The wholesale withdrawal of the Q7s at the end of 1962, despite the fact that several had been recently overhauled and all 15 fitted with AWS at some cost during 1962, was made up for to some extent by the preservation of the pioneer, No 63460 (originally No 901). Initially preserved in working order, she is seen here at Darlington, in steam, in September 1963. After spending the 1970s in storage, No. 901 was loaned to the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG) who restored it to running condition during the 1980s. It entered service with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) in 1988, and performed excellent work hauling the heaviest of the NYMR's summer trains until the boiler certificate expired in 1999. No. 901 is currently (2024) on static display at the Darlington 'Head of Steam' Museum.

© David P Williams Archive / Rail-Online; photograph by Peter H Rigg.