Twelve locomotives were built, but one oddity of the class was the provision of just ten tenders! These were shared amongst the twelve engines as required, though in later years an eleventh tender, of passenger locomotive design, was acquired for N°423. Built in three batches, in 1882, 1884 and 1887, slight differences appeared with those built in 1884 and onwards having air operated reversing gear. In summer the locomotives were frequently co-opted for heavy excursion traffic, for which duties they received speed indicators and Westinghouse air brakes.

It has to be said that these locomotives were not as successful as Stroudley's other designs with inadequate feed arrangements, bad boiler circulation and poor braking and all bar two were withdrawn by 1911, without any re-building. One that lasted longer, N°423, was sold in 1920 to the Straford-upon-Avon & Midland Junction Railway in 1920, to become their N°7, and subsequently entered LM&SR stock in 1923 becoming that company's N°2303 before being withdrawn soon after in June 1925. The other survivor, N°430, remained at Fratton for many years, but was sent from there to New Cross, withdrawn by the Southern Railway in 1924 and scrapped the following year.

It is interesting to note that on the North British Railway Dugald Drummond produced almost the same locomotives as Stroudley's classes C and C1.