The British Atlantic locomotive flourished in the first decade of the nineteenth century especially on the relatively level stretches of the East Coast mainline. This book describes the design, construction, history, operation and performance of the Great Northern, Great Central, North Eastern and North British Atlantics and the London Brighton & South Coast engines that were developed from the GN design. More unusual were the Lancashire & Yorkshire ‘Highflyers’ which were some of the earliest and also included are the most powerful of all, Churchward’s Great Western Atlantics (converted to 4-6-0s later) and his three French Compounds. Most had been replaced by 4-6-0 and 4-6-2 designs by the 1920s and were withdrawn before the Second World War, though a few lingered to the post-war period and just reached the era of British Railways, though only the Brighton Atlantics survived longer. The last of all, 32424 Beachy Head, was withdrawn in 1958 and has been recreated for the Heritage industry. The book concludes with a brief look for comparative purposes at some of the most influential Atlantics on the rest of the world’s railways.
