The Jupiter was built in September 1868 by the Schenectady Locomotive Works of New York, along with three other engines of identical specifications, numbered 61, 62, and 63 named the Storm, Whirlwind, and Leviathan, respectively. These were then dismantled and sailed to San Francisco, California, loaded onto a river barge, and sent to the Central Pacific headquarters in Sacramento. After reassembly the Jupiter was commissioned into service on March 20, 1869, with the Whirlwind, Storm, and Leviathan entering service within the following month.