4-6-2

First known tank engine version
First known tank engine version
First use	1896
Country	Australia
Locomotive	Q class
Railway	Western Australian Government Railways

Equivalent classifications
Equivalent classifications
UIC class	2C1 (refined to 2′C′1′ or 2′C1′)
French class	231
Turkish class	36
Swiss class	3/6
Russian class	2-3-1

4-6-2 (Pacific)
	Front of locomotive at left
	New Zealand's Q class, the first true Pacific locomotive
UIC class
Equivalent classifications
UIC class	2C1 (refined to 2′C′1′ or 2′C1′)
French class	231
Turkish class	36
Swiss class	3/6
Russian class	2-3-1
First use
First known tank engine version
First use	1896
Country	Australia
Locomotive	Q class
Railway	Western Australian Government Railways
First use
First known tender engine version
First use	1887
Country	United States of America
Railway	Lehigh Valley Railroad
Evolved from	4-6-0
Evolved to	4-6-4
Benefits	Larger firebox than the 4-6-0
Drawbacks	Required piloting (also known as double heading) when train lengths increased
First use
First known "True type" version
First use	1901
Country	New Zealand
Locomotive	Q class
Railway	New Zealand Railways Department
Designer	Alfred Beattie
Builder	Baldwin Locomotive Works
Evolved from	4-4-2, 4-6-0 & 2-6-2
Evolved to	4-6-4, 4-8-2
Benefits	Wide and deep firebox behind coupled wheels

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The 4-6-2 locomotive became almost globally known as a Pacific type after a locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia was shipped across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand.