The Bavarian G 5/5 goods train, steam locomotives were intended for steep stretches of line belonging to the Royal Bavarian State Railways (Königlich Bayerische Staatsbahn) network in northern Bavaria. The extremely sharp rise in the levels of traffic on these lines in the years leading up to the First World War meant that the eight-coupled Bavarian E I and G 4/5 N classes previously employed there were increasingly unable to cope. In addition to the 57.5, this also affected the Bavarian 56.8, as well as ex-Baden (e.g. the ), ex-Württemberg (e.g. the and ) and ex-Saxon (e.g. the , and ).