The LNER 4-4-2 Atlantic Locomotives
Britain's first Atlantic appeared on the
Great Northern Railway (GNR) in 1898 as an enlargement of the
ubiquitous 4-4-0 for express work, building 116 examples of various designs. Although a year later the
North Eastern Railway (NER) pioneered the alternative 4-6-0 type
for express work, it introduced its own versions of the Atlantic from 1903, supplying 72 to the LNER. When the
North British Railway (NBR) also constructed 22 of the type, the
entire East Coast route from Kings Cross to Aberdeen was dominated by Atlantics for the top expresses. By then the
Great Central Railway (GCR) had also built 31 4-4-2s (as well as
4-6-0s).
By Grouping (1923), the Atlantic design had been superceded by
Pacifics, and the LNER built no Atlantics of its own.
52 survived to Nationalisation (1948).
4-4-2 Tender Locomotives
4-4-2 Tank Locomotives
The 4-4-2T arrangement was built by the
GCR,
NBR, and
GNR for suburban passenger services.
The LNER did not build any further 4-4-2T tank engines, but it did take over three 4-4-2T locomotives from the
Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GN) in 1937.
The Atlantic tanks survived rather better than their tender counterparts, with all but 14 being inherited by BR.
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