This locomotive was built by Black, Hawthorn & Co in 1873 for Walter Scott in Newcastle who was a specialist railway and public works contractor. It had 12inch x 19inch outside cylinders, 3foot 2inch diameter wheels, a boiler pressure of 140lb/psi, Stephenson valve gear and a tractive effort of 7,366lb. It was given the name Wellington.
By 1894 it had been sold to Holwell Ironworks Ltd at Melton Mowbray where it was renamed Holwell No.3. It was rebuilt at the end of 1894 and moved to Holwell Iron Co Ltd in South Witham Limeworks in Lincolnshire.
The locomotive was rebuilt again in 1912.
In about 1912 the locomotive was moved to Stanton Ironworks Co Ltd at Buckminster Ironstone Quarries in Lincolnshire, where it was loaned to Frodingham Iron & Steel Co Ltd at Colsterworth East Mines in Lincolnshire on several occasions between 1921 and 1926.
It was rebuilt for the fourth time at Holwell in 1935. Stanton moved it to Eaton Ironstone Quarries in Leicestershire in 1939 and to Harlaxton Ironstone Quarries in 940. In 1946 it was sold to Bowne & Shaw Ltd at Wirksworth Limestone Quarries in Derbyshire. The new owners here were Tarmac Roadstone Holdings Ltd and it shared duties here with a more modern 0-4-0ST. The locomotive was in regular use here until the 1970s and was the oldest working steam locomotive in the country.
In November 1977 it moved to the Tanfield Railway at Marley Hill for preservation and saw regular use there, on both passenger and demonstration freight trains (some of which included Black Waggons, with which Wellington looks very good indeed. In addition to regular tasks, Wellington was also used on Permanent Way trains, and saw use during the ballast laying process on the Sunniside Section of the railway.
During its time in service, the locomotive was the oldest working steam locomotive in the world (Furness Railway No 20 was not operational at the time).
In July 1998, Wellington moved to Beamish Museum and was displayed there for eight years. After this the locomotive returned to the Tanfield Railway where was stored for a number of years.
In September 2019 the locomotive was moved from the Tanfield Railway to a privately run workshop at Leeming Bar on the Wensleydale Railway for a contract overhaul.
The locomotive returned to the Tanfield Railway in May 2021.
As of the summer of 2020 the locomotive was undergoing an overhaul at the Wensleydale Railway.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 