 The Vauclain compound was introduced in 1889 through  by its namesake and the then general superintendent of Baldwin and eventually president of the company, Samuel M. Vauclain.Soon most Baldwin customers were operating some examples; a brochure from 1900 lists sales to 140 customers, including large fleets to such Class I railroads as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, the Erie Railroad, the Lehigh Valley Railroad, the Norfolk and Western Railway, and the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad.Many other lines purchased one or two as samples.