The first 17in Coal was constructed in 1873, the first of almost five hundred built. Ernest L. Ahrons is quoted as regarding the type as "probably the simplest and cheapest locomotives ever made in this country", and O. S. Nock described them as "splendid".
The first 17-inch Coal was constructed in 1873, serving as an initial model for a series that grew to include almost five hundred units. Ernest L. Ahrons considered these locomotives "likely the most basic and economical," while O. S. Nock deemed them "outstanding."