British Rail Class 46

From TrainSpottingWorld, for Rail fans everywhere

The British Rail Class 46 is a class of diesel locomotive. They were originally built from 1962 and numbered D138-D193. With the arrival of TOPS they were renumbered to Class 46. 56 locomotives were built, all of them were withdrawn by 1984.

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 later scrapped at V Berry Old Dalby in July 1984.

Three have been preserved, 46010, 46035 Ixion and D182.

British Rail Class 46 in fiction

A Class 46 Diesel was featured in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry (the original 'Thomas the Tank Engine' stories). D199 later given the nickname Spamcan by his driver, only appears in book No.23 Enterprising Engines.

External link

  • Crash! - A short article with photographs about the nuclear flask crash test.
British Rail non-steam locomotives
Diesel locomotives - Electric locomotives - DMU - DEMU - AC EMU - DC EMU - Departmental units
Diesel shunting locomotives
Classes: 01 - 01/5 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14
Pre-TOPS type: D1/1 - D1/2 - D1/3 - D1/4 - D2/1 - D2/2 - D2/3 - D2/4 - D2/5 - D2/6 - D2/7 - D2/8 - D2/9 -
D2/10 - D2/11 - D2/12 - D3/1 - D3/2 - D3/3 - D3/4 - D3/5 - D3/6 - D3/7 - D3/8 - D3/9 -
D3/10 - D3/11 - D3/12 - D3/13 - D3/14
Pre-1955 type: 11001 - 11104 - 15107 - 13000
Main-line diesel locomotives
Classes: 15 - 16 - 17 - 20 - 21 - 21 (Vossloh) - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 33 - 35 -
37 - 40 - 41 (Warship Class) - 41 (HST) - 42 - 43 (Warship Class) - 43 (HST) - 44 - 45 - 46
47 - 48 - 50 - 52 - 53 - 55 - 56 - 57 - 58 - 59 - 60 - 66 - 67
Pre-TOPS type: D8/1 - D8/2 - D10/1 - D10/2 - D10/3 - D11/1 - D11/2 - D11/3 - D11/4 - D11/5 - D12/1 -
D12/2 - D12/3 - D13/1 - D14/1 - D14/2 - D15/1 - D15/2 - D16/1 - D16/2 - D17/1 - D17/2 -
D20/1 - D20/2 - D22/1 - D22/2 - D23/1 - D25/1 - D27/1 - D33/1 - KA - KB
Pre-1955 type: 10000-10001 - 10100 - 10201-10203 - 10800
Electric locomotives
Classes: 70 - 71 - 73 - 74 - 76 - 77 - 80 - 81 - 82 - 83 - 84 - 85 - 86 - 87 - 89 - 90 - 91 - 92
Pre-TOPS type: AL1 - AL2 - AL3 - AL4 - AL5 - AL6 - EB1 - EE1 - EM1 - EM2 - ES1 - HA - HB - JA - JB
Other locomotives
Departmental: 97 - 97/6 - Eastern - Southern - Other Series
Other: 98 - 99 - 15097-15099 - 18000 - 18100
Demonstrators: D0226/D0227 - D0260 - D0280 - D9998 - DHP1 - DP1 - DP2 - GT3 - HS4000 - Janus/Taurus