Editing 2-6-2 (section)

==Overview==
The majority of American 2-6-2s were [[tender locomotive]]s, but in [[Europe]] [[tank locomotive]]s, described as {{nowrap|2-6-2T}}, were more common. The first 2-6-2 tender locomotives for a [[North America]]n customer were built by [[Brooks Locomotive Works]] in 1900 for the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]], for use on the Midwestern prairies. The type was thus nicknamed the Prairie in North American practice. This name was often also used for [[United Kingdom|British]] locomotives with this wheel arrangement.

As with the [[2-10-2]], the major problem with the 2-6-2 is that these engines have a symmetrical wheel layout, with the centre of gravity almost over the centre driving wheel. The reciprocation rods, when working near the centre of gravity, induce severe side-to-side nosing which results in intense instability if unrestrained either by a long wheelbase or by the leading and trailing trucks. Though some engines, like the Chicago and Great Western of 1903, had the connecting rod aligned onto the third driver, most examples were powered via the second driver and were prone to the nosing problem.<ref name=Swengel>Swengel, F.M. ''The American Steam Locomotive, Vol. 1, The Evolution of the Steam Locomotive'', MidWest Rail Publications, Davenport, 1967. pp. 78-80.</ref>