| 2-8-0 |
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In the Whyte Notation , a 2-8-0 is a Railroad Steam Locomotive that has a single-axle Leading Truck followed by four powered Driving Axle s. This Wheel Arrangement is commonly called a '''Consolidation'''. The equivalent UIC Classification is 1'D. HISTORY Of all the locomotive types that were created and experimented with in the early part of the 19th century, the 2-8-0 was a relative latecomer. The 2-6-0 , often considered the logical forerunner to the 2-8-0, was first created in the early 1860s. The first locomotive of this wheel arrangement was likely built by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), but like the first 2-6-0s, this first 2-8-0 had a leading axle that was rigidly attached to the locomotive's frame. To create this 2-8-0, the PRR's master mechanic John P. Laird modified an existing 0-8-0 , the ''Bedford'' between 1864 and 1865. The locomotive ''Consolidation'', built in 1865 is widely considered the first true 2-8-0 built in the United States . It is this locomotive that is the origin of the class name. Only a few railroads purchased this locomotive type upon its introduction by Baldwin . Even the Baltimore & Ohio , which had nearly 180 of this locomotive type in regular service by 1885, didn't purchase any of this type until 1873. The 2-8-0 design was given a major boost in 1875 when the PRR made it the railroad's standard freight locomotive. 1875 was also the year that the Erie Railroad began replacing its 4-4-0 s in freight service with 2-8-0s. The railroads found that the 2-8-0 could move trains twice as heavy for half the cost of their earlier brethren. From a financial standpoint, the choice of freight locomotives was clear. EUROPEAN USE The 2-8-0 was also a popular type in Europe, again largely as a freight hauler. Germany The 2-8-0 enjoyed a brief period of popularity in Germany during the period of the State Railways (Länderbahnen) prior to the establishment of the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft (German National Railways) in 1920 . The DRG chose the 2-10-0 as the heavy freight locomotive type for the new, unified rail system. Under the DRG's classification system, all 2-8-0s were assigned to series (''Baureihe'') BR 56, with different types receiving sub-classifications. The earliest type was the Prussian G73 of 1893. United Kingdom The 2-8-0 was the standard heavy freight steam locomotive type in the 20th Century. The first 2-8-0 built in Britain was the Great Western Railway 's 2800 Class from 1903. Other systems followed the GWR's lead; notable British 2-8-0s include the LMS Stanier Class 8F , the GCR Class 8K , and the WD Austerity 2-8-0 of the World War II period. SEE ALSO
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