The W class were initially proposed by C.M.E.Frederick Mills in 1947, but his death in 1949 delayed the project. Beyer, Peacock & Coy of Manchester, England had already been advised of the design but identified multiple design flaws which they addressed in a meeting held in the UK in 1950.
Alterations included the firebox which was shaped to suit Collie coal which was notorious for its bad quality. Once they entered service, the W class could be found across the network on primary goods trains, though they did haul passengers as well, such as the Australind from Perth to Bunbury.
The reputation of the W class was good being depicted as strong and free-steamers with sound reliability. Minor teething problems and faults were attributed to poor welding resulting in no fewer than 34 W class laid up for repair at one point, though these issues had been eliminated by the late 1950s.