Railway Engine Steam Train Birthday Card of 9F British Railways by Railway Artist Philip D. Hawkins

The workhorse of British Railways later steam years, the 9F was conceived as a large freight engine for working large loads at reasonably high speeds. In this the design team succeeded admirably and it was found that the class were also well-suited to passenger work, something that has greatly helped the ones in preservation.

In one of the most ill-managed procurement programmes ever to be put in place, new locomotives were still being built up to 1960, when 92220 'Evening Star' became the last steam locomotive built in Britain. This programme was ill-conceived as withdrawals of the class began in 1964, with the result that even the oldest of the class had only seen ten years service.