The rack railway was opened in 1896, closed in 1932, and reopened in 1970 in time for that year's FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, which were held in the area.

The design and construction of the class is broadly similar to other EMUs previously built for the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn and the Arth-Rigi Bahn in Switzerland.

Each power car is fitted with two traction motors of 335 kW (450 hp) total output, delivered via shafts and gear drives, using a permanently operating cogwheel with a diameter of 573 mm (20 in).

The original factory paint job was of such high quality that even after 40 years of operation the units had never been repainted.

[1] Until the breakup of the former Czechoslovakia in 1993, the three class members, and the rack railway itself, were owned and operated by the ČSD.

Regular operation of the class ended in July 2020 when a complete reconstruction of the rack railway began.