by 1900, victoria's express passenger locomotive fleet was almost exclusively made up of 4-4-0 designs of the old a, new a, and the most recent aa class. these locomotives reflected contemporary british locomotive practice (as did the vr's fleet of 0-6-0 goods locomotives), in no small part due to the victorian government having appointed, in 1884, a midland railway manager, richard speight, as its first chief railways commissioner. the commissioners then asked british locomotive engineer edward jeffreys to design five standard types of locos, in partnership with the british locomotive manufacturer (kitson & co. of leeds).