2-2-2
Encyclopedia
Whyte notation
The Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte and came into use in the early twentieth century encouraged by an editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal...
for the classification of steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement
Wheel arrangement
In rail transport, a wheel arrangement is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed beneath a locomotive.. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and connections, with the adopted notations varying by country...
of two leading wheel
Leading wheel
The leading wheel or leading axle of a steam locomotive is an unpowered wheel or axle located in front of the driving wheels. The axle or axles of the leading wheels are normally located in a truck...
s on one axle two powered driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s on one axle, and two trailing wheel
Trailing wheel
On a steam locomotive, a trailing wheel or trailing axle is generally an unpowered wheel or axle located behind the driving wheels. The axle of the trailing wheels was usually located on a trailing truck...
s on one axle. The wheel arrangement both provided more stability and enabled a larger firebox
Firebox
In a steam engine, the firebox is the area where the fuel is burned, producing heat to boil the water in the boiler. Most are somewhat box-shaped, hence the name.-Railway locomotive firebox :...
than the earlier 0-2-2
0-2-2
An 0-2-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, is one that has two coupled driving wheels followed by two trailing wheels, with no leading wheels...
and 2-2-0
2-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
types. This configuration was introduced in 1834 on Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
's 'Patentee locomotive
Patentee locomotive
This was a revolutionary 2-2-2 steam locomotive type introduced by Robert Stephenson and Company in 1833, as an enlargement of their 2-2-0 Planet type...
' but it was later popularly named Jenny Lind, after the Jenny Lind locomotive
Jenny Lind locomotive
The Jenny Lind locomotive was the first of a class of ten steam locomotives built in 1847 for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway by E. B. Wilson and Company of Leeds, named after Jenny Lind who was a famous opera singer of the period...
which in turn was named after the popular singer. They were also sometimes described as Singles
Single (locomotive)
In railway terminology, a single is a steam locomotive with a single pair of driving wheels. Some sources use 'Single' only for the 2-2-2 type, also known as a Jenny Lind locomotive, but more commonly singles could have any number of leading or trailing wheels....
, although this name could be used to describe any kind of locomotive with a single pair of driving wheels.
Equivalent classifications
Other equivalent classifications are:- UIC classificationUIC classificationThe UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much...
: 1A1 (also known as German classification and Italian classification) - French classification: 111
- Turkish classificationTurkish classificationIn the Turkish classification system for railway locomotives, the number of powered axles are followed by the total number of axles. It is identical to the Swiss system except that the latter places a slash between the two numbers.Thus0-6-0 becomes 33...
: 13 - Swiss classification: 1/3
History
The 2-2-2 configuration appears to have been developed by Robert Stephenson and CompanyRobert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
in 1834, as an enlargement of their 2-2-0
2-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
Planet configuration, offering more stability and a larger firebox
Firebox
In a steam engine, the firebox is the area where the fuel is burned, producing heat to boil the water in the boiler. Most are somewhat box-shaped, hence the name.-Railway locomotive firebox :...
. The new type became known as Stephenson's Patentee locomotive
Patentee locomotive
This was a revolutionary 2-2-2 steam locomotive type introduced by Robert Stephenson and Company in 1833, as an enlargement of their 2-2-0 Planet type...
. Adler
Adler (locomotive)
The Adler was the first locomotive which was successfully commercially used for rail transport of passengers and goods in Germany. The rail vehicle was constructed and built in 1835 from the british railway pioneers George and Robert Stephenson in the english town Newcastle...
, the first successful locomotive to operate in Germany, was a Patentee supplied by Robert Stephenson and company in component form in December, 1835 was one of the earliest examples. Other examples were exported to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. By 1838 the 2-2-2 had become the standard passenger design by Robert Stephenson and Company.
