Rising passenger numbers in the late 1840s prompted the Stockton & Darlington to order two 2-4-0 locomotives from William and Alfred Kitching. This company operated the Hope Town Foundry at Darlington. They were delivered in 1848 and numbered 58 and 59, with the names “Woodlands” and “Hallgarth”. The frames were both inside and outside of the wheels and the cylinders were on the inside.
Locomotive Magazine noted that their boiler pressure was high for that time at 120 psi, but it is also possible that this number applied to a new boiler fitted later. Later they were also rebuilt with partial cabs and cylinders with a diameter of 16 instead of 15 inches. The photo also taken from Locomotive Magazine shows a locomotive numbered 1068 by the NER. Although the NER had increased the numbers of most S&D locomotives by 1000, the general appearance suggests that it really was the old No. 58 and not No. 68 “Brunswick” built by Gilkes Wilson and Company.
The economical running of these two locomotives led to two more being built in 1855 which had the same design, but were somewhat heavier. These were No. 98 “Pierremont” and No. 101 “Marske”. Their boiler pressure was given with 100 psi. 98 was the first one to be withdrawn in 1876, followed by 58 in 1877. 59 and 101 were gone in 1881 and 1882, respectively.
