Prussian G 4³

The last link in the series of G 3 and G 4 six-coupleds without carrying axles was the G 4³, which had been developed with the aim of achieving a higher top speed. Like the G 5², it had a two-cylinder compound engine with similar cylinder dimensions. Although the diameter of the wheels was only increased by ten millimeters, the running characteristics were improved by changes to the chassis and power plant. A total of 63 units were completed by 1907, which was significantly fewer than the G 4².

Even at the time of their production, the locomotives were no longer able to cope with the loads of current freight trains in the more densely populated regions of Prussia. With a speed of now 60 km/h, however, they offered themselves for mixed service in the eastern parts of the country, where there were not such heavy loads to be moved and the speed was sufficient for passenger trains. The 3 T 10.5 and 3 T 12 tenders were also adequately dimensioned for this.

Nevertheless, the number of these locomotives that were not widely used fell quickly. Although only ten units had to be handed over to Poland after the First World War, the renumbering plan included only 39 units of the locomotives now known as the class 53³. 14 of these had already disappeared by the time they were actually renumbered in 1925. During the Second World War, three of the engines listed as Th4 in Poland came back to the Reichsbahn. Since the other G 5⁴s had already been decommissioned by the Reichsbahn at the end of the 1920s, these three were used for a short time with the different numbering from 53 7751 to 7753.