A freight locomotive that could be used flexibly, was relatively economical and popular with the staff was the class 50, built from 1939 onwards. 350 examples of the class 50 remained with the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) of the former GDR after the Second World War. Of these, 208 were modernised in the 1960s and fitted with new-build boilers, some with new-build tenders. From the mid-1970s, they were increasingly taken out of service, and the last one ended its active service in 1987.
The steam locomotive installed in Berlin's Natur Park Südgelände was built by Henschel in Kassel in 1940 with the locomotive number 50 624 and the factory number 25843. After the Second World War, it remained in the former GDR. During a reconstruction in the 1960s, it was given the number 50 3707. Decommissioned at the beginning of the 1980s, it then served as a heating locomotive. After reunification, it was initially acquired by railway enthusiasts in Halberstadt. Today it delights visitors to the Natur Park Südgelände and, along with the water tower, is a well-known landmark of the park.