The Great Southern Railways (GSR) 222/234 Classes 0-6-0 originated from 2 batches of 3 locomotives built for the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway (WLWR) by Kitson with a contract payment dispute resulting in the final two members going to Midland Great Western Railway becoming MGWR Class W.[1][2] This class was a set of 2 batches of 3 locomotives for the WLWR designed by John G. Robinson.
The final two of the batch were held back on a payment dispute issue from the WLWR amalgamation into the GSWR in 1901 and opportunely purchased by the MGWR in the meanwhile.
[2] Upon the 1901 amalgation the WLWR locomotives were renumbered 222, 237, 238 and 239 and retained those numbers with the merger into the Great Southern Railways (GSR) in 1925.
As of 1948[update] it was considered their maximum haulage load was 8 wagons less than the GSR standard goods.
MGWR locomotive 141 seemed slated for early withdrawal leaving 142 to become the only member of GSR Class 234.