4-6-0

A 4-6-0 steam locomotive, under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, has four leading wheels on two axles in a leading bogie and six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles with the absence of trailing wheels.

In the mid-19th century, this wheel arrangement became the second-most-popular configuration for new steam locomotives in the United States, where this type is commonly referred to as a Ten-wheeler.White, John H., Jr. (1968). A history of the American locomotive; its development: 1830-1880. New York, NY: Dover Publications. p. 57. As locomotives pulling trains of lightweight all-wood passenger cars from the 1890 to the 1920s, they were exceptionally stable at near speeds on the New York Central's New York-to-Chicago Water Level Route and on the Reading Railroad's line from Camden to Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Overview

Tender locomotives During the second half of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries, the was constructed in large numbers for passenger and mixed traffic service. A natural extension of the 4-4-0 American wheel arrangement, the four-wheel leading bogie gave good stability at speed and allowed a longer boiler to be supported, while the lack of trailing wheels gave a high adhesive weight.Kinert, Reed. (1962). Early American steam locomotives; 1st seven decades: 1830-1900. Seattle, WA: Superior Publishing Company.

The primary limitation of the type was the small size of the firebox, which limited power output. In passenger service, it was eventually superseded by the 4-6-2 Pacific type whose trailing truck allowed it to carry a greatly enlarged firebox. Prussia and Saxony however went directly to the 2-8-2 Mikado type (pr. P10(39) / sax. XX HV(19) class); Karl Gölsdorf reversed the 2′C1 Pacific type to the 2-6-4 Adriatic type to accommodate an even larger firebox and better curve performance (type 310). For freight service, the addition of a fourth driving axle created the 4-8-0 Mastodon type, which was rare in North America, but became very popular on Cape gauge in Southern Africa.

Tank locomotives The locomotive version was a far less common type. It was used for passenger duties during the first decade of the twentieth century, but was soon superseded by the 4-6-2T Pacific, 4-6-4T Hudson and 2-6-4T Adriatic types, on which larger fuel bunkers were possible. During the First World War, the type was also used on narrow-gauge military railways.

Usage

Angola

Cape gauge

In 1907, five 6th Class locomotives of the Cape Government Railways were sold to the Benguela Railway (CFB). These included one of the Dübs-built locomotives of 1897 and two each of the Neilson and Company and Neilson, Reid and Company-built locomotives of 1897 and 1898. (Also see South Africa - Cape gauge)

In the mid-1930s, in order to ease maintenance, modifications were made to the running boards and brake gear of the CFB locomotives. The former involved mounting the running boards higher, thereby getting rid of the driving wheel fairings. This gave the locomotives a much more American rather than British appearance.Class 6B - Information supplied by Peter BagshaweBritish Overseas Railways Historical Trust, Journal No. 8 & 9

Narrow gauge In April 1951, three Class NG9 locomotives were purchased from the South African Railways for the Caminhos de Ferro de Moçâmedes (CFM). They were placed in service on the Ramal da Chibía, a gauge branch line across from Sá da Bandeira to Chiange. The locomotives were observed dumped at the Sá da Bandeira shops by 1969 and the branch line itself was closed in 1970.Class NG9 - Information supplied by Peter Bagshawe (Also see South Africa - Narrow gauge)

Bechuanaland In 1897, three Class 6 locomotives were ordered by the Cape Government Railways (CGR) from Neilson and Company for use on the new Vryburg to Bulawayo line of the fledgling Bechuanaland Railway Company (BR). The line through Bechuanaland Protectorate was still under construction and was operated by the CGR on behalf of the BR at the time. The locomotives were eventually returned to the CGR.

Canada

Around 1912, the Algoma Eastern Railway in Ontario, Canada, acquired Baldwin Locomotive Works #20272, a 4-6-0, which had been built in 1902. The locomotive was scrapped in 1927.

Besides several of the country's smaller railroads, Canada's two largest railroads, the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway also rostered examples of 4-6-0s, some of which have been preserved. Among the more modern examples for both railroads were the Canadian National H-6 and the Canadian Pacific D10.

Today, several Canadian National Railways H-6-g class locomotives are preserved, No. 1392 is preserved at the Alberta Railway Museum while No. 1551 is preserved at the Age of Steam Roundhouse.

Denmark

In 1912, DSB or Danish state railways (Danske statsbaner) would receive the first 2 of 30 R class steam locomotives. 2 versions of the class would be built. R (I): 20 of this type would be built. They had a 2-cylinder layout. R (II): 10 of this type would be built. They had a 3-cylinder layout.

After WWII, DSB would end up with 3 Prussian P8 class 4-6-0 steam locomotives. They would eventually take ownership of them, classifying them as the T class.

Finland The Finnish State Railways (Suomen Valtion Rautatiet or SVR, later the Valtionrautatiet or VR) operated the Classes Hk1, Hk2, Hk3, Hk5, Hv1, Hv2, Hv3, Hv4, Hr2 and Hr3 locomotives with a wheel arrangement.

The Class Hk1, numbers 232 to 241, was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1898. The ten Baldwin locomotives were originally designated H1 class.

Numbers 291 to 300 and 322 to 333 were built by the Richmond Locomotive Works in 1900 and 1901. The 22 Richmond locomotives were originally designated H2 class and were nicknamed Big-Wheel Kaanari. One of them, No. 293, the locomotive that brought Lenin from exile in August–September 1917 prior to the Russian Revolution, was presented by Finland to the Soviet Union on 13 June 1957 and is preserved at the Finland Station in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Another 100 of these locomotives were manufactured in Finland from 1903 to 1916, numbered in the range from 437 to 574 and initially designated H3 to H8 classes.

