The Milwaukee Road class L2 were 2-8-2

2-8-2

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...

 or ‘Mikado’ type steam locomotives build by or for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad

The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...

 (“The Milwaukee Road”) in the period 1912–1923.

Construction history

There were three sub-classes of the class L2: the L2 proper comprised 40 locomotives, built by Milwaukee Road’s Milwaukee Shops in 1912–13, 115 by Alco’s Brooks Works in 1912, and 25 by Alco’s Schenectady Works in 1914. They were followed by 100 class L2-a built by Baldwin Locomotive Works

Baldwin Locomotive Works

The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...

 in 1920, and 100 class L2-b in 1922, also built by Baldwin.

L2

When originally built, the Milwaukee Shops locomotives had been allocated 1800–1839, however only the first seven carried these numbered before the allocation became 8000–8039. Similarly, the only the first 50 Brooks locomotives received their 1840–1889 numbers, before their allocation was changed to 8040–8154. The Schenectady engines were numbered 8155–8179.

Sixty-nine L2 locomotives received mechanical stokers and were reclassified as class L2-r. At the Milwaukee Road’s 1938 renumbering, the remaining 62 L2-r locomotives were renumbered 600–661, with the remaining 77 non-stoker fitted L2 locomotives receiving numbers 662–738.

L2-a

The 100 L2-a locomotives were built by the Baldwin locomotive Works as 8200–8299, and became 500–599 in 1938.

L2-b

The 100 L2-a locomotives were built by the Baldwin locomotive Works as 8300–8399, and became 400–499 in 1938.