The Twilight of the Peaks

Description

One of the most successful designs to emerge from British Railways’ Modernisation Plan was the Sulzer-engined Type 4 1Co-Co1 diesel-electric. 193 of them were built by BR at its own engineering works at Derby and Crewe, and they were collectively known as the ‘Peaks’. The first ten, later Class 44, were the most powerful of the Pilot Scheme diesel locomotives, and their derivatives, Classes 45 & 46 were fitted with the most powerful railway diesel engines in Western Europe at the time, rated at 2,500hp. For more than twenty years, these versatile locomotives were synonymous with the Midland main line and the northeast to southwest route. They could be seen from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London, Cardiff and Penzance. By 1983, the Class 44s were long-gone, the 46s were on their way out and the remaining Class 45s had no more than five years left in service. During this time, the remaining locomotives attracted a large following among enthusiasts, the self-styled ‘Peak Army’, many of whom will be seen inside these pages, hanging out of train windows. Happily, there are examples of all four subclasses, 44, 45/0, 45/1 and 46 in preservation, many of which are in working order, and some have even returned to the main line.