Radyr is situated on the line still running today northwestwards from Cardiff to Pontypridd and in the days of steam was a sub shed of 88A which was Cardiff Cathays , providing an overnight home for the tank engines working through the valley on both passenger and coal duties and avoiding the need for a daily return to their home Depots when their day's duties had ended, and my 1956 shedbook shows that 5648 seen here had been shedded at 88C, which was Barry, but that was a few years before this view when it was allocated to 88B Cardiff East Dock. Interestingly it came to Radyr in January 1958 so one could speculate that it was already working off there.
With one of her sisters behind 5648 displays the neat and compact design which followed upon the pattern of the many Welsh Railway classes which had earlier come into G.W.R. ownership, especially incorporating the inside cylinders and 0-6-2 wheel arrangement, both features which were invaluable and necessary for working the Welsh Valley branch lines.
Whilst the first four withdrawals came in 1962 the class survived until 1966 with a very early member of the class , namely 5605, serving longer than all her sisters, and happily nine have survived into preservation.