The “Beuth” was the first locomotive that was developed and built by Borsig completely without foreign prototypes and is therefore considered the first completely German locomotive. It was manufactured as a one-off for the Berlin-Anhalt Railway. However, it formed the basic variant for 70 other, almost identical locomotives and was therefore also the first series-built locomotive. It also had some design features that differed from the Stephenson models and were later found on other locomotives.

In contrast to the outer frame and internal cylinders, the "Beuth" had a frame that was inside the wheels and external cylinders. This design made larger cylinders possible, which in turn made it possible to build more powerful locomotives. The firebox was located below a steam dome, which was also used to extract live steam. Later locomotives got a separate steam dome. 

After the locomotive was presented at the Berlin trade exhibition the year it was completed, it was used on the Anhalter Bahn from Berlin to Köthen. Its service life lasted until 1864, after which it was scrapped. Therefore, a replica was built in 1912, which is now on display in the German Museum of Technology in Berlin.

The subsequent models from Borsig were primarily used in northern Germany, as there were strong competitors further south. However, they also took the “Beuth” as an example and also used some of their technical innovations in their own designs.

The name of the locomotive is an allusion to Christian Peter Wilhelm Beuth, who was once the head of the Prussian trade academy. He had doubted that August Borsig would ever have a successful career. Borsig tried to get back at him by naming this important and pioneering locomotive after him.