'32640' was built in March 1878 and started life on the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway as 'No.40 Brighton'. It was famous in being the locomotive sent to represent the LB&SCR at the Paris International Exhibition in 1878 - a journey it made under its own steam - except for the trip across The Channel on the LB&SCR steamer 'Honfleur'.
In 1902 it was sold to the Isle of Wight Central Railway and became 'No.11' in their metallic crimson lake livery and, as such, was absorbed by the Southern Railway in 1923. The Southern added a 'W' to the number and 'W11' was named 'Newport' in June 1930. It returned to the mainland in February 1947 and was later renumbered '2640' . It was one of only 17 of the original 50 locomotives to survive into BR livery. It served on the Kent & East Sussex Railway and was a regular on the Hayling Island line until its closure in 1963.
The locomotive was restored to LB&SCR livery at Eastleigh and sold to Butlins in 1964. In 1972 it was loaned to the Wight Locomotive Society who bought it four years later for £3,500.
The model shows the locomotive as it would have looked after its 1951 repaint at Eastleigh. Unfortunately it does not have the extended bunker which the real locomotive received while on the Isle of Wight. Hopefully Hornby will one day produce a suite of tools for a Terrier which will allow them to manufacture the large bunker and extended smokebox versions. So popular are the Terriers that it could be worth their while.
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