The class 835 was the standard steam shunter used by the Italian State Railways from 1906 for many decades. They were based on the classes 829 and 830 which originated in the Rete Mediterranea. The class 835 still had a saturated boiler and the 0-6-0T wheel arrangement. The first 97 built by Breda only had a steam brake for the locomotive, only the later ones had an air brake for the train.

By 1922, a total of 370 had been produced by Breda, Ansaldo, Reggiane and Officine Meccaniche. They could be found in stations and yards all around Italy and got the nickname “Cirilla”. Their number started to dwindle in the fifties and sixties when their frames, axles and coupling rods were used to create 60 electric shunters of the classes E.321 and E.322 and 29 diesel shunters of the class D.234. Nevertheless the last ones were used until 1984 and 54 were preserved.