"Planned as a replacement for the Prussian G 10 in freight traffic, the class 50 developed into a universal locomotive by the end of the steam locomotive era. From 1939 to 1943, a total of 3,164 units were built in 21 different locomotive factories. After 1945, more than 2,000 locomotives remained with the Deutsche Bundesbahn and in some cases had to undergo major rebuilds, resulting in a large number of variants. The machines reached a top speed of 80 km/h, had a power output of approx. 1,200 kW and an axle load of 15 t."