2-8-4

First known tank engine version
First known tank engine version
First use	1893
Country	Australia
Locomotive	WAGR K class
Railway	Western Australian Government Railways
Designer	Neilson and Company
Builder	Neilson and Company
Evolved from	2-8-2T
Benefits	Larger fireboxes and coal bunkers

Equivalent classifications
Equivalent classifications
UIC class	1′D2′
French class	142
Turkish class	47
Swiss class	4/7
Russian class	1-4-2

2-8-4 (Berkshire)
	Front of locomotive at left
	Nickel Plate Road 765, a typical American 2-8-4, on an excursion train ca. 2018
UIC class
Equivalent classifications
UIC class	1′D2′
French class	142
Turkish class	47
Swiss class	4/7
Russian class	1-4-2
First use
First known tank engine version
First use	1893
Country	Australia
Locomotive	WAGR K class
Railway	Western Australian Government Railways
Designer	Neilson and Company
Builder	Neilson and Company
Evolved from	2-8-2T
Benefits	Larger fireboxes and coal bunkers
First use
First known tender engine version
First use	1925
Country	United States of America
Locomotive	B&A class A1
Railway	Boston and Albany Railroad
Designer	Lima Locomotive Works
Builder	Lima Locomotive Works
Evolved from	2-8-2
Benefits	Larger firebox than 2-8-2

Under the Whyte notation, a 2-8-4 is a steam locomotive that has two unpowered leading wheels, followed by eight coupled and powered driving wheels, and four trailing wheels. This locomotive type is most often referred to as a Berkshire, though the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway used the name Kanawha for their 2-8-4s. In Europe, this wheel arrangement was mostly seen in mainline passenger express locomotives and, in certain countries, in tank locomotives.