| Weight | 42t |
| Driving Wheels | 5ft 6ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 140psi |
| Cylinders | Outside – 19in x 26in |
| Tractive Effort | 16,920lbf |
In 1886 Vulcan Foundry at Newton le Willows built 12 locomotives for the New South Wales Government Railway. They entered service in 1887 as H373 class locomotives.
The locomotives were judged to be inferior to the L304 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in the USA.
The Vulcan Foundry locomotives proved unpopular with both locomotive crews because of rough riding and track maintenance staff because of their high axle load.
They were soon displaced from mainline working and relegated to branch line work following the arrival of the P6 class (C32 class). In 1905/06, new boilers with Belpaire fireboxes were fitted, the smokeboxes shortened and the cylinder diameter reduced.
As part of the NSWGR reclassification in 1924 the locomotives were grouped as the Z17 class.
This locomotive was originally numbered H381 until the reclassification in 1924 which renumbered it as 1709.
It was retained in service in the early 1960s for Vintage Train duties.
The locomotive then passed into the care of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum at their Enfield Roundhouse base. Around 1975 the locomotive was withdrawn from service and placed on static display at Thirlmere.
In 1994 the locomotive was restored for use in the celebration of 140 years of NSW Railways during the following years. In 2005 the locomotive was steamed again to participate in the NSW Railways’150 years celebrations.
The locomotive is now on static display at Trainworks at Thirlmere where it remains in nominally operational condition.
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