Steam locomotive 50 2146 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn.

Drive on two axles of the tender and via a cardan shaft on all five drive axles of the locomotive.

■ Three-domed boiler with Witte smoke deflectors
■ Chassis in red-brown livery
■ Lamps with grab rails on the front buffer beam
■ Version with new build-tender
■ Fine metal wheelsets
■ Allocated to the depots in Dresden and Zwickau

The Class 50 played a more significant role in eastern Germany than in the west. In purely numerical terms, relatively few locomotives remained in the Soviet occupation zone at the end of the war, with only 354 units still present.
Over time, various locomotive–tender combinations emerged. New tenders from Classes 23.10 and 50.40 were increasingly paired with older Class 50 locomotives after they were withdrawn from service. However, because they lacked a continuous rear wall, this combination was not particularly popular with personnel, especially in winter.