The 4-4-2 Atlantic Type Steam Locomotive

The Atlantic Type was originally designed in the last decade of the 19th century as railroads looked to increase speeds on their most prominent passenger trains. Basically a 4-4-0 American Type design with an adding trailing truck, the new feature on the Atlantic allowed for a larger firebox to be used on the locomotive, which is usually situated behind the driving wheels that allowed for greater horsepower and higher speeds.

The 4-4-0 American Type can be given overwhelming credit, more than any other steam locomotive design before or since its development, for helping the United States flourish beginning in the latter half of the 19th century. After their debut and minor refinements the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement quickly proved its superior ability over all other types of its day and by the 1870s well over three-quarters of all steam locomotives operating in the country at that time were American Types! While the railroads themselves built our great nation into what it has become today, their initial workhorse in achieving that task was the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement.

Not only did the new American Type offer much better horsepower, tractive effort, and reliability it also signaled the way steam locomotives were to forever be built in the future with the boiler mounted horizontally (instead of vertically) and a smoke stack situated at a ninety-degree angle to the boiler at the front of the locomotive to expel the smoke and cinders. The 4-4-0 design also featured greater protection for train crews with an entirely enclosed cab (save for to the rear) on the back of the boiler.

The first such Atlantic was built for the Atlantic Coast Line (thus where the steamer received its now famous name) by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1894. The new 4-4-2 design proved to be just what railroads were looking for and by the time production ended on the Atlantic over 1,900 units had been built.

In the 20th century many Atlantics would receive upgrades such as superheaters and piston valves with the very last models built perhaps the most famous. Manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) for the Chicago, St. Paul, Milwaukee & Pacific (The Milwaukee Road), in 1935 these new Atlantic Types were very likely the most technologically advanced of their kind to roam the rails. These 4-4-2s were also very fast. Bedecked in customized streamlining courtesy of the Milwaukee Road’s own shop forces they were beautiful locomotives clad in a striking two-tone orange and cream.

They were used on the Milwaukee only for a few years until the Atlantics were replaced for the more powerful Hudson Type, a 4-6-4 design. This increase in power is essentially what brought all Atlantic Types into retirement or being bumped from main line status. While very fast Atlantics did not have the horsepower of other types like Hudsons or Pacifics (4-6-0s) and with the advent of all-steel car construction during the beginning of the 20th century, as railroads updated their passenger fleets Atlantics could simply no longer handle the heavier trains.

Today, a number of Atlantic Types have been preserved from coast to coast including two (ex-Pennsylvania Railroad) on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, one (ex-Chicago & North Western) at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, and another (ex-Southern Pacific) at the Travel Town Museum in Los Angeles.

(Please note that the above Milwaukee Road steam locomotive is the upgraded Hudson Type and not an Atlantic.)

For more information on the Atlantic Type steam locomotive consider one (or both) of the books below. Guide to North American Steam Locomotives by author George Drury includes nearly 500 pages of information on virtually all of the steam locomotive wheel arrangements and designs (including streamlined steamers) ever developed. The book is a great resource on steam locomotives and a fine reference tool; you should find it very useful.

Also, consider the book American Steam Locomotives from author Brian Solomon. While this publication does not include quite as much technical data as Guide to North American Steam Locomotives it is still a very good resource with lots of information and best of all, is loaded with photographs!