Last steamer in regular service?

I can't remember with certainty, but I think the last N&W steam was finished when one of the S class 0-8-0's completed a 2nd trick shift on (something tells me) like May 6, 1960. The Y-6 2-8-8-2's had stopped a month or two prior if I remember correctly.

GTW (though Canadian owned) continued using their US-spec. 4-8-4's in Detroit-Durand, MI commuter service until March of 1960. Again, if memory serves, they completed service either March 23rd or 25th.

Certainly, any wishing to nail down these dates may easily do so.

I don't believe I recall Pennsy steam in 1959, but it's certainly possible.

Union Pacific finished steam in July of 1959. IC ran some steam into early 1960 and I think maybe DM&IR did, too. But GTW and N&W went a bit longer.

I believe that of the Class 1 railroads D&RGW is hands-down the last. They ran freight until mid-1968, and of course the Silverton Branch lasted long after that.

But if you forget the "Class 1" parameter I believe Northwestern Steel & Wire has to be the longest continuously operating steam user in the U.S.

Buddies and I made three trips to NS & W in 1979 (sure seems to me their last run was in December of that year, not 1980, but I could easily be mistaken). Though they were ill-kept by that time it was great to be able to witness steam 24/7 rather than the usual fan-trip run-by-and-gone thing! It was when the elder Mr. Dixon (?) passed away that his sons immediately ordered new specially equipped SW's from EMD and killed steam immediately. Too bad.

John

What about the Mississippian RR? How long did they run steam? Didn't they sell their las 2-8-0 in 1986?

Stuart

You know... DTE (Detroit Edison) used steam well into the 1990's I believe until the turn of this century on the Detroit plant. Also the Detroit Salt Works used it until 1989. But, there is one thing I am not quite sure about... In August 1993 there was I want to say an 2-8-0, no roadname that passed by on the CSX Toledo Subdivsion. It had many old worn out coaches, with all the windows busted. If I can get any backround it would be nice.

I seem to recall an O Wiston Link recording with a train in 1961 on the N&W!

I believe when 1960 hit, most of the major carriers had dropped steam or soon to do so.

However, on some occassions, some of the railfan steamers hauled some freight as test runs, I know NKP 765 did.

I think the NYC was one of the lines to quit steam early.

N&W did test comparisons operating steam vs diesel and found a slight cost saving for steam, so they stuck with steam longer.

Give credit to the various museums and such for keeping steamers alive, hhowever, there are new steam locos being built as I recall see9ing some website about 6 coupled steam locomotive for use on museum lines where it was not practical to ruun a larger engine and the smaller locomotive size more credible for the servicing dept.
Been trying to find a link to it.
So steam is not dead yet....
with designs like the ACE 3000 maybe something can happen again, one can dream.

DM&IR ran their yellowstones into 1960, and the Northern Pacific had a northern on the roster until 1965, used for steaming ore in Superior, but it was serviced in Duluth so they would use it on a transfer whenever it would go in for servicing.

The Colorado & Southern ran steam on its isolated Climax to Leadville CO. branch until Oct.1962.

I believe the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina ran steam until about 1968 when the Southern Railway traded them diesels for the (ex-SR) steamers.
-d

As far as I know, there is a place over seas that still uses steam for regular service. I believe it might be China, or some country near China, but I can't remeber 100%.

Joe

UP 844 has never been retired, always on the active roster-

EDM5970 wrote:UP 844 has never been retired, always on the active roster-

exactly, so 844 is legally still in regular service -- excursion service, freight service, hostling service, it's all the same. 844 wins.

844 was delivered to the UP in 1944. W, W, & F Ry #10, as far as I know, has never been taken out of active service, and she was built in 1904. Or even the EBT engines are also older than the 844. Before you automatically say one engine is the oldest, do some research would you! There are two foot gauge engines here in Maine, that we built way before the 844 was even designed, and they are still running. I am willing to bet, that there are steam engines even older than 103 years old that are still in service, somewheres in the world.

Joe

The topic line states:

"LAST STEAMER IN REGULAR SERVICE"

does not say "OLDEST"... "MOST FOREIGN"... "MOST MODERN"...


simply... LAST STEAMER IN REGULAR SERVICE.

again, 844 has never been retired. Granted, she was taken out of service for a short amount of time for boiler work, but every locomotive has been taken out of service for repairs, regardless, and it still counts as being in regular service when it comes back out....

I understand that. There are also the Canadian engines at Steamtown that are still in regular service also. What about the Cumbres & Toltec engines, or the Durango & Silverton engines, have those ever been taken out of active service? I would say the Bridgton & Saco River engines 7 & 8, however, they are both out of active service, as of this year, or last year.

Joe

Thanks, Mike; it does help when people READ the question being asked-

Seemed like he was saying that 844 was the only steam engine still in active service because he said "844 wins". No it doesn't because there are still several other engines that are older than 844, even though the question doesn't say older, that have never been taken out of active service, and that still continue to run to this day. So really, there are a lot of engines that fall under the title, last steamer in regular service.

Joe