The class was created during the tenures of William P. Reid (Locomotive Superintendent) and Walter Chalmers (Chief Draughtsman) by rebuilding three earlier types, the "574", "633", and "729",[1] which had all been designed by Matthew Holmes, and shared many features in common.
The common nickname "Abbotsfords" for the D27 and D28 locomotives is derived from the name of engine 479 (the fourth built).
[1] All three types were reconstructed under Locomotive Supintendant William Reid, to form the Class M, with a total of 48 engines.
The NBRs earlier Abbotsford 4-4-0 locomotives (built 1877–1879) had been the railway's initial experiment with powerful express 4-4-0 engines, designed by Dugald Drummond.
The "Waverley" class 4-4-0 was featured on the second of four commemorative stamps issued by Royal Mail in 1975 entitled Famous British Railway Locomotives, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.