The Indonesian C27 class locomotive of the "Java Staatsspoorwegen" was introduced to Java by the Netherlands colonial administration. The class was designed to meet the requirement to haul trains of 400 tons at a speed of on a incline with radius curves. The locomotives also had to be able to negotiate curves with a sharp radius of at a speed of . Between 1916 and 1922, altogether 39 locomotives were ordered from three manufacturers, Werkspoor, Armstrong Whitworth and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works. The C27 class was used on railway lines around Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya until electrification was carried out around Jakarta between 1925 and 1930. They were then relocated to secondary lines like the Merak-Tanah Abang in Banten province, the lines around Kertosono and Blitar and also between Purwokerto, Kutoarjo and Purworejo.