In the great hall of Train World, one locomotive immediately captures the eye: the sleek Type 12 Atlantic, with its elegant, aerodynamic casing. Built in 1939 by the Belgian workshops of Cockerill, this masterpiece of design was created to pull express trains between Brussels and Ostend at high speed.
With its characteristic streamlined nose and smooth lines, Type 12 was not only powerful—capable of 140 km/h—but also a symbol of modernity and style. It represented Belgium’s ambition on the eve of the Second World War, when speed and efficiency became a matter of national pride.
Today, Train World preserves the only surviving Type 12, engine 12.004, which has become one of the stars of the exhibition. Standing before it, visitors can feel the blend of engineering genius and aesthetic vision that made this locomotive famous as one of the most beautiful steam engines ever built.