In Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-6-6-0 is a locomotive with one pair of unpowered leading wheels, followed by two sets of three pairs of powered driving wheels, and no trailing wheels. The system was principally used on Mallet-type articulated locomotives.
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Other equivalent classifications are:
This wheel arrangement was first used on a single Mallet locomotive built for the Natal Government Railway in South Africa by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) which later became SAR Class MA. It was successful and a further five were ordered from Alco (SAR Class MB). A third order for ten was built by the North British Locomotive Company in 1912 (SAR Class MC), followed by twelve more superheated locomotives by North British in 1914 (SAR Class MC-1).[1]
Ten locomotives of a new Mallet design by D.A. Hendrie (SAR Class MJ) were built by Maffei in Munich but only two were delivered by the outbreak of War in 1914. Eight were therefore built by the North British Locomotive Co. in 1917. The original eight missing locomotives from Maffei were delivered in 1921. North British also constructed five further 2-6-6-2 Mallets (SAR Class MH) in 1915.[2]
The only American railroad to purchase these locomotives was the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway, which later became the Denver and Salt Railroad, then Denver and Salt Lake Railway. Towards the end of their life these locomotives were used by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad after the acquisition of the Denver & Salt Lake. These locomotives were used first over the Rollins Pass and later Moffat Tunnel route of the Denver & Salt Lake. They were all scrapped between 1948-1952 by the D&RGW.
The NZR E class of 1906 comprised the only 2-6-6-0 tank locomotive ever built and used by the New Zealand Railways Department. It was built at the Petone Workshops in Wellington and designed for use on the world famous Rimutaka Incline and received the number 66 making it E 66. It spent its entire life in the Wellington region hauling trains up and down the Rimutaka Incline until it was transferred to banking duties on the Wellington-Johnsonville section but it was not designed for that work. In 1917 E 66 was withdrawn from service and scrapped. Sadly it didn't survive long enough for preservation.
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