Their light weight per axle made them capable of hauling both passenger and goods trains on most of the État's network.

The first series, 70 locomotives, numbered 140-101 to 140-170 were built in France by Schneider et Cie. at Le Creusot, SACM at Belfort, and Fives-Lille.

The 140.Cs were allocated to all the main État depots, Mézidon, Le Mans, Rennes, Brest, Nantes and Bordeaux, and were used to haul many of the company's express trains; Paris-Le Havre, Paris-Cherbourg, Paris-Granville and on the Chemin de fer de Grande Ceinture.

The 140.Cs, hired out to CFTA, were the last steam locomotives in regular day-to-day commercial use on the French railway network.

Four locomotives, 140.C.230, 140.C.231, 140.C.313 and 140.C.314 were, thanks to their general good condition, chosen by the CFTA to form a reserve pool of engines.