The class V of the Great North of Scotland was the direct successor of the class T, one of the changes being the larger side-window cab. It was a 4-4-0 express locomotive with drivers of 6 ft 1 in designed by locomotive superintendent William Pickersgill. Ten were built by Neilson, Reid & Co., but decreased traffic volumes and financial problems of the GNSR led to the last five being delivered to the South Eastern & Chatham Railway instead, becoming class G. Eight more were built by the GNSR's own Inverurie works between 1909 and 1915.

In 1920, T.E. Heywood introduced a superheated variant that was called class F. Six were produced by North British in the same year and two more followed from Inverurie in 1921, bringing the total number to 21. All locomotives of classes V and F were taken over by the LNER in 1923 and designated class D40. The first one was withdrawn in 1947 and 18 came to British Railways. The last one to be withdrawn was “Gordon Highlander” in 1958. It is the only one that was preserved and can be found in Museum of Scottish Railways.

William Cowan joined the Great North of Scotland in 1857 as Chief Engineer and soon had to order new locomotives due to growth in traffic. The three engines delivered by Robert Stephenson & Co. in 1861 were among the first in Britain to have a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement. Six more followed two years later. A short time later a similar type was built with the same cylinder diameter of 16 inches and a stroke of 24 instead of 22 inches.

A slightly larger axle spacing on the bogie made it possible to arrange the cylinders horizontally. In the beginning, the smoke fireboxes of the locomotives contained a smoke consuming device of the type designed by D.K. Clark, who blew fresh air directly over the fire. In addition to the removal of the smoke consumers, further conversions were carried out, which ensured a long service life. They remained in service until after 1923 and became class D47/2 of the LNER.