Most Common Steamers?

Can't remember where I read it but I believe from the beginning Consolidations were the most popular.

I would think the 0-4-0 would not be anywhere near the top, many more 0-6-0 switchers were made I believe. Note that c.1900 some railroads took old 2-6-0 or 2-6-2 engines and converted them to 0-6-0 switchers, so the number of 0-6-0s in use will differ from the number made to that wheel arrangement by Alco, Baldwin etc.

Not sure anyone has ever counted and categorized all engines from all US railroads, but I also have heard both Mikado and Consolidation types referred to as the most numerous.

The original proposal for USRA engines during WW1 was to just build 2-8-2 engines, as they were considered the best 'all purpose' design available.

Worldwide Decapods were the most common steamer.  That number was inflated by the large numbers of Russian Decapods and German World War II Decapods.  Two of the most visible U. S. steamers, Frisco 1630 and Great Western/Strasburg 90, are Decapods.

In terms of distribution, Consolidations were the most common steamer.

Consolidations overall in the U.S..  The 4-4-0 was the most common in the 1800s, but not sure where they ended up in the overall ranking. 

Hudson 4-6-4 is the beauty favorite

Charlie

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

Hudson 4-6-4 is the beauty favorite

Charlie

Definitely a "beauty queen", but certainly NOT the "most common".

Odd  no one mentioned  ten wheeler's .  4-6-0 's, but if memory serves me right,  the big 3 in sheer numbers  produced and operated were 4-4-0's , 4-6-0's and 2-8-0's at least in North America. during the steam era.

Consolidations.2-8-0s . A very common wheel arrangement.  A big void in the traditional/semi-scale market for a non-PRR style firebox 2-8-0. Most RRs had them.  Would be great for starter sets. JohnA

There were something like 25,000 4-4-0 Americans built over the years--about 85% of the type in operation in the 19th Century in the US--certainly nothing to sneeze at. They continue to be built in the 21st Century--see NCRR No. 17, York, 2013. 4-4-0 Americans

Domestically, 23,000 2-8-0 Consolidations were built, with another 12,000 for export, so while the 2-8-0 may be the leader world-wide, maybe the American was the King at home. 2-8-0s

16,000 4-6-0 Ten-wheelers were built--also nothing to sneeze at, and at least, as mentioned, in the Big 3. 4-6-0s

2-8-2 Mikados? "More than" 14,000 built. Mikados

The 4-6-4 Hudson? Sorry--only 487 rolled off the assembly lines. 4-6-4 Hudsons

Manually adding up the world-wide production numbers of Decapods from the Wikipedia page yields about 18,000 built...still quite a bit less than Americans or Consolidations. Decapods. So definitely not the most common steam locomotive world-wide, unless someone can provide a better source.

Relative to "prototype roads at their zenith" as qualified by text in the original post, my vote goes to the 2-8-0 Consolidation.  That was the steam engine that could operate on all kinds of track and had enough tractive effort to pull a reasonable-sized train for Class I carriers as well as for short lines.  And quite a few remained in service until the GP7 and RS3 diesels showed up in the early 1950s.

SMD4's numbers would back this up.

@Bill N posted:

Consolidations overall in the U.S..  The 4-4-0 was the most common in the 1800s, but not sure where they ended up in the overall ranking.

Unless someone has different numbers, the 4-4-0 ended up No. 1 in the overall ranking.

The most Common is probably a 2-4-0 as these were often sold with starter inexpensive trains sets.

The below was added 7-13 after first posting the above.

I thought we were opining on model train engines per the first sentence of post 1 of this topic quoted below.

"While there are favorite wheel arrangements in various "branches" of the model train hobby (in HO when l was seduced to it for several years, it seemed as though 0-4-0 and O-6-0 steamers were most common (probably most affordable)"

Charlie

I would have bet 0-6-0, as that is what Thomas the Tank Engine is. His worldwide sales probably exceed the others combined...

People have had their posts removed for even tangentially mentioning toy trains in the Real Trains forum. Just sayin.'

I think it is interesting that a few railroads (L&N, Frisco, others?) were able to keep finding uses for a few 4-4-0 locomotives well into the 20th century. Given how much steam locomotive design evolved between 1850 and say, 1930, that is notable…

Jeff C

I volunteer on a 1941-built 0-4-0ST that has valve gear developed almost exactly 100 years earlier...