The Class Hk5 was numbered from 439 to 515. One, No. 497, is preserved at Haapamäki.

The Class Hv1 was built from 1915 by Tampella and Lokomo. They were nicknamed Heikki and were numbered 545 to 578 and 648 to 655. The class remained in service until 1967. One, No. 555 named Princess, is preserved at the Finnish Railway Museum.

The Class Hv2 was built by Berliner Maschinenbau and Lokomo in the years between 1919 and 1926. They were numbered 579 to 593, 671 to 684 and 777 to 780. One, No. 680, is preserved at Haapamäki.

The Class Hv3 was built by Berliner, Tampella and Lokomo in the years from 1921 to 1941. They were numbered 638 to 647, 781 to 785 and 991 to 999. Three Class Hv3 locomotives were preserved, No. 781 at Kerava, No. 995 at Suolahti and No. 998 at Haapamäki.

The Class Hv4 was built by Tampella and Lokomo in the years from 1912 to 1933 and were numbered 516 to 529, 742 to 751 and 757 to 760. Two, numbers 742 and 751, are preserved at Haapamäki.

The Swedish State Railways (Statens Järnvägar or SJ) sold its Class Ta and Tb locomotives to Finland in 1942. At the time, they were not in traffic in Sweden and, since they were purchased by Finland, they were not considered as war assistance. The Class Ta was designated Class Hr2 in Finland while the Class Tb was designated Class Hr3. The Class Hr2 was numbered from 1900 to 1906 and had been built by Swedish builders NOHAB (Nydqvist & Holm AB) and Motala Verkstad in the years from 1901 to 1905. They were withdrawn from service in Finland between 1950 and 1953. The Class Hr3 was numbered from 1907 to 1919 and had been built in Sweden by NOHAB, Motala, the Vagn & Maskinfabriks AB in Falun and Nya AB Atlas in Stockholm in the years from 1906 to 1908. The Class Hr3 was withdrawn from service in Finland between 1952 and 1953.

France

Two 4-6-0 tank locomotive types saw service in France.

The Réseau Breton tank locomotives were a class of locomotives of which five were built in 1904 for the Réseau Breton railway by Société Franco-Belge at its Raismes factory. A further seven locomotives were built by Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (SACM) at its Belfort plant in France in 1909.

The Baldwin Class 10-12-D gauge pannier tank locomotives were built in the United States by Baldwin Locomotive Works for the British War Department Light Railways, for service in France in 1916 and 1917 during the First World War. A further batch was built by the American Locomotive Company. After the war, many of these locomotives were sold to work in France, Britain and India.

Germany

The wheel arrangement was very popular on the railroads of German states from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when they gradually replaced American type locomotives, initially especially on hilly terrain. In 1925, after the creation of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DRG), express passenger locomotives were classified under group 17, while regular passenger locomotives were classified under group 38.

Baden In 1894, Baden adopted its IVe class passenger locomotives of Alfred de Glehn design, the first four-cylinder compound locomotive ever. Altogether 83 were built and later became the DRG class 3870.

Bavaria Bavaria acquired three express passenger locomotive classes. All were Maffei-built four-cylinder compound locomotives. The C V class, of which 43 were built from 1899, later the DRG class 173. The S 3/5N class, of which 39 were built from 1903, later the DRG class 174. The superheated steam S 3/5H class, of which thirty were built from 1906, later the DGR class 175.

Bavaria only began using passenger locomotives in 1905. The first was the P 3/5 N class, of which 36 were built, later the DRG class 380. After a long break, Bavaria ordered a superheated steam P 3/5 H class in 1921. Eighty of these were built and later became the DRG class 384.Horst Obermayer, Manfred Weisbrod, Dampflok-Report: Lokomotiv-Archiv. Band No. 2. Baureihen 22-39, Merker Verlag 1995, , pp. 44-49

Prussia In 1899, Prussia ordered a short series of 18 De Glehn passenger locomotives that were designated S 7 class.Herbert Rauter: Preußen-Report. Band 4: Naßdampf-Personenzuglokomotiven P 0 – pp. 4, 7. Hermann Merker Verlag, 1991, , pp.76-78

The most numerous series in the world was the Prussian P 8 passenger locomotive, later the DRG class 3810-40, of which 3,556 were built for the Prussian state railways and German railways between 1906 and 1923. Of these, 627 locomotives were given to other countries after the First World War. When exports and licensed production in Romania are included, their number reached almost 4000.Günther Scheingraber, Manfred Weisbrod (1993). Preußen-Report. Band 7: Heißdampf-Personenzuglokomotiven P 6, P 8, P 10 und preußische Tender. Hermann Merker Verlag, , pp. 32, 36 (Also see )

Prussia only started to operate express locomotives of its S 10 family from 1910. While they were externally similar, they differed in engine arrangement.Horst Obermayer, Manfred Weisbrod: Dampflok-Report: Lokomotiv-Archiv. Band No. 1. Baureihen 01-19, Merker Verlag 1993, , pp.58-67 The S 10 quadruple (4-cylinder, single expansion) of which 202 were built from 1910, later the DRG class 170-1. The S 101 4-cylinder compound, of which 237 were built in two batches from 1911 and 1914 (with pre-heater), later the DRG class 1710-12. The S 102 3-cylinder, of which 124 were built from 1914, later the DRG class 172.

Saxony From 1906, Saxony used express service locomotive classes XII H, XII HV and XII H1, of which 6, 42 and 7 were built respectively. They later became the DRG classes 176, 177 and 178 respectively. All were superheated steam locomotives, differing mostly in engine arrangements.