In its short life, the Midland Counties Railway bought nearly fifty steam locomotives from a number of manufacturers.
Initially, outside-cylindered engines were ordered because of the frequency of crank axle breakage with inside cylinders.
Butterley Company, Derbyshire (renamed Bee in 1841) Ariel hauled one of the inaugural trains from Nottingham to Derby, following Sunbeam.
Nevertheless, the Butterley locos would not appear to have been satisfactory, since the railway refused to pay for them until the end of 1841.
Jones, Turner and Evans, Newton-le-Willows Four coupled: Stark and Fulton, Glasgow Edward Bury and Company, Liverpool Leopard hauled the inaugural train from Nottingham to Leicester Four Coupled Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company, Patricroft (presumably bought as a freight engine) William Fairbairn & Sons, Liverpool (renamed Shark in 1842/3) Benjamin Hick and Sons, Bolton Vivid, which opened the line from Leicester to Rugby, was a contractor's locomotive.