The vehicles were equipped with a Hartmannsteam brake and had inside Allan valve gear. The engines were able to haul a 500 tonnes (490 long tons; 550 short tons) train on an incline of 1:300 at 30 km/h (19 mph).
In 1920 a G 4.2 was transferred from Prussia to Mecklenburg. It was given running no. 406 and would have become DRG 53 451.
Hütter, Ingo (2012). Die Dampflokomotiven der Baureihen 50 bis 53 der DRG, DRB, DB, und DR (in German). Werl: DGEG Medien. p. 413. ISBN978-3-937189-63-5.
Spielhoff, Lothar (1990). Länderbahn-Dampf-Lokomotiven. Band 1: Preußen, Mecklenburg, Oldenburg, Sachsen und Elsaß-Lothringen (in German). Stuttgart: Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung. ISBN3-440-06145-0.[page needed]