0-8-0

In the Whyte notation for the wheel arrangement of locomotives (primarily steam locomotives), an 0-8-0 is a locomotive with eight powered driving wheels (thus four powered axles), and neither leading wheels or trailing wheels. Locomotives of this type are also referred to as 'eight coupled'.

Other equivalent classifications are:

UIC classification: D (also known as German classification and Italian classification)

French classification: 040

Turkish classification: 44

Swiss classification: 4/4

This configuration appeared early in locomotive development, as Ross Winans developed a series of 0-8-0 types for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad starting in 1844. These locomotives were built for mainline haulage; later, however, the configuration was generally used for large switcher (UK: shunter) types, providing a powerful layout with all weight as adhesive weight and thus tractive effort and factor of adhesion were maximised. The layout was generally too large for smaller and lighter railways, where the more popular 0-6-0 wheel arrangement would often be found performing similar duties. Examples of the type were constructed both as tender locomotives and tank locomotives.

Examples include the numerous Q classes originating with the North Eastern Railway (UK) and the London and North Western Railway G or "Super D" class. The type was also extremely popular in the USA where it was more commonly constructed as a tender locomotive and saw extensive use as a heavy switcher and freight engine.

South Africa

Commencing their service in 1929, some 14 locomotives of the S Class worked the yards mainly around Johannesburg. In early 1980 several worked the yards in Cape Town. Originally operated with 215 psi(1.48 MPa) the factor of adhesion proved too low for the 45,000 lbf (200 kN) tractive effort and they tended to slip. The boiler pressure was lowered to 170 psi (1.170 MPa)which gave a reduced tractive effort of 35,890 lbf (159.6 kN).

A second class of 0-8-0, the S1, appeared after 1949. The first of 12 engines were South African built and a further order of 25 came from North British Locomotive Co. These engines developed 38,000 lbf (169 kN) of tractive effort and worked around the Germinston area.

Russia/Soviet Union

In Russia the 0-8-0- class locomotives were represented by the various O(Osnovnoj- mainline)-class freight locomotives. They were built since the end of the 19th century until the twenties of the 20th century. They were commonly called the "Sheep" (Ovechka) and were the most common freight locomotives in the tsarist Russia. Some are still preserved in the working order.

References

South African Government, "South Africa - Last Stronghold of Steam", Kimberley, 1978.

External links

* [http://www.lner.info/locos/Q/q.shtml LNER 0-8-0 locomotives] in a catalogue of LNER locomotive types
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050313181834/http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/798rflcx.asp 0-8-0] an article by Neil Carlson in Classic Trains magazine on the 0-8-0 type in North America