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The locomotive was out-shopped from the LNER Darlington works in June 1938 and entered service as LNER No 3442. A post-war renumbering exercise by the LNER saw the locomotive become No 1994 in September 1946, with a further re-numbering to 61994 by BR in 1948.
The locomotive's working life was mostly spent allocated to the Eastfield Depot at Glasgow. In December 1969 1959 it was transferred to Thornton Junction in Fife, where its final year was spent working goods trains and local passenger services in the east of Scotland. 61994 was withdrawn from service by BR in December 1961.
==Preservation==
The Great Marquess was bought from BR in 1962 by [[The Earl of Lindsay | David, Viscount Garnock]] (later the Earl of Lindsay) and sent to Cowlairs Works in Glasgow to be repaired and restored back to LNER livery. In April 1963 it moved to Leeds (Neville Hill) depot, from where it worked a number of main line rail tours between May 1963 and April 1967. These included the Stephenson Locomotive Society tour on 19 September 1965 from Birmingham Snow Hill via Worcester to [[Bewdley]], from where the Society visited [[Alveley Sidings]] with a special train hauled by GWR locomotives 4555 and 1420.<ref>[http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/650919sl.html Six Bells Junction]</ref> Following the BR steam ban in 1968, the locomotive was stored in Neville Hill roundhouse awaiting boiler repairs.
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S2471_3442_1965_DavidCooke.jpg|3442 at Worcester in September 1965 (David Cooke)
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It also hauled the Gilt Edge Carpets train at [[Kidderminster mainline station]] in 1965.<ref>[https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/19585750.nostalgia-train-helped-sell-kidderminster-carpet/#gallery0 'Nostalgia: How the train helped to sell Kidderminster carpet', Kidderminster Shuttle, 19 September 2021] (Retrieved 28 May 2024)</ref> [[Andrew Marsden-Smedley|Gilt Edge]] used an exhibition train, from which coaches [[LMS 7511 Restaurant First Open|7511]] and LMS Third Open 9355 (since converted to [[LMS 149 Buffet Car|Buffet Car 149]]) were later donated to the SVR.
Following the BR steam ban in 1968, the locomotive was stored in Neville Hill roundhouse awaiting boiler repairs.
By the early 1970s, Viscount Garnock was already associated with the fledgling SVR, being a non-executive Director of both the original [[Guarantee Company|Severn Valley Railway Company]] and its successor, [[SVR(H)]], from incorporation in 1972. In spring 1972 SVR News announced that "''It is pleasing to be able to record that the L.N.E.R. K4 Class 2-6-0 No. 3442 "The Great Marquess" owned by our Director, The Viscount Garnock, is shortly to be moved to [[Bridgnorth]]. After necessary repair work, principally concerned with the boiler, the engine is to be used on the Severn Valley Line. "The Great Marquess" is within the axle loading of the SVR.''"<ref>SVR News 23, Spring 1972</ref> The later statement seemed peculiar at the time, in that the locomotive's axle weight (in excess of 19 tons) exceeded the limit of 17 tons 12 cwt specified in the SVR's Light Railway Order granted in May 1970.<ref group="note">The original LRO applied to the north section of the line; the same restriction also applied to the LRO for the southern section between Alveley and Bewdley</ref>
