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A 2-8-8-2, in the Whyte notation for describing steam locomotive wheel arrangements, is an articulated locomotive with a two-wheel leading truck, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck. These locomotives usually employ the Mallet principle of articulation, with a swinging front engine and a rigidly attached rear engine. The 2-8-8-2 was a design largely limited to American locomotive builders.
The first 2-8-8-2 was built in 1909 by Baldwin, who sold two to the Southern Pacific Railroad (classified MC1), and then three each to the Union Pacific and UP-owned Oregon River and Navigation Company. Baldwin conceived the type as an expansion of the 2-6-6-2 permitting a greater tractive effort.
The next order for the type was from the Southern Pacific; these differed in being cab-forward locomotives, so that the crew could have better visibility and breathing in the SP's long tunnels and snowsheds. They were very successful, and SP continued to order cab-forward locomotives, building an eventual fleet of 256 of numerous classes; later cab-forwards were 4-8-8-2s.
The 2-8-8-2 proved itself to be a capable hauler on mountain grades, enabling the replacement of several smaller locomotives and hauling longer trains than before. They were not fast; they hauled at drag freight speeds, up to 25 mph. The locomotives were adopted by a broad spectrum of mountain railroads, including the Norfolk & Western, Southern, Virginian, Clinchfield, Denver & Rio Grande, Reading, Western Maryland, Missouri Pacific, Frisco, and the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range.
References
| Steam locomotive types
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| Single engine types
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| 0-2-2, 2-2-0, 2-2-2, 2-2-4, 4-2-0, 4-2-2, 4-2-4, 6-2-0
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| 0-4-0, 0-4-2, 0-4-4, 2-4-0, 2-4-2, 2-4-4, 4-4-0, 4-4-2, 4-4-4
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| 0-6-0, 0-6-2, 0-6-4, 2-6-0, 2-6-2, 2-6-4, 4-6-0, 4-6-2, 4-6-4
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| 0-8-0, 0-8-2, 2-8-0, 2-8-2, 2-8-4, 4-8-0, 4-8-2, 4-8-4, 6-8-6
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| 0-10-0, 0-10-2, 2-10-0, 2-10-2, 2-10-4, 4-10-0, 4-10-2
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| 0-12-0, 2-12-2, 4-12-2
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| Duplex engine types
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| 4-4-4-4, 6-4-4-6, 4-4-6-4, 4-6-4-4
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| Mallet (articulated) types
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| 0-4-4-0, 2-4-4-2
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| 0-6-6-0, 2-6-6-2, 2-6-6-4, 2-6-6-6, 4-6-6-4
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| 0-8-8-0, 2-8-8-0, 2-8-8-2, 2-8-8-4, 4-8-8-2, 4-8-8-4
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| 2-10-10-2, 2-8-8-8-2, 2-8-8-8-4
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