Steam locomotive 141R 463 with spoked wheels and a coal tender with a riveted water tank, in black livery

The 141 R were ordered by France in the USA in a quantity of 1,340 units in two subseries (141R1 to 700 and 701 to 1340) with coal or oil firing to address the acute shortage of locomotives at the end of World War II.

The locomotives delivered from November 1945 (17 machines and their tenders were lost when the cargo ship sank) were highly valued by the SNCF drivers for their robustness and high operating comfort for the time. The machines were present in all regions of the SNCF and were used until 1974 in mixed passenger and freight service.