Class 44 run-down
It was initially envisaged that the Class 44s would be withdrawn as early as 1969. There was even a suggestion that they, and some Class 24s, might be sold for use in the Middle East! Needless to say, neither happened.
As it transpired, it was not until 1976 when BR started to trim its fleet again that the axe started to fall on the non-standard traction within its fleet. It must be stressed, however, while the ‘44s’ were indeed non-standard, they still had a lot of similarity – and interchangeability of parts – with the other ‘Peaks’. Aside from mass withdrawals of Class 24s from 1975, inroads in the mid-1970s were made into vacuum-braked locomotives of Classes 20, 26, 27, 31/0, 40 and the first ‘44s’.
The first ‘Peak’ laid up was 44003 in April 1976, although its official condemnation was July 17, some three months after it was stored. 44001 followed on October 30 and 44006 on January 25 1977 and 44010 on June 18.
This left 44002/004/005/007/008/009 and they lingered on for a little while longer. The withdrawal of 44005 was on April 30 1978, followed by 44002 on February 1 1979 and 44009 on March 1 1979 leaving just three in traffic; 44004/007/008 and it would be another 18 months before all three were finally condemned on November 30 1980.
Luckily, by that time, the diesel preservation movement was gaining momentum, and 44004/008 were both sold for restoration, and both survive today.
The other eight locomotives were all scrapped at Derby Works, with 44003 the first to be dismantled, in August 1976, the month after it was condemned. In February 1977 the pioneer ‘Peak’ 44001 was scrapped – a shame as it would have been an ideal candidate for preservation while, during the same month, 44006 was also broken up. The last to be scrapped was 44007, which was dismantled in November 1981.
Many parts were reused on
Class 45s/46s, including bogies, while the traction motors were the same as those used in Class 26s, with a number of reclaimed units sent to Scotland to support the Type 2 Bo-bos.