Locomotives / Train Sets

2-8-4 (Berkshire)

Steam Locomotive

"2-8-4 steam locomotives were true power players, serving in both passenger and freight services around the globe."

Entry Last Edited: 07/06/2024 | Content ©www.RailRoadJunction.net | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Specifications [+]

2-8-4 was a progressive wheel set evolution for steam locomotives following the 2-8-2. In the arrangement, the locomotive was given a single axle as the leading set, four axles making up the drive set (large wheels), and two axles making up the trailing set. The coal-fired units were first seen in tank engine form in Australia in 1893 with the Western Australian Government Railways. The unit was designed and constructed by Neilson and Company. The tender engine version was born in the United States by Lima Locomotive Works for the Boston and Albany Railroad, these first appearing in 1925.

This steam locomotive saw serving in number across the globe into the 1950s and 1960s. When compared to the preceding 2-8-2 offering, the 2-8-4 offered a larger firebox resulting in greater towing capabilities.

The general arrangement of the loco followed traditional design with the driving cab set over the rear of the frame and much of the loco's length taken up by the cylindrical tank set ahead. The locomotive was used in fast-passenger and heavy-haul long-range freight routes and primarily known for its inherent power. It received its American nickname of 'Berkshire' from the locomotive's planned route through the Berkshire Mountains spanning Connecticut and Massachusetts.

From North America to Europe, Japan to South Africa and even the former Soviet Union, the design managed a healthy service life in its various forms born under various brand labels and operating with a deep bench of companies - such was its global reach. Even today, these steam-billowing machines are a sight to behold as they move about the track.

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Specifications [ 2-8-4 (Berkshire) ]

Australia; Austria; Brazil; Bulgaria; Canada; Czechoslovakia; Germany; Japan; Mexico; New Zealand; Norway; Romania; South Africa; Soviet Union; Turkey; United States

Operating Countries

Austrian Federal Railways; Boston and Albany Railroad; Bulgarian State Railways; Caile Ferate Romane; Central South African Railways; Chesapeake and Ohio Railway; Czechoslovak State Railways; Deutsche Bundesbahn; East German Deutsche Reichsbahn; Deutsche Reichsbahn; Ernie Railroad; Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico; Japanese National Railways; Louisville and Nashville; New York Central Railroad; New York, Chicago and St Louis Railroad; New Zealand Government Railways; Norfolk Southern Railway; Norwegian State Railways; October Railway; Pere Marquette Railway; Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad; Richmond, Fredricksburg, and Potomac; South Australia Railways; Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway; Virginian Railway; Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company; Western Australian Government Railways; Wheeling and Lake Erie
Customers / Operators

Neilson and Company - Australia; Lima Locomotive Works / Baldwin Locomotive Works - USA; Societe Francaise de Construction Mecaniques / Societe des Forges et Ateliers de Creusot (Schneider) / Compagnie de Fives-Lille - France; Krupp / Krauss-Maffei - Germany; Montreal Locomotive Works - Canada; Hamamatsu Works / Koriyama Works - Japan; Kolomna Locomotive Works / Luhansk Works / Ulan-Ude Locomotive Works - Soviet Union
Builder

Australia
Origin

1893 - 1957
Production Run

1,242 units
Production Total

Front-Right
Driver Position

30.8 meters
(101.0 feet)
Length

196,405 kilograms
(433,073 lb | 216 US Tons)
Weight

Steam
Power Source

P A S S E N G E R

F R E I G H T
Service Roles

Steam-driven system with coal-fired firebox (tank and tender forms).
Engine / Drive Source

2,865 hp
Rated Output Power

112.6 kph
(70.0 mph)
Max Speed

Wheel Arrangement (Loco Facing Left)

Series Variants

2-8-4 - Base Series Configuration.

Image of the 2-8-4 (Berkshire)

Front right side view of a 2-8-4 Berkshire steam locomotive.
Image by Wikipedia user Altona, released to the Public Domain.

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