Originally built in 1858 as an 0-4-0ST by Sharp, Stewart and Company for the North and South Western Junction Railway.
[2] It was quickly passed to the North London Railway (NLR) who numbered it 37; they renumbered it 29 in 1861 before placing it on the duplicate lst as 29A in 1872.
It was subsequently inherited by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) in January 1922, who allocated it the number 2896; and then in turn the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in January 1923.
[2] The LMS placed it on the duplicate list as 27217 in February 1935 before it finally passed to British Railways in 1948.
[3] When finally withdrawn in 1951, it was the oldest surviving standard gauge engine in service with British Railways.