This locomotive was built by Hudswell Clarke in 1917 for the Inland Waterways & Docks. It worked at the Richborough Military Port in Kent after which it gained the name Richboro. From Richborough supplies were sent to the British Expeditionary Force in France, involving the world’s first roll on-roll off ferry vessel.
It was sold to W Craig & Sons at Ifton Colliery in Shropshire in 1926 and then came under National Coal Board ownership upon nationalisation in January 1947. Here it worked on the two mile branch between the pit and the BR exchange sidings at Western Rhyn on the Shrewsbury to Chester line.
It was transferred to Gresford Colliery, near Wrexham in December 1969. It remained there out of use until after the colliery closed in November 1973.
The locomotive sold to the Llangollen Railway and moved there in February 1976.
At Llangollen it stood outside the Dapol factory for a number of years. It was sold to Mick Fairnington at Wooler where it was restored before going to the B’oness and Kinneil Railway in Scotland for a short period.
It then moved to the Aln Valley Railway where major boiler on it was completed in 2017. It entered traffic in December 2017.
In the Autumn of 2018 the Aln Valley Railway raised an appeal for £75,000 to purchase the locomotive from Michael Farrington. The £75,000 was to cover that part of the price that had not already been paid.
In March 2019 the locomotive hauled the first steam working over the 135 yard seven-arch Crawledge Viaduct on the Alnwick branch since June 1966.
In May 2020 it was reported that the Aln Valley Railway had completed the purchase of the locomotive.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 