0-8-2

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle (usually in a trailing truck).

Other equivalent classifications are: UIC classification (also known as German classification and Italian classification): D1, French classification: 041, Turkish classification: 45, Swiss classification: 4/5.

North America

The 0-8-2 was not a common wheel arrangement. In North America, its use was confined to 2-8-2 "Mikado" types assigned to switcher roles; the lead truck was often removed to give more weight on drivers, a guiding truck not being needed at slow speed.

United Kingdom

GNR Class L1 locomotive

In the United Kingdom, a number of tank locomotive designs were built of the 0-8-2 type, including the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) R1 class, designed by Henry A. Ivatt and built originally for the Great Northern Railway as their class L1. These locomotives were intended for suburban passenger service, but did not prove satisfactory, so they ended up on freight service.

Other examples include the LNWR 1185 Class and the Port Talbot Railway's Cooke 0-8-2T and Sharp Stewart 0-8-2T.

Narrow gauge railways

The 0-8-2 arrangement proved a little more popular on narrow gauge lines, where (due to slow operating speeds) its lack of leading wheels was less important. 0-8-2 locomotives operate, for example, on the Zillertalbahn in Austria, on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, a minimum gauge railway in England's Lake District and the 'X' Class locomotives on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

References

• Marsden, Richard. The Ivatt R1 0-8-2 Tank Locomotives. Retrieved on May 11, 2005.