When Russian Empire entered WWI in 1914, it was dependent mainly on 0-8-0 and 2-8-0 locomotives. What was needed were locomotives with high adhesive weight (and thus tractive effort), which could only be provided by a locomotive with 10 drive wheels, but the only one being built, the class E 0-10-0, was in short supply, with only 100 produced thus far. As a result, it was proposed ordering 400 2-10-0 locomotives from the United States and Canada. Although the production was to be American, the locomotive was designed by Russian engineers. This called for 10 drive wheels, a low axle loading, a large firebox to burn low-grade coal, and an overall similar design to the class E 0-10-0.
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