Tuesday, April 16, 2024

2-6-6-2 'Mallet Mogul'

Built by Baldwin in 1929, and used by the Southwest Forest Lumber Mills, it is now displayed near the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. (Geoff Churchman pic)

from SteamLocomotive.com:

The first Mallet was an 0-6-6-0. Around 1905 the Great Northern Railroad was interested in one but wanted a locomotive that was better suited to main line operation. Baldwin built five "0-6-6-0"s with leading and trailing two-wheel trucks. This configuration suited the GN's curving main line of the Cascades.

It wasn't until 1910 that 2-6-6-2s were built with their firebox behind the drivers and supported by the trailing truck which is normally why one would have a trailing truck. Subsequent 2-6-6-2s were built following this design.

The 2-6-6-2 was primarily a low-speed locomotive. This wheel arrangement was also commonly used on the logging railroads in the Western USA. However, the C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio) continued developing the 2-6-6-2. Their versions evolved into very large road locomotives. With their smokebox-mounted air pumps, they looked quite impressive. Fortunately, two of these class H-6 C&O locomotives survive today.

This wheel arrangement was also used by the Southern Pacific in their development of the Cab Forward locomotive. On the SP this wheel arrangement was called a "Mallet Mogul".

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