In general, Canadian railroads followed design practices in general similar to those of the United States. Axle loading did tend to be somewhat less on the Canadian lines. One can assume that on the Canadian National, the limit was about 55/56,000 lbs per driving axle, about the same as the eight basic USRA designs.

The Canadian National received its initial 2-8-2s in 1916, class S1a, and built through 1921, sub classes S1b/c/d/e/f/g/h a total of 225 locomotives. (Many of these were for use by CN subsidiaries in the United States, the Grand Trunk and Grand Trunk Western, and built by US manufacturers.) This class had 63 inch drivers, with 27 x 30 inch cylinders. Steam pressure was either 175/180 psi, with tractive effort 52/53,000 lbs.

Later came the S2a/b/c of 1923-24, 75 locomotives, with the same dimension as the S1, except 185 psi boiler pressure and starting tractive effort of 55,000 lbs, plus 9,000 lbs from a trailer booster. As shown in the USRA list, there were 40 USRA 282A locomotives built for the Grand Trunk/Western by Alco in 1918, class S3a, followed by S3b/c, also Alco built, in 1923/4.

The final CN 2-8-2 was a class of six, the first built in 1930 and six more in 1936, class S4a/b. The specifications were 63 inch drivers, 24 x 30 cylinders, 265 psi boilers and a starting tractive effort of 60,000 lbs. This classes was termed "moderately successful" with special features designed to reduce the foaming problem caused by the hard water of the Western prairies.