British Rail Class 45

The British Rail Class 45 or Sulzer Type 4 are a type of diesel locomotives built by British Railways' Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962. Along with the similar Class 44 and 46 locomotives, they became known as Peaks.

Technical details

Engine

The engine of the Class 45 was a marine-type, slow-revving diesel, a Sulzer 12LDA28B with a bore of 280 mm (11.024 in) (hence the 28 in the engine designation) and a stroke of 360 mm (14.173 in). This gave 22 litres (1,300 cu in) per cylinder, or 264 litres (16,100 cu in) for the whole engine. The unit was turbocharged and intercooled and gave 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) at 750 rpm. The engine was of the double bank type with two parallel banks of 6 cylinders, geared together to a single output shaft.[page needed] Six-cylinder versions of the engine were fitted in the Class 25 locos (amongst others) and eight-cylinder versions in Class 33s. Class 45s were the updated versions of the Class 44 locomotives, the latter having a 2,300 hp (1,700 kW) non-intercooled version of the same engine; i.e. the 12LDA28A. The later Class 47 had a modified version of the same engine, a 12LDA28C.

Train heating

When initially put into service, the locomotives were fitted with multiple-unit working and steam-heating boilers for passenger service. In the early 1970s, fifty were fitted with electric train supply in place of their steam-heating boilers and assigned to work services on the Midland Main Line from London St Pancras to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. These locomotives were renumbered as Class 45/1.

Locomotive auxiliary supply

The Class 45 is unusual in having a 220 volt electrical system for driving auxiliary systems and battery charging. Most British Railways diesels of the same era had 110 volt auxiliaries.

History

The Class 45s became the main traction on the Midland Main Line from 1962 and their introduction allowed considerable acceleration of the previous steam-powered service. The Class 45s remained the main source of power on the line up to 1982, when they were relegated to secondary services following introduction of HSTs on the route. From 1986, Class 45s virtually disappeared from the line.[page needed] From the early 1980s until their withdrawal c.1988, the class were regular performers on the North Trans-Pennine line working services from Liverpool Lime Street to York, Scarborough or Newcastle via Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield and Leeds. These trains were usually formed of early Mark 2 carriages, of up to seven in a typical train.

Accidents and incidents

• On 6 December 1963 a freight train hauled by D94 passed at least two stop signals and collided with a goods train which was crossing the line at Stanton Gate railway station under clear signals. The front end of D94 was almost totally destroyed, causing the deaths of the driver and second man.
• On 16 January 1982, 45 074 was hauling a freight train that was derailed at Chinley, Derbyshire.
• On 4 December 1984, 45 147 was badly damaged in the Eccles rail crash, and subsequently moved to Patricroft.
• On 9 March 1986, 45 014 The Cheshire Regiment was one of two light engines that were hit head-on by a passenger train at Chinley due to a signalman's error. One person was killed. Lack of training and a power cut were contributory factors. The locomotive was consequently withdrawn from service and scrapped.
• On 24 April 1988, 45 041 split a set of points and was derailed at Edale, Derbyshire.

Withdrawal

The great majority of Class 45s were withdrawn between 1981 and 1988, after Class 43 HSTs were introduced to their routes; the last was withdrawn from service by 1989.[page needed]

Fleet details

Naming

26 Class 45s were officially named by BR after various British Army regiments and the Royal Marines. Additionally, several were unofficially named.

Fleet list

Preservation

Eleven locomotives survive in preservation, with examples from both batches. The majority of the preserved engines were built at Crewe Works; in summary:

• 45041 – In operational condition at the Nene Valley Railway
• 45060 – Undergoing engine overhaul at Barrow Hill Roundhouse
• 45105 – Undergoing restoration at Barrow Hill Roundhouse
• 45108 – In operational condition on loan at the East Lancashire Railway
• 45112 – Stored at Nemesis Rail, Burton upon Trent
• 45118 – Under overhaul at Crewe Diesel TMD
• 45125 – In operational condition at the Great Central Railway
• 45132 – Under overhaul at the Epping Ongar Railway
• 45133 – Under overhaul at the Midland Railway – Butterley
• 45135 – Under heavy repair at the East Lancashire Railway
• 45149 – In operational condition at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway

Model railways

Mainline Railways introduced OO gauge Class 45s in 1983; D49 The Manchester Regiment and D100 Sherwood Forester in BR green and 45048 The Royal Marines in BR blue.

Further reading

• Buck, Martin (1988). 'Peaks' - In Retrospect. Pathfinder. ISBN 9780906025703. OCLC .
• Chalcraft, John (1983). Named Diesel and Electric Locomotives of British Rail Part 4: The Peaks British Rail Class 44, 45 & 46 Diesel Electrics. Rail Photoprints. ISBN 9780906883044. OCLC .
• Derrick, Kevin (2014). Looking back at Peaks. Strathwood. ISBN 9781905276479.
• Marsden, Colin J.; Fenn, Graham B. (1988). British Rail Main Line Diesel Locomotives. Sparkford: Haynes. pp. 188–195. ISBN 9780860933182. OCLC .
• Montague, Keith (1978). The Power of the Peaks. OPC. ISBN 9780902888999. OCLC .
• Morrison, Gavin (2005). The Heyday of the Peaks. Ian Allan. ISBN 9780711030572. OCLC .
• Preedy, Norman E. (1982). Book of the Peaks. Peter Watts. ISBN 9780906025314. OCLC .
• (PDF). Derby: British Railways Board. October 1984. pp. 25–26, 37, 106–107 (per pdf) – via Barrowmore MRG.
• Webb, Brian (1978). Sulzer Diesel Locomotives of British Rail. David & Charles. ISBN 0715375148.
• Whiteley, J.S; Morrison, G.W. (1983). Profile of the Peaks. OPC. ISBN 9780860931652. OCLC .
• Whitehouse, Alan (June 1982). "'Peak' performance". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 22–25. ISSN . OCLC .
• Bishop, Donald J. (February 1983). "The noble art of 'Peak'-bashing". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 38–41. ISSN . OCLC .
• Preedy, Norman (April 1983). "Another 'Peak' chapter ends". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. p. 47. ISSN . OCLC .
• Roughley, Malcolm (May 1984). "'Peak' across the Pennines". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. pp. 51–54. ISSN . OCLC .
• "D100 condemned as 45/0s dwindle". Rail Enthusiast. No. 53. EMAP National Publications. February 1986. p. 23. ISSN . OCLC .

External links