and depot allocations reflected this with locos at Gateshead, Cardiff and Plymouth in 1977[3] 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 (between Bradford and Birmingham New Street), Newcastle - Plymouth, Newcastle - Blackpool North, and York - Blackpool North[4].
[edit] Crash test
On 17 July 1984, 46009 was deliberately crashed into a nuclear waste flask at about 90mph (145 km/h) on the Old Dalby test track. The test, organised by the CEGB, demonstrated 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. 46009 was scrapped on site at Old Dalby later the same month by Vic Berry of Leicester.
[edit] Preservation
Three have been preserved:
- 46010 at Llangollen Railway
- 46035 Ixion
- D182 at Midland Railway, Butterley
[edit] British Rail Class 46 in fiction
The Character Spamcan in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry (the original 'Thomas the Tank Engine' stories) was a British Rail Class 46.
[edit] References and Sources
[edit] References
- ^ Lund, E (1980). To the last drop. Chesterfield: Longden technical Publications. ISBN 0 9507063 0 2.
- ^ Montague, Keith (1978). The Power of the Peaks. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0 902888 99 4.
- ^ British Rail Locoshed Book 1981. Shepperton: Ian Allen Ltd. ISBN 0 7110 1112 5.
- ^ Webster, Neil; Greaves, Simon and Greengrass, Robert. Loco-hauled travel 1984-5. York: Metro Enterprises Ltd. ISBN 0 947773 00 2.
[edit] Sources
- Webb, Brian (1978). Sulzer Diesel Locomotives of British Rail. Newton abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0 7153 7514 8.
[edit] External links
- Crash! - A short article with photographs about the nuclear flask crash test.
- Railblue.com A list of fleet numbers with dates withdrawn.
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