5553 was built at Swindon in 1928 and allocated to Bristol Bath Road where it remained until 1947.
BR motive power depot allocations since 1948.
| Date Arrived | Depot |
| January 1948 | Bristol Bath Road |
| May 1948 | Yatton |
| July 1948 | Bristol Bath Road |
| December 1958 | Machynlleth |
| November 1960 | St Blazey |
It was withdrawn in November 1961 whilst at St Blazey and sold for scrap to Woodham Brothers.
It was the last locomotive to leave Barry in January 1990 when it was transported to the Dean Forest Railway. Having spent nearly 28 years in the scrapyard (March 1962 – January 1990) it holds the record for being the longest resident there.
In 1990 it was bought by the Waterman Trust (founded by Pete Waterman) and restored to working order in 2002. It was based on the West Somerset Railway but was moved to Crewe to be overhauled after a decade of service.
Following Pete Waterman selling his facility at Crewe 5553 has moved to Peak Rail at Rowsley to undertake the overhaul.
In January 2020 the locomotive was placed back in its wheels for the first time in two years. At this stage there were still some issues to resolve before hydraulic and steam tests could be undertaken. It was hoped that the steam tests would be completed by April 2020.
Following overhaul 5553 will run at Peak rail but may later be hired out for use elsewhere.
In December 2021 the locomotive hauled its first revenue earning train after being returned to steam in October following completion of its overhaul.
| Home Base | Current Status | Owner |
| Peak Rail | Operational | Pete Waterman – The Waterman Railway Heritage Trust |
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 