Peter Kerslake says "My 1956 shedbook shows that 2261 was allocated to Reading but she seems to have a Bristol St Philips Marsh shedplate (arrived there in July via Oswestey -Tony) in position in this view as she heads a mixed freight into Bath Spa station from the east , possibly having either worked down the main line from Chippenham or from the Avon valley from Westbury through Bathampton .
Reading had six of the class on their books at that time , with Bristol having seven , and this view shows to advantage the massive Swindon Number Ten boiler which made these little engines so well able to produce as much steam as the crew needed , although its weight put the engines into a yellow route restriction classification , precluding their use on small branch lines."