This locomotive was built by Manning Wardle & Company at Hunslet near Leeds in 1916. It was one of five identical locomotives built to their standard designs of industrial & construction locomotives imported by the NSW Public Works Department.
From 1889 to 1917 railway construction was the responsibility of the Public Works Department (PWD) who ordered the five locomotives. After 1910 its biggest job was building the North Coast Line between Taree and South Grafton. This was done from both directions and in isolated sections in-between. In 1916 the PWD ordered five small saddle tank locomotives from Manning Wardle to help with the work on the North Coast and, as they were standard designs from a specialist manufacturer, delivery was quick, despite the war raging in Europe.
In 1917 the responsibility for railway construction returned to the New South Wales Government Railway (NSWGR). At this time the other four locomotives were sold to private buyers who obtained new locomotives at bargain prices. This locomotive which had been numbered 1212 was renumbered 1021 under NSEGR ownership in 1924 as part of the NSWGR locomotive re-classification and included in the X10 class. The X10 class included a number of different types of engines including small 0-4-0 and 2-4-0 tank locomotives. All types of duplicates, yard and depot locomotives, crane locomotives and accident cranes and special equipment were classified as the X10 class. Many were purchased from other government agencies and private lines. As such, this was an extremely diverse group of locomotives.
In the early 1970s the locomotive was cosmetically restored by New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) volunteers. It was then painted in the blue livery it is thought to have carried whilst employed at Cardiff Works but this faded during the locomotives period on display in the open air at Thirlmere.
In 2010 funding was provided by RailCorp which enabled the locomotive to be refurbished in the new workshops at Thirlmere prior to it being placed on display at Thirlmere.
A similar Manning Wardle & Company locomotive (Works No 1781) is preserved at the Powerhouse Museum.
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