This locomotive was built in 1911 by Hawthorn Leslie. It has two 12in x 18in outside cylinders and 3ft 0.5in diameter driving wheels. It was supplied to Keighley Corporation Gas Dept, Keighley Gas Works.
Around 1940 it was sold to the Ministry of Supply, Royal Ordnance Factory site at Drungans at Cargenbridge. The sale was done via George Cohen, Sons & Co Ltd acting as dealers.
Drungans site at The plant was built in 1939 to produce explosives for Second Word War and commissioned by The Ministry of Supply in January 1941. At peak wartime production there was a workforce of 1350.
The factory was later taken over by ICI Ltd, Nobel Division, who moved it to their Grangeston Factory at Girvan, Ayrshire in 1949. After 1954, they moved it to their Powfoot Factory at Annan in Dumfriesshire where it was numbered No.2.
Nobels Explosives later took over the factory and it arrived at Marley Hill on the Tanfield Railway in June 1976.
It was returned to steam in the 1980s and operated until withdrawn from service in 1997. Initially it was stored before all of its tubes were removed. In July 2005 it was loaned to Locomotion at Shildon where it was put on static display until January 2006 when it returned to the Tanfield Railway where it was placed in storage.
In 2009 the locomotive was moved into the main shed at Marley Hill in order for overhaul to commence. The work was substantial and included the fitting of a new firebox as well as undertaking a thorough mechanical overhaul.
In September 2012, No.2 was steamed at Marley Hill for the first time following the overhaul and following re-commissioning tests entered service again in March 2013.
The locomotive remains operational on the Tanfield Railway.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 