For a writing project, I'd appreciate any citations folks might have identifying the year in which the greatest number of steam engines were in service on US railroads, and the number or locomotives in service at that high point.

I'm guessing around 1920, but I'd be interested in any formal estimates people have made.

eledbetter@rypn.org

> I seem to remember reading in Ron Ziel's "Twilight of Steam Locomotives" that the number peaked in 1926, which also was the year the first diesel was introduced. It has been a while since I read that, so can anyone back that up?
Steve

For a writing project, I'd appreciate any
> citations folks might have identifying the
> year in which the greatest number of steam
> engines were in service on US railroads, and
> the number or locomotives in service at that
> high point.

> I'm guessing around 1920, but I'd be
> interested in any formal estimates people
> have made.


lead_sled7@hotmail.com

I've tried adding up Lima, Baldwin, Alco and some of the more significant small builders' productions to come up with some credible number of "all time production" and it's hard to do.

Let me dig around and see if I can find what I have so far.

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

Good lead, Steve. You just sent me to my bookshelf. Ziel writes: "In 1825 there was one steam locomotive in the United States... Ninety-nine years later the locomotive census reached its peak with over 65,000 owned by Class One railroads, with uncounted thousands operating on shortlines and industrial, terminal and logging roads. The next year, 1925, began the decline..."

eledbetter@rypn.org

> I'm guessing around 1920, but I'd be
> interested in any formal estimates people
> have made.

The book "Guinness Rail: The Records" (1985) cites a figure of 56,936 steamers, 22 diesel, and 601 electrics for 1929. From eyeballing other numbers, I can conclude that this number is intended to include all railroads, including Class Ones and short lines but not what would be termed non-common-carrier. Maybe the AAR can give you better out of their library?

lner4472@bcpl.net

> For a writing project, I'd appreciate any
> citations folks might have identifying the
> year in which the greatest number of steam
> engines were in service on US railroads, and
> the number or locomotives in service at that
> high point...

Two additional references that might be of interest. I donÂ’t believe they contain the precise answer to your question, but the information may be useful for your project.

Robertson, Donald B. 1998. Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History: Volume IV, California. Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers, Ltd. [ISBN 0-87004-385-4]
p. 35; Locomotive Builder production: prior to 1901 & after 1901.
p. 36: Locomotive Engine Production by Major U.S. Builders, 1833-1890.
p. 39: Locomotives in Service on Class One Railroads; categorized by steam, electric, diesel, other; 1939-1960.
p. 40: Steam locomotive production for domestic common carrier railroads, 1901-1952; categorized by builder.

Robertson, Donald B. 1986. Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History: The Desert States-Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah. Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers, Ltd. [ISBN 0-87004-305-6].
p. 43: A Census of Coal-burning Single Expansion Engines in the United Sates – 1911; categorized by engine type.
p. 44: Approximate Locomotive Production in the Unites State – by Era and Major Types; 1831-1900, 1901-1950, totals.

I donÂ’t have the two other volumes in the series, but itÂ’s possible they contain additional information of the type that youÂ’re seeking: volume 2, The mountain states; volume 3, Oregon, Washington.

Cheers,
Keith Albrandt



kalbrandt@rypn.org

> The next year, 1925, began the
> decline..."

Not only were diesels coming along to replace steam, but bigger steam was also being built from here out to replace older smaller locos. Therefore I would say the "Prime" years for steam were probably after 1925, as newer power was built with fewer engines necessary to do the same work!

While 1925 may have had the MOST QUANTITY of steam locos, I think the QUALITY was probably better later!

For example in the thirties Norfolk and Western (among other railroads)acquired lots of 2-8-8-2's that replaced a whole bunch of smaller M class engines, and others. So, yes there were more in the twenties, mainly because they were smaller.

Food for thought,eh!

Greg Scholl

Videos
sales@gregschollvideo.com

For the Class I railways, a good source is the "Yearbook of Railroad Facts" published by the AAR and previously by the Western Railways Public Relations Office in Chicago. I have a 1944 edition from the earlier source and it states that the peak was reached in 1924. Maddeningly, the 1944 edition only reports data for 1921 and 1926: in the former year there were 64,949 locos and in the latter 62,776. While not so stated explicitly, presumably this number includes non-steam locos as well.

I also have the 1944 Locomotive Cyclopedia of the AAR Mechanical Division. It states that there were 69,486 locomotives of all types on "American Railroads" (imprecise and undefined term) in 1924, presumably the peak year though this is not explicitly stated. Since there were no diesels prior to 1925, presumably "all types" means steam and electric locos (though technically an electric is not really a locomotive - it's just a motor).

I am fairly sure the primary data source for both these publications is the Annual Report to the Interstate Commerce Commission required of all common carriers by rail at the time. That data would be broken down by steam, diesel and electric; and by Class I, Class II, and Class III railroads.

pnichol6@prodigy.net

I once encountered a book, "The Management of Technology", which had a crude graph (Figure 2.3) indicating numbers much as those given above.

Bruce's "The Steam Locomotive in America" has production numbers.

gbrewer@yahoo.com

Just now reading "The Steam Locomotive in America"
It's development in the Twentieth Century, by Alfred W. Bruce. Published 1952.
On page 11, Chart 2, he provides the following:
"Visible operating equipment, locomotives" the peak year is 1920 with 70,000 engines.
Mr. Bruce was a VP of Engineering, and Director of Steam locomotive engineering at American Locomotive Company.

H.H. Sinn

sinnh1@asme.org