0-4-2

0-4-2
Diagram of two large coupled wheels and a single small trailing wheel
Front of locomotive at left
The Stephenson 0-4-2, 1834
Equivalent classifications
UIC classB1, B1’
French class021
Turkish class23
Swiss class2/3
Russian class0-2-1
First known tank engine version
First usec. 1860s
CountryUnited Kingdom
First known tender engine version
First use1834
CountryUnited Kingdom
RailwayStanhope and Tyne Railway
DesignerRobert Stephenson
BuilderRobert Stephenson and Company
BenefitsBetter adhesion than the 2-2-2

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. While the first locomotives of this wheel arrangement were tender engines, the configuration was later often used for tank engines, which is noted by adding letter suffixes to the configuration, such as 0-4-2T for a conventional side-tank locomotive, 0-4-2ST for a saddle-tank locomotive, 0-4-2WT for a well-tank locomotive and 0-4-2RT for a rack-equipped tank locomotive.