Built in 1919, No. ‘4270’ spent most of her career based close to Cardiff. The heavy design of the 4200 Class with eight driving wheels and only two leading wheels gave these locomotives the superb traction required to haul coal trains weighing in excess of 1,000 tons over the steep gradients of the Welsh valleys. These locomotives almost never saw passenger service, instead running from the Valleys to the ports on the South Wales coast, day after day. Because they could only carry 6,800 litres of water, the class became known as ‘water carts’ as they would have to stop frequently to pick up water at stations.

‘4270’ was retired in 1962 and made a final, short journey, from Cardiff to Barry Scrapyard where she was to languish until 1985. It was not however until 2014 that she returned to steam after a four year overhaul. ‘4270’ is now based on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway.