When the new Chief Commissioner, Edward Eddy, took office in 1888, he was anxious to have additional locomotives manufactured within the colony of New South Wales, and the Government sought the formation of a manufacturing company in New South Wales by interested parties.

[1] At the request of the Railway Commissioners, the builders altered the last two engines of the first batch to operate as compounds, but these did not prove satisfactory and during 1901 were converted to 2-cylinders.

Following the strengthening of the Murrumbidgee River railway bridge, Wagga Wagga in 1901, they worked the full length of the Main South line from Sydney to Albury, the express covering the 621 km in 12 hours and 35 minutes, including 14 stops.

[1] With the arrival of even larger engines from 1909 to handle the important mail and express trains, the P class were redeployed to other passenger services.

On 24 July 1971, the last regularly steam-hauled passenger train in New South Wales was hauled by 3246 from Newcastle to Singleton.