This locomotive was built as a X2 class locomotive by Peckett & Sons in 1920. It is one of 52 of this type built between 1906 and 1940. It is the only surviving Peckett that was built with inside cylinders.
It was delivered new delivered new to Featherstone & Hemsworth Collieries in West Yorkshire. The locomotive spent its entire working life at Featherston where it became Ackton Hall No 3 after it was rebuilt and moved there in 1941. The name is taken from the name of the home of the Featherstone family and the colliery of that name that was opened in 1873. The Featherston Main Colliery which had opened in 1866 was nearby.
Ackton Hall Colliery was opened in 1873 close to the Featherstone Main Colliery which had opened in 1866.
Featherstone gained attention in 1893 during the national lockout of mine workers due to low coal prices and over production. Soldiers fired on a crowd who were demonstrating at the colliery gates, killing two instantly.
The nationalisation of the UK coal mining industry saw the locomotive absorbed into the new National Coal Board (NCB) in January 1947. It is believed that the colliery manager treated the locomotive as a sort of colliery pet and thus it continued in service alongside much-later-built Hunslet products, dating from the 1940s and 1950s. A major firebox repair was completed as late as the 1960s, but this was not wholly a success and by early 1971 the locomotive was lying out of use.
Apart from some cosmetic attention, no serious moves were made to restore the locomotive and eventually it moved to the Kent & East Sussex Railway.
By 1972 the locomotive was lying out of use.
It started its life in preservation at the KWVR but did not stay long before it moved to the Llangollen Railway.
The next home for the engine was the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway but still no restoration work was undertaken
The locomotive then went to the National Coal Mining Museum where it sat outside in all weathers.
It was acquired by the Foxfield Railway in July 2015 from the National Coal Mining Museum.
The locomotive is now being restored at the Foxfield Railway to its pre NCB livery.
In late 2018 an appeal was launched to raise funds to restore the locomotive with a view to it being back in steam for its centenary in 2020.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 