 The N class was the first to combine Churchward design principles with the best practices of other railways; it was an important step in the development of the British 2-6-0, providing inspiration for the LMS Hughes Crab of 1926 and subsequent Maunsell designs.The locomotives were well received by crews, who nicknamed them "Woolworths", because the majority were fabricated from inexpensively produced parts from Woolwich.The robustness and reliability of the design ensured that their sphere of operation was expanded to cover most of the Southern Railway network.