Eighteen of the first nineteen locomotives ordered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
for the opening of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1837/8 were of the 2-2-2 type. These included six 2-2-2 locomotives
GWR Charles Tayleur locomotives
The first 19 locomotives ordered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway included six 2-2-2 Charles Tayleur locomotives. They were built by Charles Tayleur at his Vulcan Foundry but were unsuccessful and rapidly supplemented by the Star Class locomotives ordered by Daniel Gooch...
built by Charles Tayleur at his Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry
Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
. Also in 1837 the successful North Star broad gauge locomotive was delivered to the Great Western Railway by Stephenson, becoming the first of a class of twelve locomotives by 1841.
Later UK developments
Sharp, Roberts and CompanySharp, Roberts and Company
Sharp, Stewart and Company was a steam locomotive manufacturer, initially based in Manchester, England. The company was formed in 1843 upon the demise of Sharp, Roberts & Co. and moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 1888, eventually amalgamating with two other Glasgow-based locomotive manufacturers to...
constructed more than 600 2-2-2 locomotives between 1837 and 1857. Ten of these supplied to the Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
became the basis of Alexander Allan's
Alexander Allan (locomotive engineer)
Alexander Allan was a Scottish mechanical engineer. He was born at Montrose, Angus, in 1809 and died on 2 June 1891.From 1843 to 1853 he was Works Manager at the Crewe Works of the Grand Junction Railway, later London and North Western Railway, under Francis Trevithick. Here he was responsible for...
successful designs for the railway from 1845 (the first of which, formerly named Columbine, is preserved). J. & G. Rennie supplied 2-2-2 locomotives to the London and Croydon Railway
London and Croydon Railway
The London and Croydon Railway was an early railway which operated between London and Croydon in England. It was opened in 1839 and in July 1846 it merged with other railways to form a part of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway ....
from 1838 and the London and Brighton Railway
London and Brighton Railway
The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
in 1840. Arend
Arend
Arend was one of the two first steam locomotives in the Netherlands. It was a 2-2-2 Patentee type built in England by R. B. Longridge and Company of Bedlington, Northumberland. On 20 September 1839, together with the Snelheid , it hauled the first train between Amsterdam and Haarlem...
(eagle) was one of the two first steam locomotives in the Netherlands, built by R. B. Longridge and Company
R. B. Longridge and Company
R. B. Longridge and Company was established in 1785 at Bedlington, Northumberland, England. Its proprietor was Michael Longridge who also managed Robert Stephenson's works during the latter's absence abroad...
of Bedlington
Bedlington
Bedlington is a town in Northumberland, to the north of the Tyne and Wear urban area. It lies north of Newcastle and southeast of the county town of Morpeth. Other nearby places include Ashington to the north northeast, Blyth to the east and Cramlington to the south.The parish of Bedlington...
, Northumberland in 1839.
The Great Western Railway continued to order both broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
and standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
locomotives on the railway, including the Firefly
GWR Firefly Class
The Firefly was a class of broad gauge 2-2-2 steam locomotives used for passenger services on the Great Western Railway. The class was introduced into service between March 1840 and December 1842, and withdrawn between December 1863 and July 1879....
and Sun classes
GWR Sun Class
The Great Western Railway Sun Class 2-2-2 broad gauge steam locomotives for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service between April 1840 and January 1842, and withdrawn between January 1864 and June 1879....
(1840–42), which were enlarged versions of North Star. Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy
Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy
Bury, Curtis and Kennedy was a steam locomotive manufacturer in Liverpool, England.Edward Bury set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson and Mather, Dixon and Company,...
supplied six 2-2-2 locomotives to the Bristol and Gloucester Railway
Bristol and Gloucester Railway
The Bristol and Gloucester Railway opened in 1844 between Bristol and Gloucester, meeting the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. It is now part of the main line from the North-East of England through Derby and Birmingham to the South-West.-History:...
in 1844, and fourteen to the Great Southern and Western Railway
Great Southern and Western Railway
The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
in Ireland in 1848, (the last of these has been preserved at Cork Kent railway station.
