Whyte notation

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Short description: Code for arrangement of locomotive wheels


A selection of early 20th century locomotive types according to their Whyte notation and their comparative size
Whyte notation from a handbook for railroad industry workers published in 1906[1]

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,[2] and came into use in the early twentieth century following a December 1900 editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal.

The notation was adopted and remains in use in North America and the United Kingdom to describe the wheel arrangements of steam locomotives, but for modern locomotives, multiple units and trams it has been supplanted by the UIC system in Europe and by the AAR system (essentially a simplification of the UIC system) in North America. However, geared steam locomotives do not use the notation. They are classified by their model and their number of trucks.

Structure of the system

Basic form

The notation in its basic form counts the number of leading wheels, then the number of driving wheels, and finally the number of trailing wheels, numbers being separated by dashes.[3] For example, a locomotive with two leading axles (four wheels) in front, then three driving axles (six wheels) and then one trailing axle (two wheels) is classified as a 4-6-2 locomotive, and is commonly known as a Pacific.

Denotion of other locomotives

Articulated locomotives

For articulated locomotives that have two wheelsets, such as Garratts, which are effectively two locomotives joined by a common boiler, each wheelset is denoted separately, with a plus sign (+) between them. Thus a 4-6-2-type Garratt is a 4-6-2+2-6-4. For Garratt locomotives, the plus sign is used even when there are no intermediate unpowered wheels, e.g. the LMS Garratt 2-6-0+0-6-2. This is because the two engine units are more than just power bogies. They are complete engines, carrying fuel and water tanks. The plus sign represents the bridge (carrying the boiler) that links the two engines.

Simpler articulated types, such as Mallets, have a jointed frame under a common boiler where there are no unpowered wheels between the sets of powered wheels. Typically, the forward frame is free to swing, whereas the rear frame is rigid with the boiler. Thus, a Union Pacific Big Boy is a 4-8-8-4: four leading wheels, one group of eight driving wheels, another group of eight driving wheels, and then four trailing wheels. Sometimes articulated locomotives of this type are denoted with a “+” between each driving wheels set (so in the previous case, the Big Boy would be a 4-8+8-4). This may have been developed to distinguish articulated and duplex arrangements; duplex arrangements would get a “-“ being rigid and articulated locomotives would get a “+” being flexible. However, given all the wheel arrangements for duplex locomotives have been mutually exclusive to them, it is usually considered unnecessary and thus another “-“ is usually used.

Triplex locomotives, and any theoretical larger ones, simply expand on basic articulated locomotives, for example, 2-8-8-8-2. In the case of the Belgium quadruplex, the arrangement is listed as 0-6-2+2-4-2-4-2+2-6-0.[4]

Duplex locomotives

For duplex locomotives, which have two sets of coupled driving wheels mounted rigidly on the same frame, the same method is used as for Mallet articulated locomotives – the number of leading wheels is placed first, followed by the leading set of driving wheels, followed by the trailing set of driving wheels, followed by the trailing wheels, each number being separated by a hyphen.

Tank locomotives

A number of standard suffixes can be used to extend the Whyte notation for tank locomotives:[5]

Suffix Meaning Example
[No Suffix] Tender locomotive
T Side tank locomotive
ST Saddle tank locomotive
WT Well tank locomotive
PT Pannier tank locomotive
C or CT Crane tank locomotive
IST Inverted saddle tank locomotive
T+T (or ST+T, WT+T, etc.) Tender-tank locomotive

Other steam locomotives

Various other types of steam locomotive can be also denoted through suffixes:[5]

VB or VBT Vertical boilered locomotive
F Fireless locomotive
CA Compressed air locomotive
R Railcar
R or RT Rack locomotive

Internal combustion locomotives

The wheel arrangement of small diesel and petrol locomotives can be classified using the same notation as steam locomotives, e.g. 0-4-0, 0-6-0, 0-8-0. Where the axles are coupled by chains or shafts (rather than side rods) or are individually driven, the terms 4w (4-wheeled), 6w (6-wheeled) or 8w (8-wheeled) are generally used. For larger locomotives, the UIC classification is more commonly used.

