The class V of the Great North of Scotland was the direct successor of the class T, one of the changes being the larger side-window cab. It was a 4-4-0 express locomotive with drivers of 6 ft 1 in designed by locomotive superintendent William Pickersgill. Ten were built by Neilson, Reid & Co., but decreased traffic volumes and financial problems of the GNSR led to the last five being delivered to the South Eastern & Chatham Railway instead, becoming class G. Eight more were built by the GNSR's own Inverurie works between 1909 and 1915.

In 1920, T.E. Heywood introduced a superheated variant that was called class F. Six were produced by North British in the same year and two more followed from Inverurie in 1921, bringing the total number to 21. All locomotives of classes V and F were taken over by the LNER in 1923 and designated class D40. The first one was withdrawn in 1947 and 18 came to British Railways. The last one to be withdrawn was “Gordon Highlander” in 1958. It is the only one that was preserved and can be found in Museum of Scottish Railways.