The class D55, designated K1353 before 1924, was a 2-8-0 „Consolidation” goods locomotive introduced by the NSWGR in 1918. It had the same boiler as the older class TF939 or D53 after this had been superheated. The main difference to the D53 was that the D55 used Southern valve gear. At the same time, it was the first large locomotive in New South Wales that had its valve gear on the outside. After the prototype had been completed by Clyde Engineering in 1918, it took two years for the mass production to start. The first 91 were built with superheaters of the railway's own design and 29 more received Schmidt superheaters. The last 30 locomotives were also fitted with self-cleaning smokeboxes. Production was finished in 1925 after 120 locomotives, although the initial order had been for 300.
To ensure sufficient supplies, these locomotives were coupled to large “Wampu” tenders with 13 tons of coal. Two locomotives were chosen to run mail trains and were equipped with special balanced coupled wheels. Later all received new boilers with slightly more firebox heating surface and a Schmidt superheater. During the coal crisis that started in 1946, 70 locomotives were converted to burn oil with tenders which could carry 2,400 gallons of oil. Further modifications added heating equipment to the tenders so that they now could also burn crude oil. When enough coal was available again, most oil-fired locomotives were withdrawn and 16 were converted back to coal. The last member of this class was withdrawn in 1967.
