[citation needed] The use of an intercepting valve allowed the locomotive to be used in simple or single expansion steam capacity.

These locomotives were built as pushers for the heavy grades of the Erie Railroads' Susquehanna Division over Gulf Summit on the Pennsylvania and New York State border; and these locomotives primarily operated between Port Jervis, NY, and Susquehanna, PA.

[1] Most camelback locomotives have large Wootten fireboxes that burn anthracite coal.

Anthracite, is harder and slower burning than bituminous coal, so a larger grate area is needed to achieve the same amount of heating.

In 1921 the locomotives were sent out by Erie to be rebuilt by Baldwin Locomotive Works, as 2-8-8-2s with more conventionally rear located cabs, Standard DuPont Type B automatic mechanical stokers, Schmidt Type A superheaters, and Elasco feedwater heaters to make them more efficient.