This locomotive was built by Beyer, Peacock & Company at Gorton, Manchester in 1929 for the South African Railways.
In 1947 the locomotive was selected to haul the Royal Train between Glencoe and Piet Retief.
The locomotive was allocated to the National Collection of the South African Railway Museum.
It was housed in the Greyville Locomotive Depot in Durban at the time and the locomotive Foreman there was asked to prepare the locomotive so that it could be towed to Germiston Locomotive Depot. His response was that no engine would leave his Depot under haulage and that he would have it prepared to steam and travel up to Germiston under its own power, which it did in due course.
The development of the planned new museum was shelved indefinitely and the condition of the locomotive gradually deteriorated where it stood at Germiston. Some eight years later, in 1983 the Science & Industry Museum. Manchester after failing to acquire East African Railways 59 class 5930, because of high shipping costs, asked if it could acquire the engine. This request was granted and with the help of shipping sponsors, it duly arrived back in Manchester.
By the time it was shipped to England, it was shorn of around two hundred parts including its right-hand-side ashpan and much of its brick arch.
The locomotive is now on static display at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
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