0-6-0T Works No. 1731 Jennifer was built by Hudswell Clarke in 1942, Works No. 1731, and it spent its early working life as Samuel Fox & Co Ltd’s No. 20. Samuel Fox and Company operated a major steel complex in the Upper Don Valley at Stocksbridge, near Sheffield. In 1967 it became part of the British Steel Corporation upon nationalisation of the industry. By this time, No 20 had been sold to the National Coal Board and was working at the Orgreave Colliery, also in the Sheffield area.

It was bought and preserved by owners Graeme and Jenny Walton Binns in the early 1970s and loaned to the North York Moors Railway in the early days of their operation. It was named Jennifer in honour of Jenny Binns.

When ill health prevented Graeme from completing a major overhaul of the locomotive, it was transferred to the Llangollen Railway to complete the work in 2001. Spiralling costs for the overhaul eventually led to it being donated to Llangollen, who completed the work and subsequently hired the locomotive out to other heritage railways around the country.

Recent financial problems at Llangollen gave the Binns’ the opportunity to buy back Jennifer. They have provided it to the Aln Valley Railway on long term loan, arriving in June 2021. Sadly Jenny Binns didn’t live to see Jennifer hauling passengers at the Aln Valley Railway, having died suddenly in the autumn of 2021.