It was a pure passenger locomotive, during DB times mainly in suburban service, sometimes equipped for push-pull operations. The English Wikipedia article offers a good synopsis:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_T_18

I always wonder if I should dive in...


Courtesy Eisenbahnstiftung

"Eine pr. T 18 (BR 78) wartet im Bahnhof Gau Algesheim an der linken Rheinstrecke zwischen Bingen und Mainz an der Stückgutrampe. Um das eigentliche Ladegleis zu überbrücken, wurde eine bewegliche Ladebrücke mit Ausziehplatte und Klappe, hier in Ladestellung, über das Gleis gelegt. (1931) Foto: RVM"

Do these count? I can imagine that BR 78, in a crunch time might be pressed into any service. Even as a Werkzug:


Also Eisenbahnstiftung.

"78 273 mit einem Arbeitszug während der Elekrifizierungsarbeiten zwischen Hagen-Hengstey und Hagen-Vorhalle. (09.1963) Foto: Slg. Ulli Sunder"

Oh, me and my "Prototype for everything"

The number P 1781 indicates that this is a passenger train.
The three cars behind the loco may all be mail cars. This is not a freight train.

Yes, but not era III as per initial post.
;0)

Yes Jimmy there are exception for locos at the end of their life
Here is a slightly off-topic example of a beautiful French loco made for 200 km/h runs with a 5800 kW power made for Capitole trains (Paris- Toulouse) and finishing its life with less noble activities thanks to its two-gears transmission.

Also thanks for your pictures as they give me an excuse for my error here.
It is a BR 78 (in KPEV livery) in charge of a Rolling Highway (Rollende Lanstrasse). Shocking it never happened except on my layout. I am sorry

Cheers
Jean

That photo is from 1974. Steam service ended in 1977, for passenger trains already 1975.
In the final years of steam service when the small steamers had been scraped, larger steamers ran services that formerly were the domain of small steamers. Such services may or may not have occurred in era III already.

There is always an excuse for unusual trains on your layout.

Jimmy and all, THANK YOU. I really appreciate the informed conversation... and the photos. It's easy to use Google Translate on info like this, but hard to figure out how to do searches. Thanks again.

Thanks for the really nice photo. I don't know how to do one. I have since got a I phone 11 this past Dec 2019. Anyway your photo and info as to usage is great.

I" looking for the proper passenger cars, but they seem to "current" for the MA 55077 (class 078 steam DB) I have some of the older Marklin freight to run with
the s lok so probably that will be my choice for now.

Sorry for getting carried away, I really wanted only to complement yo for the terrific photo of the engine

Regards,

Gene