The T 11 was developed to replace the obsolete and weak four-coupled locomotives in Berlin's suburban traffic. It was created together with the T 12 from the T 93, but unlike its sister it was built for using saturated steam to decrease construction costs.
The T 11 was clearly recognizable by the water tanks, which were pulled very far forward and were flush with the cylinders, which were pulled far back. A special feature was that the frame was used as a third water tank and thus extended the range in the demanding suburban service.
The distribution of the axles was chosen so that almost the same weight was on the driving wheel sets and the leading axle. While the first axle was only movably mounted in a Bissel frame in other 1C locomotives, a Krauss-Helmholtz bogie was used on the T 11 that connected the leading axle and the first coupled axle to ensure more harmonious deflection in curves.
74 231 with original livery and numbering as No. 7512 in April 2010 in Bochum-Ehrenfeld
U. Prinz
Despite the simplicity of the saturated steam engine, the superheated T 12 was more economical in operation, which is why production of the T 11 was discontinued in 1910 after 470 units in favor of the latter. The Reichsbahn took over 358 units in 1925 and classified them as class 740-3. They were used in suburban traffic in Berlin and other major cities until these networks were electrified. After the Second World War, 65 units came to the Bundesbahn and 55 to the Reichsbahn, where most of the locomotives on both sides were retired by 1960 at the latest.