Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the present day state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
In 1815, the two Mecklenburg duchies – Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz – were raised to Grand Duchies, and subsequently existed separately in Germany until the end of World War I.
The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway divided the locomotives into the following different classes: In 1910 a new scheme was introduced that broadly conformed to the Prussian system.
Individual classes were distinguished by an Arabic numeral after the letter.
These locomotives were all built for the Mecklenburg Railway Company and went into the fleet of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway on nationalisation.