This locomotive was built in 1948 for the National Copal Board (NCB) to the design used for Port of London Authority (PLA) locomotives with 16 inch outside cylinders.
It was based in the Durham area had has worked at Horden and Thrislington Collieries. It was given the number NCB 140.
It moved to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway from Horden in the 1970s when it was in a very rusty condition after being out of use for many years. The restoration work required was therefore extensive and included new side tanks.
At the time of its restoration, one of the certified ‘Thomas’ locomotives was withdrawn, meaning that there was a shortage of these little blue locomotives. A decision was made to finish 140 as Thomas until the railway’s new Thomas (Hudswell Clarke 1450 Dorothy) was completed. The result of this is that the railway had a very popular and powerful Thomas, which went to a lot of other railways, clocking up a very respectable mileage.
With the completion of Thomas (Hudswell Clarke 1450 Dorothy), 140 was able to enter traffic properly at Embsay, where it proved to be powerful locomotive if not necessarily the smoothest.
In 2005 the locomotive visited the Foxfield Railway but was then out of service for much of 2006 bas it needed a new smokebox door. It returned to service at the end of 2006 and then visited the East Lancs Railway before being withdrawn from service again in 2008.
The locomotive remains at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway where it is waiting a ten year overhaul.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 