The Jenny Lind locomotive
Jenny Lind locomotive
The Jenny Lind locomotive was the first of a class of ten steam locomotives built in 1847 for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway by E. B. Wilson and Company of Leeds, named after Jenny Lind who was a famous opera singer of the period...
, designed by David Joy
David Joy
David Frederick Joy was a former professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town and York City.-References:*99 Years & Counting - Stats & Stories - Huddersfield Town History...
and built in 1847 for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway by the E.B.Wilson and Company of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, became the basis of hundreds of similar passenger locomotives built during the 1840s and 1850s by this and other manufacturers for UK railways. The London & North Western Railway Cornwall
LNWR 2-2-2 3020 Cornwall
London & North Western Railway 2-2-2 No. 3020 Cornwall is a preserved steam locomotive. She was built at Crewe in 1847. She was originally a 4-2-2 in 1847, but was extensively rebuilt, and converted to a 2-2-2 in 1858.- Early high-speed locomotive design :...
locomotive was designed at Crewe Works
Crewe Works
Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. It is located in the town of Crewe, in the county of Cheshire....
as a 4-2-2
4-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle....
by Francis Trevithick
Francis Trevithick
Francis Trevithick , from Camborne, Cornwall, was one of the first locomotive engineers of the London and North Western Railway .- Life :...
in 1847, but was rebuilt as a 2-2-2 in 1858.
Although by the 1860s the 2-2-2 configuration was beginning to be superseded by the 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
type with better adhesion, the invention of steam sanding gave 2-2-2 singles a new lease of life, and they continued to be built until the 1890s. Notable late examples include William Stroudley
William Stroudley
William Stroudley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers of the nineteenth century, working principally for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway...
's singles
LB&SCR G class
The LB&SCR G class, were powerful 2-2-2 locomotives, designed by William Stroudley of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1874.-History:...
of 1874-1880, William Dean's 157 class
GWR 157 Class (Dean)
The 157 Class of 2-2-2 steam locomotives designed in 1878-9 by William Dean was originally regarded as a reconstruction or renewal of Joseph Armstrong's own 157 Class of 1862. But, as was often the case, these Dean engines were new, and had more in common with Armstrong's more recent, and larger,...
of 1878-79, and his 3001 class
GWR 3001 Class
The 3001 Class as constructed by William Dean at the Swindon Works of the Great Western Railway in 1891-2 was the culmination of the tradition of GWR 2-2-2 locomotives that had begun with Gooch's North Star over 50 years earlier...
(1891–92), both for the Great Western Railway. James Holden
James Holden (engineer)
James Holden was an English locomotive engineer.He is remembered mainly for the "Claud Hamilton" 4-4-0, his pioneering work with oil fuel, and his unique "Decapod".- Biography :...
of the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
created some 2-2-2 singles
GER Holden 2-2-2
The GER Class D27 was a class of 2-2-2 steam tender locomotives designed by James Holden for the Great Eastern Railway.-History:In 1888 Holden experimented by removing the side rods of T19 No. 721 to form a 2-2-2. In 1889 the first of a new class appeared: initially No. 740 which had been built...
in 1889 by removing the side rod from a 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
.
Belgium
The first steam railway locomotive built in Belgium in 1835 , and was built by John Cockerill under license to a design by Robert Stephenson & Co. It was built for use on the first main line on the European mainland, the Brussels-Mechelen line. A replica was built at the workshops of Boissellerie Cognaut for the 150th anniversary of the formation of BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Italy
Two 2-2-2 locomotives were imported from Longridge and Co of Bedlington IronworksBedlington Ironworks
Bedlington Ironworks, in Blyth Dene, Northumberland, England, operated between 1736 and 1867. It is most remembered as the place where wrought iron rails were invented by John Birkinshaw in 1820, which triggered the railway age, with their first major use being in the Stockton and Darlington...
England for the Naples–Portici railway in 1839 named Bayard and Vesuvio. A replica of 'Bayard is at the Naples Railway Museum.
