[2] The locomotives were designed to burn peat, but they did not perform well and were put into storage after only a few years of work.

The 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) gauge Talyllyn Railway in Wales experienced a significant growth in passenger numbers in the late 1960s, and sought additional motive power to handle the extra traffic.

In 1969 the railway purchased one of the Bord na Móna's Barclay locomotives with the intention of regauging it.

In the late 1980s, work started to build a new locomotive using the boiler, driving wheels, cylinders and other parts from Irish Pete.

The character Ivo Hugh in The Railway Series books is based on Tom Rolt.