The F Class were ordered by the Victorian Railways as part of Operation Phoenix, a £80 million program to rebuild a network badly run down by years of Depression-era underinvestment and wartime overutilisation.

The locomotives were built at EE's Preston workshops in the United Kingdom, and entered service from October 1951 onwards.

However, VR then placed a second order for another eight S class locomotives for use on the new North East standard gauge line which were delivered starting in November 1960.

In order to vacate the 300-series numbers for the new mainline diesels, all F class locomotives were renumbered into the 200-series on in late May 1958 as F201-211.

Unlike their British and Dutch counterparts, the F class locomotives were also later fitted with sideplates covering the side rods and wheel cranks.