Great Central Railway Class 8B, 4-4-2 'Atlantic', No. 266. See Details
This locomotive is Great Central Railway, class 8B 4-4-2 'Atlantic' type locomotive, No. 266. It was designed by John G. Robinson in 1903 and was one of a batch built for the company by Beyer Peacock & Co. of Manchester. For the photograph, the locomotive was painted in a modified version of the Great Central's passenger livery, with grey (better for photography) replacing the usual green with vermilion wheel splashers and frames. These handsome locomotives were affectionately known as 'Jersey Lilies', so named after the darling of the stage, Lily Langtry.
Great Central Railway class '8B' 4-4-2 'Atlantic' locomotive. See Details
Another photograph of one of the attractive 8B 4-4-2's, seen at an unknown location circa 1904. This particular example, No. 1085 was one of a batch of five built for the Great Central Railway Company by the North British Locomotive Co. of Glasgow. The graceful lines of this locomotive make it clear why the 'Atlantics' were one of Robinson's best loved locomotive designs.
Great Central Railway Class 8C, 4-6-0, No. 195 See Details
In an effort to try and determine the suitability of the 4-4-2 and 4-6-0 locomotive wheel arrangements, John G. Robinson had two of the latter type built to compete with the 'Atlantics' which had by then gone into production. The resulting two locomotives were the Class 8C 4-6-0's, No's. 195 and 196. A more powerful version, known as the 8F, was later designed by Robinson and built by Beyer Peacock & Co. of Manchester in 1906. This image is the official Beyer Peacock works photograph of the original 8C, No. 195.
