It was originally designed for suburban passenger traffic on the Metropolitan City Lines.

[1] A prototype was built in 1903, but it was overweight, so it was rebuilt with a smaller boiler and shorter side tanks.

In 1905 and 1906, thirty more engines were built for working goods trains in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The original eleven engines were not a great success on passenger services so, in 1907, they were moved to the West Riding for goods work.

It is not known whether the condensing apparatus was removed from the original eleven when they were moved to the West Riding.