- 2-8-8-8-4
Under the
Whyte notation for the classification ofsteam locomotive s, a 2-8-8-8-4 has twoleading wheel s, three sets of eightdriving wheel s, and a fourtrailing wheel s.Other equivalent classifications are:
UIC classification : 1DDD2 (also known asGerman classification andItalian classification )French classification : 140+040+042Turkish classification : 45+44+46Swiss classification : 4/5+4/4+4/6The equivalent
UIC classification is to be refined to (1'D)D(D2') for these engines.Only one 2-8-8-8-4 was ever built, a Mallet-type for the
Virginian Railway in 1916. Built byBaldwin Locomotive Works , it became the only example of their class XA, (experimental articulated). Like the same railroad's large articulated electrics and theErie Railroad 2-8-8-8-2 s, it was nicknamed "Triplex".An overview of Triplex engineering is given at
2-8-8-8-2 .The six large cylinders' ability to outdemand the boiler prevented the XA from running any faster than five miles per hour. The tender had a four-wheel truck at the rear to help guide the locomotive into curves when drifting back downhill after pushing a train over the hill.
The XA was sent back to Baldwin in 1920 and was rebuilt as two locomotives, a
2-8-8-0 and a2-8-2 . Unlike their progenitor which lasted only a few years in service, these two locomotives remained in service until 1953.External links
* [http://www.toytrains1.com/triplex.htm Web Site of ToyTrains1 2-8-8-8-4 Triplex Steam Locomotives]
* [http://www.steamlocomotive.com/articulated/virginianxa.shtml Virginian Class XA]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.