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These locomotives, with a 1Co-Co1 wheel arrangement, had a 2300hp Sulzer 12LDA28B diesel engine and Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment.

Preserved 44008 at Boat of Garten, May 1982 Photo by big55012

Ten locos were built in 1959-1960, originally numbered D1-D10, all were named after hills in northern England or Wales. Together with the similar Class 45 and 46 locomotives, they became known as Peaks.
From May 1960 the locos worked on the WCML alongside English Electric class 40s, with locos based at Camden, Crewe North and Carlisle Upperby.
The diesels were often found on Crewe - Perth workings, with a fill-in turn to Aberdeen, coming back to Perth with the 02.15am fish, or a passenger turn if it was Saturday. Although mostly an English Electric Type 4 turn, this did provide the sight of an occasional BR/Sulzer Type 4 at Aberdeen. During August 1960 Type 4's also starting working through to Glasgow Central on WCML passenger services from Carlisle.
In the Spring of 1962 the ten locos were reallocated to Toton and visits to Scotland ended.

44008 (previously D8 'Penyghent') was withdrawn along with the other two remaining Class 44s in November 1980 and stored at Toton.
Since August 1979 it had featured a light grey roof and lower bodyside stripe on its BR blue livery.
The loco was displayed at the Glasgow Works Open Day on 27 June 1981, after arriving from the south the previous day. After the event it was hauled north to the Strathspey Railway at Aviemore by 'Black 5' steam loco 5025.
During its time on the Strathspey Railway 44008 was non-operational. By May 1982 the loco had been moved from Aviemore to Boat of Garten.
In 1986 44008 was back at Aviemore and was given a coat of green paint.
The loco was sold to the North Notts Locomotive Group, and at the end of January 1987 began its move, by rail, south to a new home at Peak Rail, Matlock in Derbyshire, where restoration work was carried out.

Class 44