The parade route of the 2D2 9100 series was the "Ligne Impériale", the imperial line from the French capital Paris via Lyon to Marseille on the Mediterranean coast.
With a top speed of 140 kilometers per hour and a transport capacity of 900 tons, they were made for use as express train locomotives. In 1950, the SNCF ordered a first series of 35 locomotives. Actually, the number of 2D2 9100 locomotives should increase to 100 over time.
Although the silhouette appeared relatively modern, the engineering of this loco was from the 1920s. The machines were therefore soon replaced by more modern locomotives from the CC 7100 series. Smaller and lighter traction motors replaced the Buchli drive, which was used in the 2D2 9100 locomotives and was expensive and difficult to maintain. Nevertheless, the locomotives of the 2D2 9100 series were still in operation until the 1980s.
