I grew up in Altoona during the transition from steam locomotives to diesels. How difficult would it have been for a steam locomotive engineer to transition to a diesel electric locomotive?
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The braking systems would largely have been the same between steam and diesel locomotives, so a significant portion of their train handling skills would remain applicable. Applying power on a diesel is a relatively simple process, the main concern being to make sure the traction motors were not being overloaded and not slipping. I would suspect a seasoned steam loco engineer would likely make the transition relatively easily.
One new feature of diesels without a corollary on steam engines was dynamic brakes, but relatively few diesels during the transition were so equipped. Those became more prevalent in 2nd generation units.
The person whose job changed the most was the fireman. They went from a demanding, physical job to mostly being a passenger.
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I would think the fireman role would become more appealing for certain people after the Diesels took over.
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I think that depended on the model of diesel, its configuration, and the railroad that owned it. Twenty-plus years ago I read a fascinating article written by a former New Haven FA-1 fireman who (in a nutshell) said his job was akin to a riding mechanic and electrician and trouble-shooter for problems on the road. On railroads whoās diesels had steam boilers/generators for passenger car heating the fireman had the job of supervising that unit.
Eventually though the fireman did become a āpassengerā or at least a second set of eyes in the cab.
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Whether they were effectively a passenger, an ersatz steam boiler tech, or losing their job entirely, the fireman was likely the one most affected. Remember as well that with M.U. of locomotives, fewer engineers were needed (fewer helpers) and thus fewer promotion opportunities for firemen.
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When B&O nominally dieselized their feature passenger trains - in addition to the Engineer and Firemen they also had a Diesel Riderās position whose job was to make sure the locomotive(s) continued to operate to destination. Firemen were responsible for making sure the steam generator continued to generate steam. I donāt know how long the Diesel Riders were retained - I suspect until the start of WW II.
Subsequently, Firemen were taught the basic mechanics of the locomotiveās operation and the field fixes that could be applied in various situations. In as much as Fireman was the āapprenticeā position for becoming and Engineer - diesel or steam - there was a lot to be done and a lot to be learned as a Fireman in either form of motive power.
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I remember being in the cab of some E and F units and seeing a pushbutton labeled āAttendant Callā ! Almost like having a porter on call 
Donāt know if it was a āthingā or not but it seemed like a lot of former steam āhoggersā went out and bought a white Kromer cap as soon as they got to the diesel assignments.
Old Head Crew by Bob Anderson, on Flickr
No more soot and valve oil for me!
cheers, Ed
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What a fascinating and informative thread. When I first read the opening post, I presumed the answer was that it meant retirement for all of the engineers and firemen who ran the steam engines.
Rich
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Railroaders are nothing if not adaptable - new things are introduced all the time, if you want to continue to get a paycheck you do what is necessary to conquer the new technology.
Railroad labor is not so top heavy as to be able to just write off a category of employee because āpartā of their job has changed. Employees get trained on what ever new aspects affect their job and its performance. However, the crafts that were required to keep steam operating were seriously pruned with the switch to diesels, no longer was it necessary to remove and replace flues and all the other āconsumableā aspects of steam engines.
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I suspect the situation was complicated on the PRR by continuation of their relative lack of organized modern training. One of the reasons for the failure of the T1s in service was that a wide range of PRR enginemen ā at the top of their game, given the assignments ā did not appreciate how to start and run a locomotive with a modern front-end throttle.
I had a copy of one of the initial guides on running diesel locomotives provided by PRR. It contained a wealth of information for steam engineers without experience on PRR electrics.
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Taking that thought a bit further Iāve always suspected that the railroadās fairly rapid transition from steam to diesel had to have been helped by all the hundreds if not thousands of diesel mechanics and electricians trained courtesy of Uncle Sam during WW2 and now looking for jobs. It had to have had an influence, you donāt make diesel mechanics overnight.
The care and feeding of diesel electric locomotives are less labor intense than steam by several orders of magnitude. From cold it would take a number of hours before a steam locomotive could operate - and the cold could cause serious problems in dealing with the water required to make steam. When in terminals there were the needs to remove ashes from the firebox and also to maintain some level of a fire while the engine was waiting its next assignment.
I donāt know when required diesel-electric inspections and maintenance were governmentally required - at present locomotives are required to get a Quarterly Inspection every 92 days, which is a intensive inspection of all the facets of safe locomotive operation. It is the Operating Departments ideal, that locomotives only hit the shops every 92 day - with only ārunning repairsā (brakes shoes and adjustment, fuel and sand) being required during its 92 days in revenue service.
Steam, for the most part, ran from crew change point to crew change point and then required several hours of servicing before being used back to its origin crew change point. Diesels, however, were put on a train at origin and operated through multiple crew changes to destination with getting the running repairs previously mentioned as the only service along the way.
I donāt know how much of the post War hiring was done with Veterans that had serious diesel experience.
The reports of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific electrification said that the steam locomotive engineers quickly learned how to operate electric locomotives. From what I understand about the job of being a locomotive engineer is that knowing how to manipulate controls is only part of the job, with the major part knowing the rules, the territory and how a train responds in the territory.