Leopold was brought to Sri Lanka in January 1864 and started working on the Main Line from March 1864. On 7 December 1864, the locomotive hauled the ceremonial "First Train" of the line from Colombo Terminus to Ambepussa; Leopold, Duke of Brabant (later King Leopold II of Belgium) would be the guest of honour for the occasion and board the train from Veyangoda, and the locomotive was later named in his honour.[1][4]
The locomotive would continue to serve the railway on the Main Line from Colombo to Kandy until its withdrawal and scrapping in 1901. It was replaced by a similar locomotive built by the Ceylon Government Railway itself; this new locomotive was also given the number of 1.[1]