Germany
Most of the earliest locomotives to operate in what is now Germany before the mid 1840s were 2-2-2s delivered by UK manufacturers. However by 1839 the type was also being built locally see List of Bavarian locomotives and railbuses. The PegasusLDE – Pegasus
The Pegasus was an early, passenger train tender locomotive operated by the Leipzig-Dresden Railway or LDE. She was one of the first locomotives to be built in Germany.- History :...
of 1839 was the first locomotive to be built by the Sächsische Maschinenbau-Compagnie in Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
. August Borsig
August Borsig
Johann Friedrich August Borsig was a German businessman who founded the Borsig-Werke factory.Borsig was born in Breslau , the son of cuirassier and carpenter foreman Johann George Borsig...
and Company manufactured Beuth
Beuth
Beuth was a 2-2-2 steam locomotive manufactured by Borsig, first delivered in 1843.-Success:The 24th locomotive by the manufacturer, Beuth ended up being a great success, and its valve design became de facto standard for locomotives for decades to come...
in 1843 which was highly successful; its valve design became de facto standard for locomotives for decades to come. By 1846 he had manufactured more than a hundred similar locomotives. Both the Leipzig-Dresden Railway and Royal Bavarian State Railways
Royal Bavarian State Railways
As a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg. By then each of the major states had formed its own state railway and these continued to remain...
(Königlich Bayerische Staatsbahn) built several 2-2-2 classes 1841-1859. Similarly, the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway
The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway was the state railway company in Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
grouped various 2-2-2 steam locomotives procured from German manufacturers between 1848 and 1863 into its Mecklenburg I
Mecklenburg I
The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway grouped the various 2-2-2 steam locomotives procured between 1848 and 1863 into its Mecklenburg Class I.- History :...
class.
Austria
The Imperial Austrian State RailwaysImperial Austrian State Railways
The Imperial Royal State Railways was the state railway organisation in the Cisleithanian part of Austria-Hungary.-Early history:...
(kaiserlich-königliche österreichische Staatsbahnen or kkStB) built two successful locomotives
KkStB Class 112
The Austrian steam locomotive class, the kkStB Class 112 was an express train tank engine operated by the Imperial Austrian State Railways ....
of this wheel arrangement in 1907. Similarly the Federal Railway of Austria (BBÖ) built two examples of an express tank locomotive
BBÖ Class 12
The steam locomotive class BBÖ 12 was an express train tank locomotive class with the Federal Railway of Austria .Convinced by the performance of the kkStB-Class 112 the BBÖ decided in 1934 to procure tank engines for regional express services as well. For reasons of cost, however, they...
in 1934 and 1937.
Preserved examples & replicas
- A replica of Adler (locomotive)Adler (locomotive)The Adler was the first locomotive which was successfully commercially used for rail transport of passengers and goods in Germany. The rail vehicle was constructed and built in 1835 from the british railway pioneers George and Robert Stephenson in the english town Newcastle...
of 1835 - A replica of North Star (broad gauge locomotive) of 1837
- A replica of ArendArendArend was one of the two first steam locomotives in the Netherlands. It was a 2-2-2 Patentee type built in England by R. B. Longridge and Company of Bedlington, Northumberland. On 20 September 1839, together with the Snelheid , it hauled the first train between Amsterdam and Haarlem...
- LNWR No 1868 (formerly named Columbine) built 1845
- The LNWR 2-2-2 3020 CornwallLNWR 2-2-2 3020 CornwallLondon & North Western Railway 2-2-2 No. 3020 Cornwall is a preserved steam locomotive. She was built at Crewe in 1847. She was originally a 4-2-2 in 1847, but was extensively rebuilt, and converted to a 2-2-2 in 1858.- Early high-speed locomotive design :...
built 1847 - GS&WR Bury No. 36 of 1848
- A US 2-2-2, Pioneer, of 1894 is held by the Smithsonian
- BBÖ Class 12 locomotive of 1937.