Hello everyone. I hope you are all well. DougvV's post on 6/6/08 about the last steam freight run on the Gainesville Midland on 6/10/59 was very interesting to me. In particular I'd like to know of the dates of the last steam freight runs on Class Is (and shortlines if you know them). Some time ago, I recall someone saying that the last PRR steam freight run of any kind was a B6 handling a yard trick in 1957. Do I have that right? Also recall in the O. Winston Link's Last Steam Railroad in America, that the last N&W revenue non-passenger steam run was a late night yard trick done with an S-class 0-8-0. The date escapes me, but I suspect 1960 or 1961. Do you guys know of any others? Thanks in advance, and God bless. Seth

Seth -

The last Pennsy steam engine to run in regular service was B6 class 0-6-0 #5244 which was leased to the Union Transportation Company. Not sure when the last steam engine ran on the Pennsylvania Railroad itself.

Les

Trains Magazine had an article on this subject about the larger railroads, printed (I think) in the 1980s. It said that PRR freight steam was mostly done in by the Steel Mill strike in mid-1957, except for the leased engine on the Pennsylvania & Atlantic - Union Transportation Company.
Another article had mentioned how this particular loco had been displaced twice in its career by the same PRR General Electric 44-ton Diesel, 9999!
Railroad Magazine had an article about 1960 about how this last PRR steam loco made its last trip running light under its own power to the 44th St. Engine House in West Philadelphia via Delair drawbridge in 1959.
Not freight, but the last 2 PRR passenger locos ran double headed light under their own power from South Amboy, N.J. via the entire length of the Camden & Amboy RR to Camden Terminal Engine house in late 1957.

I believe that the UP moves their two steam locomotives around hauling revenue freight from time to time. I believe it is easier for them to work the locomotives that it is to haul them dead. I know this happened in the 1980s, but probably more recently too.

Several years ago I remember reading that a UP freight's diesel died. 3985 was in the area and rescued the train.

Seth -

A couple of others:

The Katy (Missouri-Kansas-Texas) Railroad kept 2-6-0 #508 in service at the Greenville, Texas yard that it shared with the Louisiana & Arkansas Railroad. The old Mogul worked one trick per day, six days per week until May of 1954 when the L&A replaced her with one of their own 0-8-0's. The 508 was officially retired in June of that year and was not preserved, with the 4-4-0 at the MofT in Kirkwood, Missouri being the only surviving example of MKT steam power.

The Grand Trunk Western was famous for operating the last regularly scheduled passenger train in the U.S.A. behind steam. When the railroad announced in early 1960 that the "last steam powered run" would be made on a certain weekend, the demand for tickets was so overwhelming that the GTW had to run the train in two sections. Going from memory, I believe that the two Northerns powering the trains that day were 6319 and 6323 (perhaps someone can confirm that, and also the exact date). Although 6319 was scrapped, the 6323 is now at Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. I am not sure which engine powered the second section, but it was THAT engine that actually made the "last run". Although the two 4-8-4's officially ended steam on the GTW, there is a story that the following week, a diesel scheduled to pull a freight train on the railroad failed, and the roundhouse foreman fired up GTW 2-8-2 #4070 and used it on the run. As far as I know, no confirmation of this run has ever been made but the run supposedly happened. Needless to say, an edict supposedly went out from GTW headquarters in Detroit that this was NOT to happen again! Whether the story is true or nto, the 4070 now sits partially disassembled in a former B&O roundhouse in Cleveland, Ohio awaiting a restoration that, hopefully, will one day be made.

Finally, after the Nickel Plate Road retired all of its famous 2-8-4 Berkshires, the railroad was forced to fire up a couple of its 0-8-0's due to an impending steel strike. The engines worked some yard tricks (at Conneaut, Ohio perhaps?) until the strike shut down the increased business. Not sure which of the 0-8-0's was actually the last NKP steamer in regular revenue service.

Les

The Rio Grande was using steam to earn real dollars hauling freight through the mid 60's.

Seth -

The last Monon (Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville) Railroad steam engine in regular service was B-8 class 0-6-0 #95 which operated in yard service at New Albany, Indiana until June 29, 1949. Unfortunately, Monon management at that time sent all of its steamers to scrap, but one former Monon locomotive DOES survive. In 1941, J-1 class 2-8-2, along with some of its sisters, had been sold to the Soo Line which renumbered it as its #1024. That engine now exists on display in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. A long way from its Hoosier home!

Les

I have been led to understand the final PRR steam operations took place at the end of November, 1957. The actual last run was either an I-1 2-10-0 on a helper out of Altoona or an I-1 on a hopper train (empty coal hoppers) from Altoona to Cresson. I do know that PRR steam was slowly phased out throughout the summer and fall of that year at such locations as Renovo, Elmira, Williamsport, Enola and Northumberland, until only Altoona was left. The PRR held about 135 steam locomotives in reserve until the end of 1959, but none was ever steamed. As their boiler time ran out, they were retired, until the last ones were purged at the end of that year.

On the Reading, the final use of steam was in April, 1957, with a few T-1 4-8-4's working out of Gordon in mine run service.

Several roads, the Nickel Plate among them, had steam in standby service, and had a recession triggered by the 1958 steel strike not occurred, it is quite likely some steam would have been used during peak traffic times. As it was, even some diesels were in storage during the strike.

The big problem with this question is, what do you count as "revenue steam"?

The Strasburg RR has, and as far as I can determine continues to this day, to use their steamers whenever and wherever they see fit. For at least a while (I don't think it's still there), they operated a weekly mixed train on Friday mornings to get the plastic pellet hoppers on and off the interchange.

How about the Crab Orchard & Egyptian in Illinois, which used ex-R&S 2-8-0 17 for years after the tourist business expired?

I rode behind at least two Gettysburg steam runs that retrieved freight cars and ran them behind the passenger consist in the 1980s. Do they count?

Black River & Western has run regular freight with #60.............

Frisco's last steam revenue run tied up at Birmingham, AL with USRA light 2-8-2 No. 4018 on February 29,1952.

Last regular Class 1, standard gauge freight was the Colorado and Southern branch from Leadville to the Molybdenum mine at Climax in 1962.

Northwestern Steel in Sterling, Ill. used a whole fleet of GTW 0-8-0's until sometime after 1970 when I moved to Texas- maybe much later than that.

I believe 1980 was the last year of steam operation at Northwestern Steel & Wire. The question has always been; WHICH of the 0-8-0's was the last one used to move cars at the plant?

Les

SL&RG #1744 should be back in service in July. They will run steam mixed trains from Alamosa to Monte Vista three days a week.

This would have been Brooks built (American Locomotive Company) 2-8-0 #641. The very last standard gauge steam locomotive to pull revenue freight in the U.S.A. on a common carrier Class I railroad. Certainly there have been revenue freight runs since the C&S took the 1906 built Consolidation out of service in 1962, but the engines pulling them on the Strasburg, the UP, the Gettysburg, the BR&W, etc., were around because of tourist train/museum passenger operations. Even the Crab Orchard & Egyptian, which restored ex-R&S 2-8-0 #17 to freight service, did so because the owners liked steam, and in fact, were using 2-4-2 #5, a former tank engine, on passenger tourist trains. The restoration of number 17 was an extension of their steam interests and a desire to build an all steam powered short line railroad.

BTW, the 641 is now on display in Leadville, Colorado, where she not only holds the title of the last standard gauge steamer to power a Class 1 railroad freight train in regular service, but also the last C&S steamer to power trains over the highest (in elevation) rail line in the United States.

Les