The end of Steam

The introduction of diesel-electric locomotives in the first part of the 20th century spelled the end of steam locomotives, though they were used in North America and Europe to mid-century, and continued in use in other countries to the end of the century. Steam locomotives are in general simple machines, which can be maintainable under primitive conditions and consume a wide variety of fuels. They are as a rule inefficient compared to modern diesels, requiring constant maintenance and labour to keep them operational. Water is required at many points throughout a rail network and becomes a major problem in desert areas, as are found in some regions within the United States, Australia and South Africa. In other localities the local water is unsuitable. The reciprocating mechanism on the driving wheels tend to pound the rails, thus requiring more maintenance. Steam locomotives require several hours' boiling up before service and an end-of-day procedure to remove ash and clinker. Diesel or electric locomotives, by comparison, commence working from the first turn of the key and do not require the labour-intensive cleaning, raking and servicing after a shift. Finally, the smoke from steam locomotives is objectionable; in fact, the first electric and diesel locomotives were developed to meet smoke abatement requirements.

United States

Mainline diesel-electric locomotives first appeared on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, in 1935 as locomotive No. 50. The diesel reduced operating and maintenance costs dramatically, while increasing locomotive availability. On the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad the new units delivered over 350,000 miles a year, compared with about 120,000–150,000 for a mainline steam locomotive. World War II delayed dieselisation in the U.S.A, but the pace picked up in the 1950s, and by 1960 the last American Class I holdout, the Norfolk and Western Railway, discontinued steam operations. Some U.S. shortlines continued steam operations into the 1960s, and one steel mill continued to operate steam locomotives up to 1980.

United Kingdom

Trials of diesel locomotives began in the United Kingdom in the 1930s but made only limited progress. One problem was that British diesel locomotives were often seriously under-powered, compared with the steam locomotives they were competing against. After 1945, problems associated with post-war reconstruction and the availability of cheap domestic-produced coal kept steam in widespread use until the 1960s, when rising labour costs led to its withdrawal in 1968. At the end of steam, British Railways estimated that its steam locomotives were costing around four times more in running costs than diesels (even though most of its steam locomotives were allowed to deteriorate to a sorry state of repair before being scrapped). The use of steam locomotives in British industry continued until 1974.

South Korea

In South Korea, the first steam locomotive was the Moga 2-6-0, followed by; Sata, Fureo, Ame, Sigue, Mika, Farsi, Hurgi, Class 901, Mateo, Sori, and Tou. Used until 1967, that train is now in the Railroad Museum.

Other Countries

In other countries, the conversion from steam was slower. By March 1973 in Australia, steam had vanished in all states. Diesel locomotives were more efficient and the demand for manual labour to service and repairs was less than steam. Cheap oil had cost advantages over coal.

In the USSR, the last steam locomotive (model Ï36, serial number 251) was built in 1956; now in the Museum of Railway Machinery at former Warsaw Rail Terminal, Saint Petersburg, Russia. In the European part of the USSR, almost all steam locomotives were replaced by diesel and electrical ones in 1960s; in Siberia, steam locomotives were in active use till mid-1970s. However, many photographs exist of Russian steam locomotives at work into the late 1980's, some as late as 1989-1992, and it is known that until 1994, Russia had at least 1,000 steam locomotives stored in operable condition in case of "national emergencies". More than 200 steam locomotives are still in working conditions due to this precaution.

In Finland, the first diesels were introduced in the mid-1950s and they superseded the steam locomotives during the early '60s. The State Railways (VR) operated steam locomotives until 1975.

In South Africa an oil embargo combined with an abundance of cheap local coal, cheap labour force, ensured steam locomotives survived into the 1990s. Locomotive engineer L. D. Porta's designs appeared on a Class 19D engine in 1979, then a former Class 25 4-8-4 engine, became a Class 26, termed the "Red Devil" No. 3450, which demonstrated an improved overall performance with decreased coal and water consumption. The single class 26 locomotive operated until the end of steam. Another class 25NC locomotive, No. 3454, nicknamed the "Blue Devil" because of its colour scheme, received modifications including a most obvious set of double side-by-side exhaust stacks. In southern Natal, two former South African Railway 2 ft (610 mm) gauge NGG16 Garratts operating on the privatised Port Shepstone & Alfred County Railway (ACR)received some L. D. Porta modifications in 1990 becoming a new NGG16A class.

China continued to build mainline steam locomotives until late in the century, even building a few examples for American tourist operations. Since China was the last main-line user of steam locomotives, ending officially at the beginning of 2006, it is plausible that many still exist in industrial operations or in more remote parts of China. The last steam locomotives built in China were 2-10-2's in the late 1990's.

Hopes of revival

Dramatic increases in the cost of diesel fuel prompted several initiatives to revive steam power. None of these has progressed to the point of production, and in the early 21st century, the steam locomotives operate only in a few isolated regions and in tourist operations.

In Germany a small number of fireless steam locomotives are still working in industrial service, e.g. at power stations.

The Swiss company Dampflokomotiv und Maschinenfabrik DLM AG delivered several new steam locomotives to rack railways in Switzerland and Austria between 1992 and 1996. One was the Brienz Rothorn Bahn.