9629 was completed at Swindon Works at the end of 1945 with boiler 8743 installed. It was allocated to Cardiff Canton shed. In 1946 the engine underwent a light overhaul at Caerphilly depot from where it was returned to Cardiff. After covering 91,447 miles 9629 was sent to Caerphilly in 1949 for its first heavy general overhaul. It had another heavy overhaul in 1953 at Swindon after covering 187,949 miles. Upon completion of the overhaul 9629 was allocated to Exeter. The next heavy overhaul was undertaken at Swindon in 1957 by which time the recorded mileage had risen to 280,872 miles. During this overhaul the original boiler was replaced by boiler 8716.9629 then went to Oswestry shed.
The fourth Heavy overhaul of 9629 took place at Easleigh depot in 1961 by which time the mileage was recorded at 385,188 miles. The boiler was again exchanged with boiler 7922 being fitted. The following year 9629 went to Cardiff East Dock shed which had been closed in 1958 but reopened in 1962, it would appear, purely for the purposes of utilising the last steam engines in the area and as a disposal point prior to scrapping.
Records show that in March 1964, 9629 was allocated to Ponypool Road shed but that shed’s records do not record it arriving. It is assumed that although 9629 was allocated to Pontypool it remained on the siding in Cardiff.
9629 was withdrawn in 1964 and sent to Barry scrapyard in 1965. In 1981 it went to Steamtown, Carnforth for a five year cosmetic restoration before being on static display outside the Holiday Inn, Cardiff for nine years. The owners (Marriot Hotel Group) donated it to the Pontypool & Blaenavon Locomotive Group in 1995.
Blaenavon Industrial Landscape was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000 in recognition of the exceptional testimony to the dynamic forces that drove the Industrial Revolution that is told through the areas heritage assets. The main attractions are the Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon Ironworks, the World Heritage Centre and Blaenavon Heritage Railway.
9629 is now undergoing restoration at Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, and its original boiler was acquired in 2012.
The cylinder blocks were successfully hydraulically tested at Williton in August 2016 following repairs to a crack.
In August 2023 it was noted that the locomotive had been put up for sale in a largely unrestored state.
In November 2023 it was reported that the locomotive had been acquired by Leaky finders Ltd who are based at Exeter.
The engineering specialists Leaky Finders Ltd, from Exeter in Devon, who have many years of experience in boiler making, machining, fabrication and painting of steam locomotives, has now acquired its own locomotive in the form of Great Western Railway 5700 Class 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive No. 9629.
The locomotive was built at the famous GWR works at Swindon in 1945, and saw service at depots in South Wales at Cardiff Canton, Cardiff East Dock, and Pontypool Road, as well as at Oswestry in Shropshire and Exeter in Devon. Its last depot was at Pontypool Road, from where it was withdrawn from British Railways service in October 1964.
Although 9629 escaped the cutter’s torch at the now infamous Barry scrap yard and was saved for preservation, since then it has never been steamed.
The new owners are very fortunate that 9629’s previous owners amassed a considerable amount of the components necessary to bring it back into service, as well spares and many of the wooden patterns that are necessary in order to be able to cast new components.
Over the next few weeks Leaky Finders expects to take delivery of both locomotive and the assortment of parts at its Exeter workshops. Once restored, 9629 will feel at home as Exeter was its home for seven years in British Railways days.
The intention is that it will be offered for hire
| Home Base | Current Status | Owner |
| Unknown | Under restoration | Leaky Finders Ltd |
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 