Editing 2-8-0 (section)

==Overview==
Of all the locomotive types that were created and experimented with in the 19th century, the 2-8-0 was a relative latecomer.<ref name="Swengel">Swengel, F.M. (1967). ''The American Steam Locomotive: Vol. 1, the Evolution of the Steam Locomotive''. Davenport: Midwest Rail Publishing, pp. 16, 102, 134, 186.</ref>

The first locomotive of this wheel arrangement was possibly built by the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] (PRR). Like the first 2-6-0s, this first 2-8-0 had a leading axle that was rigidly attached to the locomotive's frame, rather than on a separate truck or [[bogie]]. To create this 2-8-0, PRR master mechanic John P. Laird modified an existing [[0-8-0]], the ''Bedford'', between 1864 and 1865.

The [[2-6-0]] Mogul type, first created in the early 1860s, is often considered as the logical forerunner to the 2-8-0. However, a claim is made that the first true 2-8-0 engine evolved from the 0-8-0 and was ordered by the United States' [[Lehigh and Mahanoy Railroad]], which named all its engines. The name given to the new locomotive was ''Consolidation'', the name that was later almost globally adopted for the type. According to this viewpoint, the first 2-8-0 order by Lehigh dates to 1866 and antedates the adoption of the type by other railways and coal and mountain freight haulers.<ref name="Swengel"/>

From its introduction in 1866 and well into the early 20th century, the 2-8-0 design was considered to be the ultimate heavy-freight locomotive. The 2-8-0's forte was starting and moving "impressive loads at unimpressive speeds" and its versatility gave the type its longevity. The practical limit of the design was reached in 1915, when it was realised that no further development was possible with a locomotive of this wheel arrangement.<ref name="Swengel"/>