Various suffixes are also used to denote the different types of internal combustion locomotives:[5]

Suffix Meaning Example
PM Petrol-mechanical locomotive
PE Petrol-electric locomotive
D Diesel locomotive
DM Diesel–mechanical locomotive
DE Diesel–electric locomotive
DH Diesel–hydraulic locomotive

Electric locomotives

The wheel arrangement of small electric locomotives can be denoted using this notation, like with internal combustion locomotives.

Suffixes used for electric locomotives include:

Suffix Meaning Example
BE Battery-electric locomotive
OE Overhead-lines electric locomotive
RE Third rail electric locomotive

Wheel arrangement names

In American (and to a lesser extent British) practice, most wheel arrangements in common use were given names, sometimes from the name of the first such locomotive built. For example, the 2-2-0 type arrangement is named Planet, after the 1830 locomotive on which it was first used. (This naming convention is similar to the naming of warship classes.) Note that several wheel arrangements had multiple names, and some names were only used in some countries.

Wheel arrangements under the Whyte system are listed below. In the diagrams, the front of the locomotive is to the left.

Arrangement
(locomotive front is to the left)		 Whyte classification Name No. of units produced
Non-articulated locomotives
WheelArrangement 0-2-2.svg 0-2-2 Northumbrian
WheelArrangement 2-2-0.svg 2-2-0 Planet
WheelArrangement 2-2-2.svg 2-2-2 Single[2]
WheelArrangement 2-2-4.svg 2-2-4
WheelArrangement 4-2-0.svg 4-2-0 Jervis[6]
WheelArrangement 4-2-2.svg 4-2-2
WheelArrangement 4-2-4.svg 4-2-4
WheelArrangement 6-2-0.svg 6-2-0 Crampton[7]
WheelArrangement 0-4-0.svg 0-4-0
WheelArrangement 0-4-4.svg 0-4-0+4
WheelArrangement 0-4-2.svg 0-4-2
WheelArrangement 0-4-4.svg 0-4-4 Forney[1]
WheelArrangement 2-4-0.svg 2-4-0 Porter, 'Old English'[8]
WheelArrangement 2-4-2.svg 2-4-2 Columbia[1]
WheelArrangement 2-4-4.svg 2-4-4
WheelArrangement 4-4-0.svg 4-4-0 American,[1][9] eight-wheeler
WheelArrangement 4-4-2.svg 4-4-2 Atlantic[1][10]
WheelArrangement 4-4-4.svg 4-4-4 Reading, Jubilee (Canada)[11]
WheelArrangement 0-6-0.svg 0-3-0 (one driving wheel per axle; used on Patiala State Monorail Trainways and also on the Listowel and Ballybunion Railway)
