Bachmann Branchline 32-701 Class 46 Peak 46053 in BR Blue

The ?Peaks?, or as they were recognised officially Classes 44, 45 and 46, were originally designated Type 4 power classification on their introduction. Built at Derby works, they were ordered as part of the BTC 1955 Modernisation Plan and went into service in 1959. The original ten locomotives (D1-D10), which formed Class 44, acquired the generic name ?Peaks? from names bestowed upon them from English and Welsh mountains or hills.Subsequent orders were placed for Type 4 locomotives of basically the same general external appearance with noticeably different front ends, for which there were four differing designs.The second Type 4 in the series (Class 45), also Derby-built was originally numbered D11-D137. In true Midland tradition, a number of these had regimental names carried originally by LMS Royal Scot Class steam engines. They were, nevertheless, still referred to as ?Peaks?. Their horsepower rating was 200 h.p greater than that of their Class 44 predecessor.The third member of the ?Peak? family was the Class 46, built 1961-3 at Crewe with Brush traction motors. The number series D138-193 brought the number of ?Peaks? in traffic to 193. All of these were un-named with the exception of just one, which also received the name of a military regiment.The first ?Peak? withdrawal took place in June 1977 due to collision damage and by 1980 all ten of the original Class 44?s that gave name to the class were extinct.