This locomotive was built by Beyer Peacock in Manchester in 1886 for the Mersey Railway in Liverpool. It was one of nine such class 1 engines.
The Mersey Railway opened between Green Lane station in Birkenhead and James Street station in Liverpool in 1886, via Birkenhead Central and Hamilton Square stations, both in Birkenhead. In 1888 a branch to Birkenhead Park station opened, with a connection to the Wirral Railway. This was followed in 1891 by an extension from Green Lane to Rock Ferry with a connection to the Birkenhead Railway. In 1892 the tunnel was extended from James Street to a new Low Level station at Liverpool Central. The total length of the tunnel was 3.12 miles and by 1890 it was carrying 10 million passengers a year.
The severe gradients out of the tunnel at each end (1 in 27 and 1 in 30) required extremely powerful steam locomotives but they proved an uncomfortable way to travel underground and as a result were not very popular. Condensers were fitted to convert the engine’s exhaust steam back into water and so prevent the tunnel being filled with steam. Unfortunately, these caused operational problems and smoke was still a problem.
To counteract this problem the Mersey Railway was the first steam railway in Britain to be converted to electric traction in May 1903.
The steam locomotives were sold off and four to J. & A. Brown of New South Wales, Australia including works number 2601. The others remained in Britain and works number 2605 Cecil Raikes is now preserved in Liverpool.
The locomotives sold to J & A Brown had their condensing gear removed as part of an overhaul in Britain before they were shipped to Australia
2601 which was the first locomotive of the class supplied to the Mersey Railway carried the name The Major and in was the last to be taken out of service after the electrification of the railway. It was retained on the Mersey Railway until 1908 for standby duties following the electrification in 1903.
In New South Wales the locomotive retained the name The Major but then carried the number 5 when it worked on the Richmond Vale Railway.
It was withdrawn from service on the Richmond Vale Railway in 1942 following boiler problems. It was placed in store at the Fodder Shed near Wallace Creek, where it remained until 1967 when towed to Hexham pending disposal. Here it ostensibly served as a buffer stop for several years.
The locomotive was purchased for preservation by the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) in 1973 but due to a lack of funds it was placed on display in 1975 at Thirlmere in the derelict state that it had been in after years of storage in the open.
In 1983 the locomotive was shunted onto the long-term storage sidings away from public viewing where it received some black-oiling and lubrication in 1989. The rotten front buffer beam was also rebuilt in order to permit safe shunting.
In 2020 it was reported that there were plans to restore the locomotive and put it on static display in the NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 