@leikec posted:

I think it is interesting that a few railroads (L&N, Frisco, others?) were able to keep finding uses for a few 4-4-0 locomotives well into the 20th century. Given how much steam locomotive design evolved between 1850 and say, 1930, that is notable…

The last commercial one was built in 1945...

@smd4 posted:

Unless someone has different numbers, the 4-4-0 ended up No. 1 in the overall ranking.

Steve, my information comes from John White. 

Thanks.

It appears that Mr. White's numbers may conflict with several other published sources--unless we include the number of 2-8-0s built here...and then exported.

Of course, maybe you're specifically referring to White's statement that the 2-8-0 was, "the most popular type of freight locomotive in the United States and was built in greater quantities than any other single wheel arrangement."

If so, then I refer you to the title of his book where this statement appears: "A History of the American Locomotive: Its Development, 1830-1880."

Huh. We got moved to the 3-rail Traditional Toy Trains Forum from the Real Trains Forum (?)

In that case, I bet the 2-4-2 was the most popular, followed by the 2-6-2.

Pennsy was still running 3 4-4-0s about until the end of steam.    1223 then moved on to a career on the Strasburg.  

However, PRR had over 3000 consolidations on it roster over the years in multiple classes.    Not all at the same time, but quite a few.    There were predecessors to the H6, but they still ran along with H8, H9, and H10 classes until the end of steam.  

@smd4 posted:

Huh. We got moved to the 3-rail Traditional Toy Trains Forum from the Real Trains Forum (?)

In that case, I bet the 2-4-2 was the most popular, followed by the 2-6-2.

Another example of posters not paying attention to what Forum the subject is on, thus too many "toy train" responses.

Add me to the list that considers the 2-8-0 Consolidations as the most common locomotive type built overall.  They were built for so many years.  The PRR had more consolidations on its roster than any other type of locomotive, possibly more than all the other types put together.  This is for a road that has 500 2-10-0's, and 425 K4 4-6-2's.  The Consolidation was in many ways the ideal locomotive for many years for freight duties and when new power in the form of Mikado's came along, the 2-8-0's continued to serve on branch lines.

For passenger power, I'd say the Pacific was likely the most common class built.  As mentioned above the PRR built 425 K4s, and as I recall about 275 K2s prior to that.  Most roads used Pacifics for passenger power until the Mountain, Heavy Mountain, or Northern classes became prevalent.  However, in the case of the Northern, most came late in the steam era and didn't see the production numbers of the Pacifics that preceded them by nearly 2 decades. 

@GG1 4877 posted:

Add me to the list that considers the 2-8-0 Consolidations as the most common locomotive type built overall.  They were built for so many years.

Well, how many years doesn't mean much, since 4-4-0 Americans were being constructed from 1837 through 2013.

The first Consolidation wasn't built until almost 30 years after the first American hit the rails, in 1866. Both types ended commercial production in the 1940s.

I did find a site that indicated that 33,000 2-8-0s were in use on American Railroads, with a great picture of a gorgeous Southern 2-8-0: Whippany Railway Museum. However, this number sounds like it includes the number built for export.

Not that there weren't any 4-4-0 Americans built for export...

I've been going back over my sources Steve.  That White mentioned the popularity of the 2-8-0 in a book on early American steam locos is irrelevant.  He was well informed about developments throughout the steam era.  Other sources say the same thing.  I do think though you hit on the key problem.  The numbers for 2-8-0s produced in the U.S. are much higher than the 4-4-0.  However the quoted number for the 2-8-0 does include locos produced for the export market.  If we look just at what was produced for the U.S. market the 4-4-0 may come out ahead.  Excluding export 2-8-0s seems to be how the steamloco website comes up with the 4-4-0 as most common.

One issue we run into is that we don't really have good information on how many 4-4-0s were produced.  They were turned out by large loco builders, smaller operations, some of which only operated for a few years or just dabbled in loco construction, and even by individual railroads.  Locos originally built as other types were later converted to 4-4-0s in processes that sometimes amounted to new construction.  Summary manufacturer information is not necessarily reliable.  With mergers and bankruptcies locos that were ordered by one company might end up on another road right at the start of their careers, creating the potential for double counting or omissions.  If the number for the 2-8-0 is a ballpark, the number for the 4-4-0 is a neighborhood.