TOP: The Reading Railroad built a fleet of 25 4-8-4s out of oldr 2-8-0s in its own Reading, Pa., shops. These locomotives were just about perfect for the job, and four of them lived on the pull Reading Rambles excursions in the 1960s. The 2124 has an excursion at Klaperthal Junction in1961. From Ian Allan Library.

MIDDLE: The Norfolk & Western designed and built a marvelous group of 2-6-6-4 simple articulateds between 1936 and 1950. Nox, 1200-1242. The 1201 rests between nuns at Bluefield, W., VA, in the 1950s. Interestingly, the 2-6-6-4 wheel arrangement is one of the very few to have never been given a name. From Tom Kelcec Collection.

BOTTOM: The Chesapeake & Ohio purchased 60 mammoth 2-6-6-6 mallets from the Lima Locamotive Works between 1942 and 1946. Among the finest articulateds built, they were dubbed the Allengheny-types. The 1645 is shown climbing its namesake mountains with a heavy train in the early 1950s. From the Tom Kelcec collection.