The procurement of the class P 8 passenger steam locomotive of the Prussian State Railway began in 1906. It quickly became apparent that it was a successful design that was powerful and economical and did not make great demands on the skill of the locomotive driver. Up to and including 1918, 1887 units were produced. From 1919-1923, a further 1669 machines were added, making a total of 3556 units for the German railways alone. In the course of the obligations after the First World War, 627 units were handed over to the winners. In this context Poland, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Italy, Greece and Romania received locomotives of class 38.

Our locomotive was put into service by the Reichsbahn as 38 3999 and handed over to the C.F.R. in 1926, where it was given the code 230.111. After the Second World War it initially remained with the MÁV and returned to the C.F.R. at the end of 1945. Little is known about its places of service in Romania. In 1999, the locomotive was taken out of service and then came to our museum via an middleman in 2001.