46049 is seen here stabled at Tinsley MPD on the 5th September 1976.

Locomotive History
The class 46 was the third variant of the “Peak” class (class 44/45/46) and were fitted with Brush electrical equipment instead of Crompton Parkinson. Fifty-six locomotives were built at Derby works between 1961 and 1963, however a lack of electric train heating equipment meant the class started to be withdrawn in 1978 and all had been taken out of service by 1984. 46049 was originally D186 and entered traffic in 1962 allocated to Gateshead MPD for North East – South West cross country and secondary East Coast Main Line duties. It was the first of the class 46 fleet to have its headcode boxes removed and receive the modified nose end (initiated with 45071 in December 1975) during a classified repair at Derby works in the first couple of months of 1976. 46049 was withdrawn in early December 1982 and following withdrawal stored at York until February 1983. It would be noted at Healey Mills in June 1983 and finally made its way to Swindon works where it was broken up in October 1985.

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56003 is seen brand new and undergoing commissioning at Tinsley MPD, 5th September 1976.

Locomotive History
When introduced in the autumn of 1976 the class 56 was arguably the first of the "second generation" of UK diesel locomotives. The first thirty locomotives (56001-56030) were sub-contracted by Brush to be built by Electroputere in Romania. However when delivered it was discovered that they suffered from poor construction standards and it would take months for each locomotive to be accepted into traffic. 56003 arrived at Harwich accompanied by 56004 on the 14th August 1976, however was not accepted into traffic by British Rail until the 28th February 1977. By July 1977 most of the Romanian class 56 locomotives had at last entered traffic and had taken over the Tinsley coal duties in the North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire coalfields. The poor construction standard proved to be an issue through out their life and many of the Romanian locomotives were withdrawn from service early, commencing with 56002 in April 1992 with most being withdrawn by the end of 1999. 56003 was one of the last of the Romanian built class 56 to go, being withdrawn in April 1999. After eight years awaiting its fate it was purchased in 2007 by Hanson Traction, overhauled at the Nene Valley Railway and re-instated to main line operation as 56312 re-entering service at the end of 2008. Since re-entering service 56312 has seen intermittent use and has since the end of 2010 been owned and operated by BARS as a result of the purchase of Hanson Traction.

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The remains of 44003 Skiddaw in the scrap yard at Derby works, 4th September 1976.

Locomotive History
44003 was originally D3 and was one of the ten pilot scheme type 4 locomotives (D1 – D10) built at Derby works in 1959 which became class 44. D3 was delivered to Camden in the four weeks ended October 3rd 1959. Initially used on passenger workings on the West Coast Main Line in May 1960 the ten locomotives were scattered up the West Coast Main Line for crew training, D1 to Longsight; D2 and D9 to Edge Hill; D3, D8 and D10 to Crewe; D5 and D6 to Carlisle. This was something of an odd move in light of the English Electric Type 4 (class 40) being the predominant diesel on the West Coast Main Line expresses and that the more powerful Peaks (class 45/46), soon to be delivered from Derby and Crewe and would end up almost everywhere but the West Coast Main Line. D3 was noted at Derby works for repairs during April - June 1961 and during this visit the gear ratio was changed from 61/17 to 57/22 bringing these locomotives in line with the newly appearing class 45 series. Tractive effort was lowered from 70,000lb to 55,000lb. This change and other internal electrical changes helped reduced the number of flashovers to the traction motors when operating at high speeds and was completed on the whole class by the end of 1961. Transferred in March 1962 to Toton , for use on heavy freight duties in the continuing dieselisation of freight traffic in the East Midlands. From here to withdrawal in July 1976 the class 44's would be synonymous with Toton, in general only working to the limits of the route knowledge of Toton's goods train drivers and usually on out & back turns. Its end came quickly as by the end of September 1976 it had been broken up, the first of the Class 44's so treated.

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Stored 31014 is stored in the yard at Stratford MPD a few weeks prior to withdrawal, 11th September 1976.

Locomotive History
31014 was originally D5514 and was one of the twenty Class 30 Pilot Scheme locomotives ordered by British Railways to replace steam traction. It was built by Brush at the Falcon works, Loughborough and was delivered in 1958. These twenty locomotives did not have the headcode box mounted on the roof above the cab, were "non-standard" in having Electro-Magnetic Multiple-Working control equipment (denoted by the orange circle clearly visible above each buffer) and limited to 80mph. They were allocated to East Anglian sheds throughout their service, ending there days allocated to Stratford. They were built with Mirrlees JVS12T 1250bhp engines and Brush electrical equipment, but the engines were not a success and in 1964 a programme of works commenced to re-engine the fleet with the 1470bhp English Electric 12SVT engines. The re-engined locomotives became Class 31/0 and being non standard with the rest of the class 31 fleet these twenty locomotives were early casualties with 31014 (along with 31001/07/09/10/11/12/16/18) being stored in May 1976. A few weeks after this photograph in November 1976 31014 was withdrawn. This was not the end for 31014 as it was converted into a non-powered carriage heating unit and re-numbered ADB968015 being used initially at Bounds Green/Ferme Park and finally at Yarmouth before being condemned in 1982. It was eventually broken up at Doncaster works in June 1983.

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A line up of class 20, 31, 37, 45 and 46 locomotives, between duties at Tinsley MPD, 5th September 1976

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