2-12-4T

Last updated

In Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-12-4 is a locomotive with one pair of unpowered leading wheels, followed by six pairs of powered driving wheels, and two pairs of unpowered trailing wheels. While it would be possible to make a tender locomotive of this type, all locomotives of this wheel arrangement were tank engines.

Other equivalent classifications are:

Bulgaria

There are only 20 standard gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)) engines with this wheel arrangement that were built for and ran in Europe: class 46 of the Bulgarian State Railways (BDŽ). They were ordered by BDŽ and built according to its specification by two different manufacturers: 12 engines by H. Cegielski in Poznań, Poland in 1931, and 8 by Berliner Maschinenbau (Schwarzkopf) in Berlin, Germany in 1943. Although there is a major difference between the two batches—the first 12 engines are type 1′F2′ h2Gt — tank-engine for freight service, two-cylinder system with simple steam expansion (Zwilling) with superheating, while the remaining 8 are 1′F2′ h3Gt — 3-cylinder (Drilling)—all were put into the same class 46 and numbered 46.01 – 46.12 and 46.13 – 46.20. They were designed to haul heavy coal trains on mountainous lines with gradients of about 2.67% (1 in 35.7) and more, and they coped with this hard task very well. Bulgarian railwaymen gave them nickname "Mother Bear" because they looked fat, clumsy and compact. These engines appear to be the most powerful steam locomotives in Europe. Two of them (46.03 of Zwillings and 46.13 of Drillings) are preserved. The Zwilling 46.03 has been restored to working order and made its maiden voyage on steam in May 2015.


Technical specifications: [1]

BDZ 46.03, load test on 26th May 2015 (By Ivo Radoev). BDZ4603.jpg
BDZ 46.03, load test on 26th May 2015 (By Ivo Radoev).
Locomotive No.46.01 – 46.1246.13 – 46.20
Gauge, mm1,4351,435
Type (UIC)1′F2′ h2Gt1′F2′ h3Gt
Type (BDŽ)Тт 1-6-217Тт 1-6-218
Builder Cegielski Berliner Maschinenbau
Year19311943
Steam pressure, kg/cm21616
Superheater area, m283.9180
Heating area, m2224.07223.6
Grate area, m24.874.87
Cylinders no. × dia. × stroke, mm2 × 700 × 7003 × 550 × 650
Driving wheels diameter, mm1,3401,340
Axleload, t1718
Adhesive weight, t101.7108
Total weight, t149.1155.8
Coal, t1010
Water, m31818
Total length, m18.20518.155
Total height, m4.284.345
Tractive effort, starting, kN381360
Tractive effort @ 20 km/h, kN307.2264.1
Max speed, km/h6565

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-6-2</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The 4-6-2 locomotive became almost globally known as a Pacific type after a New Zealand locomotive that was shipped across the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-8-2</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels. This type of steam locomotive is commonly known as the Mountain type.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whyte notation</span> Code for arrangement of locomotive wheels

The Whyte notation is a classification method for steam locomotives, and some internal combustion locomotives and electric locomotives, by wheel arrangement. It was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte, and came into use in the early twentieth century following a December 1900 editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">0-6-0</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

0-6-0 is the Whyte notation designation for steam locomotives with a wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. Historically, this was the most common wheel arrangement used on both tender and tank locomotives in versions with both inside and outside cylinders.

The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements, sometimes known as the German classification or German system, describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is used in much of the world, notable exceptions being the United Kingdom, which uses a slightly simplified form of UIC, and in North America, where the AAR wheel arrangement system is used to describe diesel and electric locomotives. In North America, Whyte notation is only used for steam locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-4-0</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

4-4-0 is a locomotive type with a classification that uses the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement and represents the arrangement: four leading wheels on two axles, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and a lack of trailing wheels. Due to the large number of the type that were produced and used in the United States, the 4-4-0 is most commonly known as the American type, but the type subsequently also became popular in the United Kingdom, where large numbers were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6-2-0</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

In the Whyte notation, a 6-2-0 is a railroad steam locomotive that has an unpowered three-axle leading truck followed by a single powered driving axle. This wheel arrangement is associated with the Crampton locomotive type, and in the USA the single class were sometimes referred to as Cramptons.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and no trailing wheels. Locomotives of this type are also referred to as eight coupled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trailing wheel</span> Unpowered locomotive wheel located rear of the driving wheels

On a steam locomotive, a trailing wheel or trailing axle is generally an unpowered wheel or axle (wheelset) located behind the driving wheels. The axle of the trailing wheels is usually located in a trailing truck. On some large locomotives, a booster engine was mounted on the trailing truck to provide extra tractive effort when starting a heavy train and at low speeds on gradients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-2-4T</span> Tank locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and four trailing wheels on two axles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-6-2</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-6-6-2 is a locomotive with one pair of unpowered leading wheels, followed by two sets of three pairs of powered driving wheels and one pair of trailing wheels. The wheel arrangement was principally used on Mallet-type articulated locomotives, although some tank locomotive examples were also built. A Garratt locomotive or Golwé locomotive with the same wheel arrangement is designated 2-6-0+0-6-2 since both engine units are pivoting.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-12-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, twelve powered and coupled driving wheels on six axles, and no trailing wheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-6-0</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, 2-6-6-0 is a locomotive with one pair of unpowered leading wheels, followed by two sets of three pairs of powered driving wheels and no trailing wheels. The wheel arrangement was principally used on Mallet-type articulated locomotives. Some tank locomotive examples were also built, for which various suffixes to indicate the type of tank would be added to the wheel arrangement, for example 2-6-6-0T for an engine with side-tanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-6-2+2-6-4</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 4-6-2+2-6-4 is a Garratt or Union Garratt articulated locomotive using a pair of 4-6-2 engine units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. The 4-6-2 wheel arrangement of each engine unit has four leading wheels on two axles, usually in a leading bogie, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle, usually in a trailing truck. Since the 4-6-2 type is known as a Pacific, the corresponding Garratt type is usually known as a Double Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">0-4-0+0-4-0</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, the 0-4-0+0-4-0 is an articulated locomotive of the Garratt type. The wheel arrangement is effectively two 0-4-0 locomotives operating back-to-back or face-to-face, with the boiler and cab suspended between the two power units. Each power unit has no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles and no trailing wheels. A similar arrangement exists for Mallet and Meyer locomotives, but is referred to as 0-4-4-0.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-2+2-6-2</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, 2-6-2+2-6-2 is an articulated locomotive using a pair of 2-6-2 power units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. The 2-6-2 wheel arrangement has a single pair of leading wheels in a leading truck, followed by three coupled pairs of driving wheels and a pair of trailing wheels in a trailing truck. Since the 2-6-2 type was often called the Prairie type, the corresponding Garratt and Modified Fairlie types were usually known as a Double Prairie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Class 21 2-10-4</span>

The South African Railways Class 21 2-10-4 of 1937 was a class of steam locomotives used in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CSAR Rack 4-6-4RT</span>

The Central South African Railways Rack 4-6-4RT of 1905 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in Transvaal Colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West African 2-8-0T</span>

The South West African 2-8-0T of 1907 was a steam locomotive from the German South West Africa era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">0-6-6T</span> Tank locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-6 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and six trailing wheels on three axles. All locomotives with this wheel arrangement were tank locomotives; no 0-6-6 tender locomotives were recorded.

References

  1. "2-12-4 Locomotives in Bulgaria".