In 1898, with the Paris Exposition Universelle in view in 1900, the Paris Orleans company decided to extend their line into the very heart of Paris to the new Orsay station, as they considered Austerlitz station to be situated slightly outside the city centre. This extension was entirely underground, meaning that steam-driven trains were forbidden on this section. As a result, the PO engineers decided to use electric trains on that stretch. They looked to the United States, where the issue had already been overcome, notably in New York in 1895. The electrified Paris-Austerlitz / Paris-Orsay line was inaugurated on 28 May 1900 and was powered with 600 VDC, using the same third rail technology used in the metro. Eight locomotives were delivered between 1900 and 1904. They were nicknamed boîtes à sel (salt cellars) as their shape resembled salt cellars used in bygone generations: a central raised drive cabin with two down-sloping engine bays to either side. This unit, presented at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, was the first of its series (Source Cité du Train)
