Soviet opposed-piston 2-10-4

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The Soviet-built opposed piston 2-10-4 locomotive
The Soviet-built opposed piston 2-10-4 locomotive

Built in 1949, this was one of a number of Soviet locomotive designs that didn't work as well as intended. The cylinders were placed above the center driving axle. Unlike nearly all steam locomotives, the pistons had rods on both ends which transferred power to the wheels. The idea was to balance the driving forces on the wheels, allowing the counterweights on the wheels to be smaller and reducing "hammer blow" on the track.

As is visible in the illustration, a far more intricate system was needed to transfer the movement of the pistons to the wheels. Little is known about this strange locomotive, but the fact that it was not repeated suggests that it was an operational failure.

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