At the turn of the century, increasing passenger traffic left the railroads with a need for a locomotive with greater steaming capacity than a 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler, more pulling power than a 4-4-2 Atlantic and more speed than a 2-6-2 Prairie. Combining the best features of these three, the 4-6-2 Pacific was developed in 1902. This design balanced the necessary features very well and the Pacific quickly became the standard passenger locomotive for virtually every railroad in the U.S.
Many railroads used Streamlined Pacifics to pull their sleek new passenger trains introduced during the 1930s.
Large passenger-carriers, such as the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Union Pacific, usually owned several hundred 4-6-2s and the New York Central, despite being better known for it's 4-6-4 Hudsons, rostered more than 1000 Pacifics! Many railroads found them so well fitted to the task of pulling passenger trains that their Pacifics served until replaced by diesels.
