Built at Swindon in 1918 at a cost of £5,948 (including £956 for the tender). It was the last locomotive to be repaired at Stafford Road Works in Wolverhampton when it left there in February 1964.
Motive power depot allocations.
| Date Arrived | Depot |
| May 1918 | Southall |
| September 1922 | Old Oak Common |
| November 1923 | Newport Ebbw Junction |
| May 1927 | Severn Tunnel Junction |
| March 1929 | St Phillips Marsh |
| November 1931 | Old Oak Common |
| November 1933 | Reading |
| December 1934 | Southall |
| October 1936 | St Phillips Marsh |
| May 1951 | Severn Tunnel Junction |
| February 1957 | Cardiff Canton |
| March 1957 | Severn Tunnel Junction |
| July 1957 | Cardiff Canton |
| February 1959 | Severn Tunnel Junction |
| December 1959 | Pontypool Road |
| July 1964 | Cardiff east Dock |
| October 1964 | Southall |
It was withdrawal at the end of 1964 after covering 1,345,561 miles in service. 2859 was then moved to Woodham Brothers scrapyard where it remained until 1987 when it was bought by the GWR Loco Group and was moved to the Llangollen Railway where it remains in scrapyard condition.
In 2017 it was put up for sale to pay for work on 5532 which was also owned by Llangollen Railway Great Western Locomotive Group.
The 2859 Locomotive Group was formed, as a limited company, to purchase and restore 2859. The aim is to raise £40,000 by the end of August 2018 to buy the locomotive. Up to a quarter of a million pounds will then be needed to restore 2859. The prospective new owners are targeting 2029 as a date to have the locomotive running again.
The locomotive was however sold in October 2017 to Paul Walley who is the managing director of water treatment company Cambi UK which is based in Congleton. The locomotive (minus tender and many parts) was sold for £38,000 after considering three purchase offers made for 2859. The locomotive was moved at the end of 2017 to Cambi works at Congleton. The initial aim of the new owner is to have the locomotive back in steam in 2024.
| Home Base | Current Status | Owner |
| Congleton | Under restoration | Paul Walley |
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 