How many steam locomotives in America?

Here is CN47 sister 49 at Delson. http://jwdp.rrpicturearchives.net/showP ... id=1691337

railfilm wrote:Where can I find some sources about the overall amount (roughly) of steam locomotives used on US tracks.

And how many of those engines were a single frame tank locomotives (no tenders). They were not very popular in US in comparison to European tracks.

Thank you for any information

I just came across this page seems like everything is on here, broken down state by state. It even include theme park trains that are real steam engines such as the steam engine in Canobie Lake Park located in Salem, NH. Now that I think of it though, I don't believe the site includes the two steam engines abandoned in the woods in Northern Maine which has been talked about here.

That's a list of surviving steam locomotives.

In 1921 there were reported to be 64,949 steam locomotives in service on the US railroads. That is pretty close to the peak population, as improvements in locomotives after that time resulted in a gradual reduction in fleet size.

MX

Tim Frew's book Locomotives says that there were 40000 steam and 100 diesels in the US in 1940, and 2000 steam and 25000 diesels in 1955. This must be what I was remembering.

Considering I read somewhere else that there were still 5 steam for every 4 diesels in 1951, this shows when the fastest dieselization occurred: the early 1950s.

It seems like there is an error in those numbers, at least for diesels. GM produced over 160 Winton engined switchers alone (not counting E-units, TA's, and streamlined trains) and then started turning out 567-engined E-units and switchers in 1938. ALCO was building high hood switchers (177 total of various models) most of them completed before 1940, GE, Baldwin and others were also building diesel switchers in the 1930s. There were significantly more than 100 diesels by 1940.

MX

I didn't believe that number, either. But the number of steam locomotives makes sense.

I just found a statement that there were about 60,500 steam locomotives in 1933.

railfilm wrote:Where can I find some sources about the overall amount (roughly) of steam locomotives used on US tracks.

And how many of those engines were a single frame tank locomotives (no tenders). They were not very popular in US in comparison to European tracks.

Thank you for any information

What time period are we talking about? There has not been regular use of steam in America since 1960.

railfilm wrote:Something else to the Class 47 machines. In the description there is something what is interesting:

The rear frame, on which the tank was carried, was of steel, cast in one piece with the truck center plate, draft gear housing, rear bumper and tank supports.

Does it mean that the rear water tank was separated from the locomotive frame, coupled only with the rear truck, or was it something very sophisticated? Could it move in any direction against the main frame or was it a rigid connection between the two frames - only manufactured separately from two pieces?

no, the rear tank frame was not seperate from the main loco frame..
it was all one solid piece..it did not pivot or move seperately from the locomotive frame..

the rear frame might have been *cast* seperately, during manufacturing of the loco, then welded to the loco frame..
but once the loco was complete and in service, the *entire* frame, from front coupler to rear coupler, was basically one rigid unit..
only the rear truck would pivot..

The Mason Bogie is a seprate beast..
it had one solid frame, like the Forney, but both the drivers and the rear tender truck pivoted under the frame..
these were less common, but several were used in commuter service:

http://www.ironhorse129.com/Prototype/M ... _Bogie.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_Bogie

The Mason Bogie was somewhat sucessful, (146 built) but was difficult to maintain due to the complicated piping needed to allow
the drivers and cylinders to pivot under the boiler..

No, there was never any mass-produced fleet of "tank engines" used in mainline freight or passenger service in the USA..
only short distance commuter service, or yard/switcher service, or short distance freight service..

The largest most advanced tank engines ever built (in the US) were those Boston & Albany tank engines..
(and the CN units)

but again..those were all only used in commuter service, because they could be easily run in either direction and didnt need to be turned.
also, less fuel capacity than a "standard" loco made them only useful for shorter distances..

More B&A pics:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ba-s1256l.jpg

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/ba-s0303vaa.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/ba400.jpg

Scot

Just for information, there is a very interesting chart called "Number and type of Locomotives" in the 1960s era editions of the yearbook of railroad information that is broken down into steam, diesel, and electric locomotives. There is also a table showing "Locomotives in Service".

MX

Thank you for all of you!

I gained some very valuable information.