The class C was the lightest Pacific locomotive from the Länderbahn era. As elsewhere, they were developed because the four-coupled express locomotives were no longer sufficient for the constantly increasing weight of the express trains at the beginning of the 20th century. As with the Bavarian S 3/6, the topography of the country played a role in the development, and the driving wheels of the C were made even smaller with a diameter of 1,800 mm. Therefore, the locomotives could only reach a maximum speed of 110 to 120 km/h, but despite their low weight they had a high tractive effort. In addition, it turned out that they were also very economical in terms of the consumption of coal and water.