After World War 2, it was necessary to provide new locomotives to replace worn out equipment. So, when the railways were amalgamated into British Railways, the locomotive engineers were given the task "to compare existing techniques and standardise the best". From this came a range of twelve new classes of locomotives to suit different power requirements. The 2-6-4 tank design was intended for heavy mixed traffic duties, and 155 were built for service throughout Britain, of which almost 50 saw duties in Scotland.
In 1952, the first of the class in Scotland were allocated to Inverurie (replacing life-expired locomotives from the Great North of Scotland Railway on services to Ballater, Buchan and Aberdeen - Inverness) and to Polmadie and Corkerhill sheds in Glasgow for outer suburban traffic which extended even to Edinburgh (Princes Street), and to Carlisle (via Dumfries). Later arrivals were shedded at Dundee, Stirling and Perth (the latter working to Inverness). The class was also found at Dumfries, Hawick and Beattock (for banking assistance).
No.80105 was one of a batch which was set to work on the London, Tilbury and Southend section out of London Fenchurch St. It was displaced by electrification, after only 8 years service, to the Western Region for use on the Cambrian Coast sections. The locomotive was then based variously at Machynlleth, Shrewsbury and Croes Newydd, before final withdrawal in 1965, still in almost new condition and in no need of a heavy overhaul.
The locomotive was bought from Woodham's scrapyard in Barry, South Wales, in 1975 by a group of SRPS members. It is a mainstay of Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway services, but has also visited several other railways north and south of the border.