WheelArrangement 0-6-0.svg 0-6-0 Six-coupled,[1] Bourbonnais (France)
WheelArrangement 0-6-2.svg 0-6-2
WheelArrangement 0-6-4.svg 0-6-4 Forney six-coupled[1]
WheelArrangement 0-6-6.svg 0-6-6
WheelArrangement 2-6-0.svg 2-6-0 Mogul[1][12] 11,000
WheelArrangement 2-6-2.svg 2-6-2 Prairie[1][2]
WheelArrangement 2-6-4.svg 2-6-4 Adriatic
WheelArrangement 2-6-6.svg 2-6-6
WheelArrangement 4-6-0.svg 4-6-0 Ten-wheeler[1][13] (not Britain)[14]
WheelArrangement 4-6-2.svg 4-6-2 Pacific[1][2][15][16] 6,800
WheelArrangement 4-6-4.svg 4-6-4 Hudson,[17] Baltic[2]
4-6-6 Use on the Boston and Albany Railroad.[18]
WheelArrangement 0-8-0.svg 0-8-0 Eight-coupled[1]
WheelArrangement 0-8-2.svg 0-8-2
WheelArrangement 0-8-4.svg 0-8-4
WheelArrangement 2-8-0.svg 2-8-0 Consolidation[1][2][19] 35,000
WheelArrangement 2-8-2.svg 2-8-2 Mikado,[1][2] Mike, MacArthur[20][21]
WheelArrangement 2-8-4.svg 2-8-4 Berkshire, Kanawha[22][23]
WheelArrangement 2-8-6.svg 2-8-6 Used only on four Mason Bogie locomotives
WheelArrangement 4-8-0.svg 4-8-0 Twelve Wheeler[1][24]
WheelArrangement 4-8-2.svg 4-8-2 Mountain,[2][25] Mohawk (NYC)[26]
WheelArrangement 4-8-4.svg 4-8-4 Northern, Niagara, Confederation, Dixie, Greenbrier, Pocono, Potomac, Heavy Mountain (Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe), Golden State (Southern Pacific),[27] Western, Laurentian (Delaware & Hudson Railroad), General, Wyoming (Lehigh Valley[28]), Governor, Big Apple, GS Series "Daylight" (Southern Pacific)[27]
WheelArrangement 4-8-6.svg 4-8-6 Proposed by Lima, never built
WheelArrangement 6-8-6.svg 6-8-6 Turbine, only used on the PRR S2 Steam Turbine 1
WheelArrangement 0-10-0.svg 0-10-0 Ten-coupled[1][29]
WheelArrangement 0-10-2.svg 0-10-2 Union[29]
WheelArrangement 2-10-0.svg 2-10-0 Decapod,[1][30] Russian Decapod
WheelArrangement 2-10-2.svg 2-10-2 Santa Fe[1]
WheelArrangement 2-10-4.svg 2-10-4 Texas, Colorado (CB&Q), Selkirk (Canada)[31]
WheelArrangement 4-10-0.svg 4-10-0 Mastodon[1][24]
WheelArrangement 4-10-2.svg 4-10-2 Reid Tenwheeler,[32][33] Southern Pacific, Overland[34]
WheelArrangement 0-12-0.svg 0-12-0
0-12-2 Used in Argentina
WheelArrangement 2-12-0.svg 2-12-0 Centipede[1]
WheelArrangement 2-12-2.svg 2-12-2 30
WheelArrangement 2-12-4.svg 2-12-4 20
2-12-6 Proposed by Lima, never built
