In order to minimise the shortage of powerful freight locomotives with 15 – 18 t axle load for the low mountain ranges in the early 1950’s, it was decided to build or reconstruct the Prussian G 12 in part. The intended construction of a locomotive type derived from the class 42 war locomotive could not be implemented due to a lack of steel delivery by the State Planning Commission. The new construction contract awarded to Skoda for 80 units of the Czech class 556.0 was not fulfilled by the contractor. In the end, the decision was made to reconstruct the G 12 series, which in any case needed to be repaired, as there was already advanced wear on the boilers, central cylinders and head axle shafts.

In the course of the reconstruction, the machines received all kinds of newly manufactured parts, such as welded driver’s cabs, newly developed reco boilers with combustion chamber, mixing preheater systems, middle cylinders of welded construction, Trofimoff slide valves and Witte-type wind deflectors. The installed reco boiler is a boiler of the 50E series, which was taken over with minor modifications. It was also installed in the series 50.35, 52.80, as well as the new locomotive Class 23.10. Because of the longer boilers, the construction frames had to be extended and were fitted with a sheet metal frame piece at the front. The total wheelbase of the locomotive increased from 8500 to 8800 mm due to the larger distance of 300 mm between the impeller set and the first coupling wheel set. This made it possible to increase the maximum speed from 65 km/h to 70 km/h. Furthermore, a wear-prone weak point of the old Prussian G 12, the steering drive of the middle cylinders, could be eliminated. This was replaced by a counter-crank, which sits on the fifth coupling wheel set and a second oscillating rod and a shaft, which drove the inner oscillating arm.

After the reconstruction, the DRG Class 58.30 got a completely new striking face due to the numerous innovations. The newly constructed locomotive was more powerful, more economical and faster. The class G 12 consumed 2.72 t of coal per hour when running at the boiler limit. The 58.30, on the other hand, consumed only 2.2 t per hour. The original engine was able to tow 1810 t on the plain at a speed of 50 km/h. The DRG Class 58.30 could tow 2400 t at the same speed. In the lowlands, the Reko-G 12 could thus reach the level of the DRG Class 44 series, which could also tow 2400 t at 50 km/h on the plain.

The steam locomotive BR 58.30 was the most expensive locomotive, because of its complex modernization. The reconstruction costs amounted to a total of 434,000 marks. In comparison, a new locomotive of the class 50.40 had a calculation price of 466,000 marks.

For the DRG Class 58.30, there was a major shortage of tenders for a long time, which was due to the non-delivery of the new-build tenders for various reasons. The original tenders pr T 20 / sä 3 T 21 were not allowed to be used, so that the 58.30 was coupled with almost all available forms of the four-axle towed tenders. For example, the steam locomotive BR 58.30 was coupled with the standard tender 2’2’T 34, the Prussian 2’2’T 31,5, as well as the tub tender 2’2’T 30, as can be seen on existing photographer’s photographs.

The greater capacity of the BR 58.30 was accepted and used during operation. It turned out, however, that the engines and the frame from the original aircraft were not designed for such a high continuous load, so that a high maintenance effort was necessary. For this reason, from 1976 onwards, only run-down repairs (damage group L5) were allowed to be carried out on the machines.

The locomotives were mainly based in Saxony and Thuringia. Amongst others in the railway depots, Aue, Döbeln, Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Gera, Gotha and Saalfeld. The last examples were stationed in Glauchau. On 12 February 1981, the official operation of the DRG Class 58.30 ended with the shutdown of the 58 3028 and 58 3032 in Glauchau.

Only 2 locomotives (Prussian origin) have been preserved as inoperable. The 58 3047, which was reconstructed in 1961 as 58 1955 (ERFURT 5672), (LHB Breslau 1920), is now maintained by the community of interests in Glauchau. In Schwarzeberg, the Association of Friends of the Saxon Railway accommodates and maintains the 58 3049, which originated from 58 1725 (COLOGNE 5617), (Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG Hannover 1920). The former is coupled with the new-built tender 2’2’T 28, the latter with the reconstructed tender 2’2’T 32, of the type Prussian P 10.