To cope with increasing traffic demands after World War II, RENFE ordered 2-8-2 mixed traffic locomotives with drivers of 1.560 mm. Maybe they were inspired by the SNCF 141 R which were delivered from US and Canadian companies directly after the end of the war. These combined high pulling power and good acceleration with speeds in excess of 100 km/h, making them suited for all kinds of trains. In this case, North British delivered the first 25 locomotives in 1953 which were numbered 141.2101 to 141.2125.

In the years until 1960, four Spanish companies brought the total number to 242, making it the largest class of steam locomotives of RENFE. 53 each had come from MACOSA, MTM and Babcock & Wilcox, while Euskalduna delivered 58. Although they were officially limited to 90 km/h, they could reach 115 km/h.

Some were fired with coal and some with oil, with the oil-fired locomotives being designated 141F. On an incline of 2.1 percent, the coal-fired variants could haul 370 tonnes and the oil-fired ones even more. When 141F.2348 was withdrawn in June 1975, it was the last steam locomotive of RENFE. Today only the oldest 141F.2101 is surviving.