Since the port of Hamburg was significantly lower than the Reichsbahn facilities, Orenstein & Koppel were ordered to build a powerful tank locomotive in 1927. With a maximum axle load of 17.5 tonnes, five coupled axles were required for the required traction, while curves with a radius of 100 meters had to be negotiated. A total of 16 were met into service as class 87.

With the locomotive developed in this way, only the inner three axles were connected with coupling rods. The first and last axles were designed as Luttermöller axles, i.e. they could be moved sideways and were driven by gears. When the Luttermöller drives failed, the locomotives continued to be used with the wheel arrangement 2-8-0T, 0-8-2T or 2-6-2T.

The locomotives could pull 1,510 tonnes at 45 km/h and 2,250 tonnes at 35 km/h on the level. At one percent, it was still 1,120 tonnes at 15 km/h. The area of operation remained in Hamburg over their entire service life. They were replaced from 1951 by the class 82, which also was ten-coupled but was simpler in design. The last example was scrapped in 1961.