Class 46

The British Rail Class 46 is a class of Type 4 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 The first was withdrawn in 1977 and all of them were withdrawn by the end of 1984. They are similar to the Class 44 and Class 45 locomotives, they share the nickname "Peak".

Preservation
Three have been preserved: 46010 at the Great Central Railway - Nottingham; 46035 Ixion; and D182 (46045) at Midland Railway - Butterley

Nuclear flask crash test
On 17 July 1984, 46009, 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 100 mph (160 km/h) on the Old Dalby Test Track in a test organised by the CEGB.undefined 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.undefined

46009 was scrapped on site at Old Dalby later the same month by Vic Berry of Leicester.