Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 4-2-2 locomotive has four leading wheels, two driving wheels and two trailing wheels.
Other equivalent classifications are:
UIC classification: 2A1 (also known as German classification and Italian classification)
French classification: 211
Turkish classification: 14
Swiss classification: 1/4
Like other steam locomotive types with single pairs of driving wheels, they were also known as singles.
[edit] Examples from the UK
- The Iron Duke class of Great Western Railway, built by Daniel Gooch. This broad gauge express locomotives were first built in 1847 and had an 8 ft diameter driving wheel size.
- The later examples of the GWR 3031 Class by William Dean, 1893-1899, built for standard gauge. No 3065 Duke of Connaught made a record-breaking run with the Ocean Mail express train on 9 May 1904, covering the distance from Plymouth to Paddington in 227 minutes.
- The GNR Stirling 4-2-2 of the Great Northern Railway, which ran an average speed of more than 60 mph during the race to the north, built first in 1870. They were called eight-footer because of the big driving wheel, that was more than 8 ft. in diameter.
- The Midland Railway's 115 class "Spinners". One, No. 673, survives at the National Railway Museum, York.
- A further notable UK class 4-2-2 is the GER Class P43, which was an early oil-burning engine, developed by the pioneer of oil-boilers, James Holden
Iron Duke class engines waiting scrapping
[edit] Examples from Germany
Technical drawing of the first Borsig locomotive
- The first steam locomotive made by Borsig, Berlin, the Borsig No 1, was an 4-2-2, built 1841.
