4-6-6-2

In Whyte notation, a 4-6-6-2 is a steam locomotive with four leading wheels (two axles) in an unpowered bogie at the front of the locomotive followed by two sets of driving wheels with six wheels each (three axles each), followed by two unpowered trailing wheels (one axle) at the rear of the locomotive.

Other equivalent classifications are:

UIC classification: 2CC1 (also known as German classification and Italian classification)

French classification: 230+031

Turkish classification: 35+34

Swiss classification: 3/5+3/4

This locomotive wheel arrangement was used in only a very limited number of locomotives in North America, most notably as class MM-2 cab forward locomotives on the Southern Pacific Railroad. [cite book| author=Diebert, Timothy S. and Strapac, Joseph A.| title=Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Conpendium| publisher=Shade Tree Books| year=1987| id=ISBN 0-930742-12-5] These were effectively 2-6-6-4s running in reverse. They were originally built as 2-6-6-2s but were refitted with a four-wheel leading truck to increase stability at speed.

References