In the early 1970s, fifty were fitted with electric train supply in place of their steam-heating boilers and assigned to work services on the Midland Main Line from London St Pancras to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.

[6][page needed] From the early 1980s until their withdrawal c. 1988, the class were regular performers on the North Trans-Pennine line working services from Liverpool Lime Street to York, Scarborough or Newcastle via Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield and Leeds.

[14][page needed] 26 Class 45s were officially named by BR after various British Army regiments and the Royal Marines.

Withdrawn in March 1986 with a seized traction motor, for which repair was not authorised,[20] 45015 was heavily cannibalised for spares to keep other Class 45s working.

[citation needed] The locomotive was moved to Shackerstone, on the Battlefield Line Railway, in 2002, still with the intention of restoration to mainline standard, despite requiring a replacement engine to be found.

[21] In 2010 the host railway gave notice to the locomotive's owner that the still unrestored 45015 needed to move to a new site.