After some difficult early days (involving a number of derailments), the locomotives later became part of the SNCF's 3-231.B class.

The design of the 231s was based on two locomotives types: the boiler was the one used in the Ouest 2900 series Pacific.

After that, the locomotives were temporarily used solely on goods trains and limited to a maximum speed of 60 km/h.

Once the locomotives had their leading bogies modified they were reallocated to passenger service in 1912.

Around 1945, a project to increase the locomotives' power to 1,700 hp (1,300 kW) to create a class of 231.L engines failed.