From 1899 the D VI or G 3/4 N had been procured, which was a saturated freight locomotive for flat routes. From 1919 the G 3/4 H was built, which had a similar design, but was to be much more efficient through the use of superheated steam.
In addition to the use of a superheater and adapted cylinders, a feedwater heater and a larger and therefore more powerful boiler were introduced. Since it was only a freight locomotive, it was decided to build the leading axle as an Adams axle instead of the complex Krauss-Helmholtz bogie. Some improvements were implemented during production. For example, the steam dome and sandbox were later separated from each other, initially both were housed under a common cover. In addition, the shell of the boiler was made thicker to increase the adhesion weight.
Shortly after they were delivered, the locomotives were taken over by the Reichsbahn as the class 5415-17. In contrast to their predecessors, they were not retired in the 1930s, but most examples even survived the Second World War. After the war, most came to the Bundesbahn, where 54 1632 was the last to be retired in 1966. At the end of the war, some engines were also on Austrian territory and were used there by the ÖBB as class 654. These were in service until 1957.
No complete G 3/4 H does exist until today. Remains of an engine destroyed by bombs during the war were found in 2004 during construction work at Treuchtlingen station. Since then, these have been exhibited in the Bavarian Railway Museum in Nördlingen.
