At the time, the steel boiler was built to a non-standard design that could not be exchanged with any other class of locomotive.

[1][page needed] Worsdell gave the Class A some design features that would become characteristic of most NER locos from then on.

These included a tapered chimney, a brass cover for the safety valves and a large protective cab.

During their life with the LNER they were mostly kept around Tyneside, Teesside, Hull and Leeds where they handled lightweight traffic.

It was condemned on 22 April 1938 and the class slipped into history with none being preserved.