I just read an article in the July 2005 issue of the British magazine “Heritage Railway” about the last “real” steam locomotive built in Britain. That is a locomotive built for commercial use, not connected with tourist, replica or park or amusement service. The engine was an 0-4-2 built by Hunslet for export to an Indonesian sugar plantation in 1971. It got me to thinking about which locomotive could make this claim for the United States, either for domestic use or for export. Anyone have any information or idea as to what engine would fill the bill for the title?
What would a “fake” loco be?
Adrianspeeder
Mt. Washington Cog Railway? They built, or had built, a new locomotive in the 1980s. Or, is that “not real”?
How about a steel mill. Northwestern Steel and Wire in Sterling Illinos used steam up into the 90’s when they finally switched to a diesel. They used ROck Island switchers with ***ized tenders that were turned end for end and burned oil.
The last steamer built in the US for domestic use by a major RR would be a Norfolk and Western 0-8-0 switcher built in December 1953, built in-house.
There might well have been some export engines built in the '50s by Baldwin and others after that N&W 0-8-0.
But depending on what is meant by “real” steam, why wouldn’t the 4-4-0s built for the Golden Spike Centennial in 1969 qualify? They weren’t miniatures but full size operating steam locomotives.
By the way the Northwestern Steel and Wire 0-8-0s were old Grand Trunk Western engines (and yes some of the tenders were backwards!). Before that I think they used CB&Q 2-6-2s.
Dave Nelson
Baldwin indeed did build the last commercial use steam locomotives in the United States with a batch of road locomotives for India in 1954 and 1955. Notice that Baldwin gave up all locomotive production in 1956.
As far as the other examples cited, note the qualifiers in the opening post.
Well, they’re still building them in Switzerland.
And a new A1 Peppercorn Pacific in the UK, although not “commercial”! See http://www.a1steam.com/
How about last commercial steam produced in Canada, from Montreal Locomotive Works or Canadian Locomotive Company? . Anyone want to try?
The CPR received its last steam from Montreal Locomotive Works in May 1949 (Selkirk 2-10-4 5935), however as I recall MLW continued to produce steam for some time afterwards, for the Indian Railways.
[:)]
I’ve heard that one of the last steamers built (atleast by Lima) for a US RR was the C&O 614.
If you consider live steamers as “real” steam locomotives - and they are - there are probably more steam locomotives under construction in the US today than ever before.
Last US common carrier locomotives:
Baldwin - C&O 2-6-6-2 1309, 1949
Lima - NKP 2-8-4 779, 1949
Alco - P&LE 2-8-4 940?, 1949
N&W - 0-8-0 244, 1953
Old Timer