This locomotive was built by Kitson & Company in 1870 at Hunslet near Leeds for use of the contractor building the Wingen – Murrurundi section of the Northern Railway.
In 1872 the locomotive was sold to the NSW Railways for use on the Northern (Newcastle) division for coal trains, gaining the number 20N. The N stood for the Northern Division which was then isolated from Sydney until the completion of the first Hawkesbury River bridge in 1889. The locomotive acquired the name The Buck at some time during the 1870s. The NSW Railway employed the locomotive to haul coal trains.
At this stage the locomotive was noticed by the J & A Brown Company who operated a coal mining empire in the Hunter Valley and had its own railway to transport coal between the collieries. The Browns were so impressed with the locomotive that they approached the NSW Government railways and offered to purchase it. The government initially decline this offer, but in 1891 the Locomotive was sold to the Browns and began working on the Richmond Vale Railway. It then carried the number 4 and was used to haul trains between Hexham and Minmi.
J & A Brown were so impressed with the suitability of this locomotive when it worked on the NSW railways that they ordered a repeat locomotive from Kitson (Works No 2236) before acquiring this locomotive. 2236 became No 3 at J & A Brown and is preserved at the Dorrigo Steam Railway & Museum.
Some time later J & A Brown purchased some larger locomotives for coal haulage duties and the Buck became a regular shunter of the coal staithes at Hexham. It was finally withdrawn in 1967 and set aside at Hexham.
The steam locomotives owned by J & A Brown were stored until 1973 when owners indicated that they were available for sale and disposal. At this stage the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) purchase 20N / No.4 for preservation.
In 1983 it was shunted onto the long-term storage sidings, away from public viewing. In 2004 group of volunteers then began the process of cosmetically restoring the locomotive which was moved into the exhibit shed to shelter it from the elements. By 2008 de-rusting and repainting appeared substantially complete, with the locomotive painted unlined black with red side rods.
At the end of August 2008, the locomotive was moved to the Broadmeadow roundhouse for storage whilst the NSWRTM upgrade was undertaken.
After being restored for static display at the Hunter Valley Training Company in East Greta the locomotive was placed on display in the new Newcastle Museum which is housed in the restored Honeysuckle Workshops on the Hunter River foreshore in downtown Newcastle.
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