Bachmann Trains & Accessories

Golden State Model Railroad Museum
Golden State Model Railroad Museum

When it comes to model steam trains the steam locomotive outshines the modern diesel-electric locomotive. The sight of a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy roaring down the rails gives you some idea of the power the massive engine is capable of producing. This impressive power is transferred to the art of model railroading. Even though most models are powered by an electric engine the steam locomotive still comes across as a powerful locomotive. In model trains you can find or scratch build any steam locomotive ever built. Now let’s look at how these locomotives got their name and how steam locomotives are classified.

A system of classifying steam locomotives came into existence in the early twentieth century. This classification system was introduced by Frederick Mathvan Whyte. The Wythe classification counts the leading wheels followed by the number of powered wheels followed by the number of trailing wheels with dashes between (example 2-4-2).

This is a list of the none articulated locomotives:

0-2-2 Northumbrian,

2-2-0 Planet,

2-2-2 Single, Jenny Lind,

2-2-4, 4-2-0 Jervis,

4-2-2-Bicycle,

6-2-0 Crampton,

0-0-4-0 Four-Coupled,

0-4-2, 0-4-4 Forney,

2-4-0 Porter, ‘Old English,

2-4-2 Columbia,

2-4-4, 4-4-0 American, Eight-wheeler,

4-4-2 Atlantic,

4-4-4 Reading, Jubilee (Canada),

0-3-0, 0-6-0 Six-Coupled, Bourbonnais (France), USRA

0-6-0 (United States),

0-6-2, 0-6-4 Forney six-coupled,

2-6-0 Mogul,

2-6-2 Prairie,

2-6-4 Adriatic,

2-6-6, 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler (not Britain),

4-6-2 Pacific,

4-6-4 Hudson, Baltic,

0-8-0 Eight-Coupled, USSR

0-8-0 (United States),

0-8-2, 0-8-4, 2-8-0 Consolidation,

2-8-2 Mikado, Mike, MacArthur,

2-8-4 Berkshire, Kanawha,

2-8-6 Used only on four Mason Bogie locomotives,

4-8-0 Mastodon, Twelve-Wheeler,

4-8-2 Mountain, Mohawk,

4-8-4 Northern, Niagara, Confederation, Dixie, Greenbrier, Pocono, Potomac, Golden State, Western, General, Wyoming (Lehigh Valley), Governor, Big Apple, GS Series “Daylight” (Southern Pacific),

6-8-6 (PRR S2 steam turbine locomotive),

0-10-0 Ten-Coupled, (rarely) Decapod,

0-10-2 Union,

2-10-0 Decapod, Russian Decapod,

2-10-2 Santa Fe, Central, Decapod (only on the Southern Pacific),

2-10-4 Texas, Colorado (CB&Q), Selkirk (Canada),

4-10-0 Mastodon, Gobernador (in honor of El Gobernador),

4-10-2 Southern Pacific, Overland,

0-12-0 Twelve-Coupled,

2-12-0 Centipede,

2-12-2 Javanic,

2-12-4, 4-12-2 Union Pacific,

4-14-4 AA20.

So you can see that with these none articulated locomotives that you probably can find one to run on your layout. But, this is not all of the steam locomotives. We will look at articulated locomotives next.

Now let’s look at the larger or even monster size locomotive called articulated locomotives. These locomotives were built in several classifications.

This is a list of the locomotives:

0-4-4-0 Bavarian, BB II,

2-4-4-0, 0-4-4-2, 2-4-4-2, 0-6-6-0 Erie,

2-6-6-2 Denver & Salt Lake,

2-6-6-4 Norfolk & Western,

2-6-6-6 Allegheny, Blue Ridge,

4-6-6-2 (Southern Pacific class MM-2),

4-6-6-4 Challenger,

2-6-8-0 (Southern Railway, Great Northern Railway),

0-8-8-0 Angus,

2-8-8-0 Bull Moose,

2-8-8-2 Chesapeake,

2-8-8-4 Yellowstone,

4-8-8-2 Southern Pacific cab forward classes,

4-8-8-4 Big Boy,

2-10-10-2 (Santa Fe and Virginian railroads),

2-8-8-8-2 Triplex (Erie RR),

2-8-8-8-4 Triplex (Virginian RR),

Garratt articulated locomotives, 0-4-0+0-4-0, 2-6-2+2-6-2.

Some of these locomotives are very long. Therefore; if you plan on using them on your layout, remember that they can’t make a curve with a tight radius. You really need long sweeping curves for the locomotive to operate properly.

Hope you enjoyed this article,

Steve Barnett

Steve Barnett is a model train expert. For more information on model steam trains. Visit my website at helpful tips and information on model railroading.

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