Built by Ashford Works between
February 1909 and June 1910 and were designed for push-pull service to replace
the underpowered steam railmotors that had been purchased in 1905 & 1906 for
lightly loaded branch lines. They proved only slightly more successful than the
railmotors but became useful engines on other duties.
Wainwright had been impressed by
the LBSCR Terriers, unfortunately in an effort to keep building costs down,
several dimensions were scaled down and these economies resulted in a locomotive
with only 73% of a Terrier's tractive effort. All of the class were re-allocated
to light shunting or shed pilots by 1913.
Four of the class passed into preservation, 50% of
those built, 3 are located on the Bluebell Railway and this one No. 1556, on the K&ESR.
