In 1878, James Alley contracted the Lima Machine Works to build a steam locomotive that Ephraim Shay had designed.

In April 1880, Lima rebuilt Ephraim Shay's original design, using vertically side-mounted pistons mounted on the right, connected to a drive line on the outside of the trucks.

He did this by starting in 1922 with the H-10 experimental heavy 2-8-2 design for the New York Central (Michigan Central 8000) and applying both relatively new science (the Cole ratios), and every efficiency-enhancing tool available – a larger firebox, increased superheat, a feedwater heater, improved drafting, higher boiler pressure, streamlined steam passages and a trailing-truck booster engine, and by applying limited cutoff (the range of steam valve admission settings) to prevent locomotive engineers from using excessive steam at starting.

In addition to supporting the very large firebox and grate, the four-wheeled trailing truck carried the ash pan.

The articulated frame reduced weight on the driving wheels, which did not aid tractive effort (pulling ability).

The locomotives so configured also had more difficulty staying on the rails in reverse, particularly through yard trackwork like switch frogs.

By 1949 some 613 Berkshires had been constructed for North American service, of which 20 are preserved – at least two in operating condition (Nickel Plate Road 765 and Pere Marquette 1225), both Lima products.

And the "Super Power" concept had extended to other builders such as Alco (the Union Pacific Big Boy) and Baldwin (the Santa Fe 5001- and 5011-class 2-10-4s).

Many railroads, particularly roads like the Santa Fe (which favored oil-burning locomotives and, therefore, did not need the oversized ash pan), adopted many of the "Super Power" features but utilized a conventional full frame and separate trailing truck.

The train crews that worked with the H-8s, who were getting paid based on the locomotives' weight on the driving wheels at the time, started seeing this misrepresentation as an attack on their livelihood.

The C&O was forced to pay their crews thousands of dollars to make up for lost payment, and they subsequently sued Lima for over $3 million in 1944.

[2] Lima also lost their pride in building fine machinery, and they would subsequently lose more money within the following years.

Examples of preserved Lima-built locomotives outside of the U.S. include the USATC S160 Class 5197 at the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire, UK, as well as a former US Army 0-6-0 switcher no.