Superintendent L.B. Paxson of the Philadelphia & Reading was convinced in the mid-1890s that an express locomotive with one powered axle would still be sufficient to haul express trains at high speed. He was thinking in particular of some trains between Jersey City and Philadelphia that covered the 90 miles with a light load. When asked about the ideal wheel arrangement, the choice fell on 4-2-2, which was popular in Great Britain and was called “Single” or “Bicycle” in the US.