48624 is unique in 8F preservation in that it is the only surviving Southern Railway built example, being part of a Railway Executive Committee order completed in 1943 at Ashford Works. The locomotive spent its entire working life allocated to Willesden Shed and is not thought to have led to harsh a life, evidenced by the lack of the normal main frame repair around the Main Driving Wheel seen on almost all other preserved 8F’s, although the locomotive’s steel tyres are very close to requiring replacement. The locomotive was withdrawal from traffic in July 1965 with a suspected fractured internal main steam pipe.
It was then sold to Woodham Brotheres and entered the scrapyard in Barry in October 1965 and stayed there until July 1981
The locomotives tender is not the one it went into Barry with, as this was sold one on elsewhere, so the locomotive was purchased without one. The tender now attached to 48624 is from Black 5 44888, which was withdrawn in August 1968 after it attended the Derby Works open day. The locomotive was then scrapped, but the tender remained with British Railways and went, coincidently, to Willesden Shed for use as a water carrier. It was then purchased by the Severn Valley Railway as a spare, before the 48624 group acquired it. However, the number the tender currently carries is that of the tender the locomotive last carried in British Rail service.
After 28 years of hard work (virtually all of which was carried out in the open air) by dedicated volunteers, (there are Brass plaques on the Smokebox Saddle to commemorate all the people who worked on the restoration) the locomotive returned to traffic in May 2009 at Peak Rail, before arriving at the Great Central Railway in March 2011.
For a number of years it was painted in a fictional British Rail Crimson livery which was the source of much controversy with rail enthusiasts.
It was withdrawn from service in July 2019 when the boiler certificate expired.
| Home Base | Current Status | Owner |
| Great Central Railway | Awaiting overhaul | 48624 Locomotive Company Limited |
- 48151 (LMS 8151 & BR 48151)
- 48173 (LMS 8173 & BR 48173)
- 48305 (LMS 8303 & BR 48305)
- 48431 (LMS 8431 & BR 48431)
- 48518 (LMS 8518 & BR 48518)
- 48773 (WD 307, LMS 8233, Iranian State Rly 41.109, WD 70307, WD 500 & BR 48773)
- TCCD 45160 (WD 70348, LMS 8274 & TCCD 45160)
- 7TCCD 45170
- Preserved Overseas – TCCD 45161, TCCD 45166, TCCD 45168 & IRR1429
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 