Due to their poor running qualities, they were demoted to shunting and short-distance goods train service.

Between 1906 and 1909, one hundred locomotives were built, of which 80 were still in service with Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1923, and 78 in 1925 when they were renumbered in class 89.0 as 89 001 to 078; but due to their poor performance, they were soon sold to private railways.

After World War I, ten locomotives were ceded to Poland, where they became PKP class TKh3.

[1] The same thing happened in 1941 with the nationalisation of the Mecklenburg Friedrich-Wilhelm Railway [de] (MFWE) (89 1003 and 1004).

One locomotive has been preserved at the DB Museum Halle (Saale) [de]: 89 1004, ex MFWE 4 (second), formerly 89 001.