Locomotive E371 is an example of the Victorian Railways E class steam locomotives – a class of suburban tank engines designed in the late 1880s by Edward A. Jeffreys, consultant to the VR, and later modified by Allison. D. Smith, the VR Locomotive Superintendent at the time. The E class (initially built as 2-4-2T tank engines) was intended to standardize VR’s locomotive fleet and served on Melbourne’s suburban passenger lines during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Seventy-one “E” 2-4-2T engines were constructed between 1888 and 1894, along with five modified “E_E” class 0-6-2T engines built in 1893 for improved shunting capability.

E371 was built in 1892 by David Munro & Co. as builder’s number 13 of that year. It was originally a 2-4-2T tank engine and was later converted into the 0-6-2T wheel arrangement, as part of VR’s program to create more powerful shunting locomotives (the “E_E” subclass). E371 is a broad-gauge (5’3”) tank locomotive, carrying its coal and water onboard. E371 today features the changes of the shunting engines in the form of boiler pressure increased from 140 to 170psi, increased cylinder size from 17 to 18" diameter, and maximum static axle load of 16 tons. 

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After entering service in 1893, E371 and its sister engines hauled Melbourne’s suburban passenger trains during the pre-electrification era and later performed shunting and branch line duties. With suburban electrification and the arrival of more modern locomotives, many E class engines were withdrawn, sold, or rebuilt for yard service in the early 20th century. E371 had remarkable longevity – it survived through the steam-to-diesel transition and became the last 0-6-2T in Victorian Railways service, remaining on the books until November 1963. Unusually, after official withdrawal, E371 continued to be used as a yard pilot (shunting locomotive) at Newport Workshops until the locomotive was withdrawn in 1969.

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Unlike most of its classmates that were scrapped mid-century, E371 escaped dismantling. It was moved into storage at Newport after retirement. In 1979 the Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society (now the VGR) acquired E371 from VicRail (Victorian Railways’ successor) with the intention to restore it for service on the Victorian Goldfields Railway, the tourist line operating the former Castlemaine–Maldon branch. E371 was transferred to the Spotswood workshop site in Melbourne to begin disassembly and evaluation for restoration in the late 1980s.

 
However, the initial restoration attempt in the 1980s was halted. Detailed inspections revealed significant deterioration in the locomotive’s boiler, making restoration economically prohibitive at that time. As a result, E371 was reassembled (omitting certain unusable components) and eventually moved to Maldon Station, where it has been on static public display since the 1990s. Notably, E371 is displayed without some parts (side rods, boiler cladding, non-ferrous fittings), reflecting the incomplete state from that earlier disassembly.

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The locomotive has had a couple of colour changes during this time. In the early 2000s, the locomotive was painted bright blue, after a generous donation of paint, and in some manner, a homage to Thomas the Tank Engine.

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More recently, the locomotive was given a cosmetic overhaul by the Young Volunteers Group in 2022, when it was moved in to the Dock Road at Maldon. To add authenticity to it's new appearance, it received a load of coal in its bumker.