WheelArrangement 4-12-2.svg 4-12-2 Union Pacific[35]
WheelArrangement 4-14-4.svg 4-14-4 AA20[36] 1
Duplex locomotives
0-2-2-0 Used on the Mount Washington Cog Railway
WheelArrangement 4-4-4-4.svg 4-4-4-4 (PRR T1)[37] 53
WheelArrangement 6-4-4-6.svg 6-4-4-6 (PRR S1)[38] 1
WheelArrangement 4-4-6-4.svg 4-4-6-4 (PRR Q2)[39] 26
WheelArrangement 4-6-4-4.svg 4-6-4-4 (PRR Q1) 1
Articulated locomotives (simple and compound)
WheelArrangement 0-4-4-0.svg 0-4-4-0
WheelArrangement 2-4-0.svg WheelArrangement 0-4-0.svg 2-4-4-0 5
WheelArrangement 0-4-0.svg WheelArrangement 0-4-2.svg 0-4-4-2
WheelArrangement 2-4-4-2.svg 2-4-4-2
4-4-6-2 AT&SF[40] 2
WheelArrangement 0-6-6-0.svg 0-6-6-0
WheelArrangement 2-6-6-0.svg 2-6-6-0
WheelArrangement 2-6-6-2.svg 2-6-6-2 1,300
WheelArrangement 2-6-6-4.svg 2-6-6-4 60
WheelArrangement 2-6-6-6.svg 2-6-6-6 Allegheny,[41] Blue Ridge 68
WheelArrangement 4-6-6-2.svg 4-6-6-2 (Southern Pacific class AM-2)[42]
WheelArrangement 4-6-6-4.svg 4-6-6-4 Challenger[43] 252
WheelArrangement 2-6-8-0.svg 2-6-8-0 (Southern Railway, Great Northern Railway)[44] 39
WheelArrangement 0-8-8-0.svg 0-8-8-0 Angus[45]
WheelArrangement 2-8-8-0.svg 2-8-8-0
WheelArrangement 2-8-8-2.svg 2-8-8-2 222
WheelArrangement 2-8-8-4.svg 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone[46] 78
WheelArrangement 4-8-8-2.svg 4-8-8-2 195
WheelArrangement 4-8-8-4.svg 4-8-8-4 Big Boy[47] 25[48]
WheelArrangement 2-10-10-2.svg 2-10-10-2 (Santa Fe and Virginian railroads)[44] 20
WheelArrangement 2-8-8-8-2.svg 2-8-8-8-2 Triplex (Erie RR) 3
WheelArrangement 2-8-8-8-4.svg 2-8-8-8-4 Triplex (Virginian RR)[49] 1
Garratt articulated locomotives
WheelArrangement 0-4-0+0-4-0.svg 0-4-0+0-4-0
WheelArrangement 0-6-6-0.svg 0-6-0+0-6-0
WheelArrangement 2-4-4-2.svg 2-4-0+0-4-2
WheelArrangement 2-4-2+2-4-2.svg 2-4-2+2-4-2
WheelArrangement 2-6-6-2.svg 2-6-0+0-6-2
WheelArrangement 2-6-2+2-6-2.svg 2-6-2+2-6-2
WheelArrangement 2-8-8-2.svg 2-8-0+0-8-2
WheelArrangement 2-8-2+2-8-2.svg 2-8-2+2-8-2
WheelArrangement 4-4-2+2-4-4.svg 4-4-2+2-4-4
WheelArrangement 4-6-6-4.svg 4-6-0+0-6-4
WheelArrangement 4-6-2+2-6-4.svg 4-6-2+2-6-4
WheelArrangement 4-6-4+4-6-4.svg 4-6-4+4-6-4
WheelArrangement 4-8-8-4.svg 4-8-0+0-8-4
WheelArrangement 4-8-2+2-8-4.svg 4-8-2+2-8-4
WheelArrangement 4-8-4+4-8-4.svg 4-8-4+4-8-4

