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The 552 Class was unusual in having their footplate raised clear of the driving wheels, leaving them exposed. T. W. Worsdell replaced Massey Bromley as Locomotive Superintendent at the same time as the class was being built, and he produced his own 0-6-0 design with the Y14 class. Those had larger boilers and smaller driving wheels, giving a higher tractive effort.
Under James Holden, the 552 Class were given larger cylinders and newer boilers. By this time they were mostly relegated to ballast train duties. The entire class was withdrawn and scrapped between 1904 and 1906.
^ Baxter, Bertram (2012). Baxter, David; Mitchell, Peter (eds.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 6: Great Eastern Railway, North British Railway, Great North of Scotland Railway, Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway, remaining companies in the LNER group. Southampton: Kestrel Railway Books. ISBN 978-1-905505-26-5.
