The locomotives with the numbers EG 538 abc to EG 549 abc were heavy freight electric locomotives, of which a small series was put into service between 1915 and 1922. They each consisted of three parts, which were individually designated as EG 538 a, 538 b and 538 c, etc. They are also known under the series designation E 913, which they later received from the DRG.
The chassis consisted of three two-axle parts with an outer frame, each of which had an electric motor on it, driving the axles via Hall cranks and rods. The body was also divided into three parts, with the individual parts not being form-fit connected to one another. It was a baggage locomotive, as the middle body part hardly held any equipment, but mainly served as a baggage compartment. It also accommodated the two driver's cabs and was covered with wood on the outside. The other two body parts were slightly narrower to improve visibility from the cabs and housed the transformers and other electrical equipment.
Commissioning began in 1915, but lasted several years due to the war. The original order for 20 locomotives was eventually reduced to twelve. The main area of application was in the area of the demanding and early electrified Silesian Mountain Railway, but also extended to Görlitz. The locomotives could pull 1,200 tonnes at 0.6 percent and 500 tonnes at two percent, although the speed was often only 20 km/h. The running properties caused major problems, since the three-part chassis repeatedly led to snaking movements and excessive wear or damage to the gears. Although the top speed could later be increased from 45 to 50 km/h, the chassis problems were never solved.
At the Reichsbahn it quickly became clear that a locomotive weighing more than 100 tonnes with an hourly output of just over 1,000 kW can no longer hold its own in heavy freight service in modern times. Due to the relatively low axle load, the locomotives could increasingly be used on branch lines, but the first two were decommissioned as early as 1934 and all others followed by 1943.