Whyte notation

Code for arrangement of locomotive wheels / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Whyte notation is a classification method for steam locomotives, and some internal combustion locomotives and electric locomotives, by wheel arrangement. It was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte,[2] and came into use in the early twentieth century following a December 1900 editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal.

Locotypes.gif
A selection of early 20th century locomotive types according to their Whyte notation and their comparative size
Locomotive_classification--Colvin_1906--300dpi.jpg
Whyte notation from a handbook for railroad industry workers published in 1906[1]

The notation was adopted and remains in use in North America and the United Kingdom to describe the wheel arrangements of steam locomotives, but for modern locomotives, multiple units and trams it has been supplanted by the UIC system in Europe and by the AAR system (essentially a simplification of the UIC system) in North America.