990 was built at Doncaster in 1898 at a cost of £2,522 to become the first 4-4-2 locomotive in Britain. It was the only locomotive on the GNR to carry a name after it was given the name of the general manager of the railway until 1922 when Gresley’s pacifics were introduced.
It was fitted with a standard smokebox door in 1903 and modified front frames in 1919. In 1922 the engine acquired a superheated boiler and piston valve gear.
It was withdrawn from service in October 1937 whilst based at Lincoln after completing 1,296,000 miles whilst in service.
When LNER 3990 Henry Oakley (GNR No. 990) was withdrawn at the end of 1937, it was restored to a GNR livery and placed in the York LNER Museum in January 1938. In 1953, the engine was restored to running condition and ran a series of specials with class C1 251 celebrating the centenary of Doncaster Works. 990 was steamed again in 1975 for the Stockton & Darlington 150th anniversary celebrations, before entering the National Railway Museum in 1975 as a part of the National Collection.
During the summer of 1977, Henry Oakley was loaned to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway to haul passenger trains. The visit was cut short by boiler problems just before it was due to travel to Doncaster Works.
It was loaned to Bressingham Steam Museum for a number of years where it was on static display.
| Home Base | Current Status | Owner |
| National Railway Museum at York | On static display | National Railway Museum NRM Object Number{1975-7001} |
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 