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Colvin, Fred H. (1906). The railroad pocket-book: a quick reference cyclopedia of railroad information. New York, Derry-Collard; London, Locomotive Publishing Company (US-UK co-edition). p. L‑9. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_HhUx85xep4cC. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Steam Locomotive Glossary". Railway Technical Web Pages. 2007-06-28. http://www.railway-technical.com/st-glos.shtml. 
  3. ↑ Thompson, Keith (2006-05-01). "Builder's plates: A locomotive's birth certificate". Kalmbach Publishing. http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=201. 
  4. ↑ "The Franco-Crosti Boiler System". http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/francocrosti/francocrosti.htm#b. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Template:Irs-el
  6. ↑ White, John H. Jr. (1968). A History of the American Locomotive - Its Development: 1830-1880. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-23818-0. , p. 33.
  7. ↑ Adams, Bob (December 1968). "The Crampton Type Locomotive on the Camden & Amboy Railroad". NMRA Bulletin (National Model Railroad Association). 
  8. ↑ Ellis, C Hamilton, Some Classic Locomotives, Allen & Unwin, 1949.173 p.
  9. ↑ White (1968), p. 46.
  10. ↑ Marsden, Richard (2008). "The LNER 4-4-2 Atlantic Locomotives". The London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) Encyclopedia. http://www.lner.info/locos/C/c.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
  11. ↑ "Canadian Pacific Railway No. 2929". Steamtown NHS Special History Study. United States National Park Service. 2002-02-14. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/steamtown/shs3h.htm. 
  12. ↑ White (1968), p 62-65.
  13. ↑ White (1968), p. 57.
  14. ↑ Marsden, Richard (2008). "LNER 4-6-0 Locomotives". The London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) Encyclopedia. http://www.lner.info/locos/B/b.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
  15. ↑ Marsden, Richard (2008). "LNER 4-6-2 Pacific Locomotives". The London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) Encyclopedia. http://www.lner.info/locos/A/a.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
  16. ↑ "Pacifics". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/pacific/. 
  17. ↑ "Hudsons". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/hudson/. 
  18. ↑ "Boston & Albany 4-6-6 Locomotives in the USA". https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=4-6-6&railroad=nyc. 
  19. ↑ White (1968), p. 65.
  20. ↑ "Glossary of Common Railroad Terms: M". Kalmbach Publishing. http://trains.com/trn/glossary/default.aspx?list=4&fl=m. 
  21. ↑ "The Mikado Type Locomotive". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/mikado/. 
  22. ↑ Farrell, Jack W. (1989). North American steam locomotives: The Berkshire and Texas types. Edmonds, WA. ISBN 0-915713-15-2. 
  23. ↑ "Berkshires & Kanawhas". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/berkshire/. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Locomotives: Whyte's Notation". Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. 1922. pp. 106–107. https://books.google.com/books?id=oMY1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA106. 
  25. ↑ "Mountains". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/mountain/. 
  26. ↑ Taylor, Frank (January 1941). "New York Central Dual-service Mohawk". Model Railroader (Kalmbach Publishing). 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Northerns". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/. 
  28. ↑ "Lehigh Valley Wyomings". http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/lv.shtml. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Carlson, Neil (2006-07-03). "Steam locomotive profile: 0-10-0". Classic Trains (Kalmbach Publishing). http://www.trains.com/ctr/default.aspx?c=a&id=106. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
  30. ↑ "Glossary of Common Railroad Terms: D". Kalmbach Publishing. http://trains.com/trn/glossary/default.aspx?list=4&fl=d. 
  31. ↑ "The Texas Type Locomotive". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/texas/. 
  32. ↑ Template:Paxton-Bourne
  33. ↑ Template:Holland-Vol 1
  34. ↑ Westing, Frederick (April 1954). "Baldwin's barnstorming behemoth". Trains. 
  35. ↑ Template:MR steam cyclopedia
  36. ↑ "Russian Reforms". 2001-10-06. http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/russ/russrefr.htm. 
  37. ↑ Russ, David (July 1943). "Riding the Pennsy T1". Trains (Kalmbach Publishing). 
  38. ↑ Morgan, David P. (May 1965). "They called her the big engine". Trains (Kalmbach Publishing). 
  39. ↑ Herring, S. E.; Morgan, David P. (June 1966). "Instead of a 4-10-4". Trains (Kalmbach Publishing). 
  40. ↑ "The Jointed-Boiler Locomotives," Trains magazine, February 1945
  41. ↑ "The Allegheny Type Locomotive". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/allegheny/. 
  42. ↑ Diebert, Timothy S.; Strapac, Joseph A. (1987). Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Conpendium. Shade Tree Books. ISBN 0-930742-12-5. 
  43. ↑ "The Challenger Type Locomotive". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/challenger/. 
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Carlson, Neil (2006-06-15). "Steam locomotive profile: 2-8-8-2". Classic Trains (Kalmbach Publishing). http://trains.com/ctr/default.aspx?c=a&id=151. Retrieved 2008-02-08. 
  45. ↑ Boylan, Richard; Barris, Wes (1991-05-30). "American Steam Locomotive Wheel Arrangements". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/misc/wheels.shtml. 
  46. ↑ "The Yellowstone Type Locomotive". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/yellowstone/. 
  47. ↑ "Union Pacific Big Boys". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/bigboy/. 
  48. ↑ "Union Pacific Big Boy: The rebirth of a legend". 23 August 2013. http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2013/08/union-pacific-big-boys. 
  49. ↑ "Virginian Class XA Locomotives". SteamLocomotive.com. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/articulated/virginianxa.shtml. 

Further reading

External links

In the various names above of a 4-8-4, omitted was the letters "F E F" which simply means: four eight four.

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