To replace six-coupled shunters, the État started to introduce new eight-coupled ones in 1914. Due to the outbreak of the war, only 20 were completed in this year. Production only continued in 1920 and led to a total of 143, which were numbered 40-001 to 40-143. Only six of these were built by the railway's own workshops at Sotteville, all others came from commercial builders. More were delivered to industrial operators in France.
With the founding of the SNCF, they became 3-040 TA. At the same time, the open cabs were replaced with closed ones. In the war, 52 came to Germany where more of them received closed cabs. After the war, 27 came back to the SNCF. The last one was withdrawn in 1970 and today, only two are still existing.