🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 4:27:06 PM UTC-5, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

> I inherited a photo from my father (a long-time railroad man)
> of a train with three serially-coupled steam locomotives working
> its way up the steep grade into the Crownest Pass.  It's an
> amazing shot - the way smoke is blasting out of those stacks
> you can almost feel the ground shake.  Apparently my father
> saw the photo in a magazine and tracked down the photographer
> so he could get a print from the original negative.

Despite their limitations, steam locomotives had a romance 
that diesels never developed.  People love photos such as you
describe.  Many books published with stuff like that.  One
famous photographer, O Winston Link, has a museum.

The downside, from an economic point of view, was that yes, the
ground was indeed shaking from the reciprocating action of the 
wheel drivers.  That pounding took a toll on the rails and wayside
structures.  Diesels, using electric motors for traction, did not
have that degree of wear.

Further, despite their relative simplicity (compared to a diesel)
steam engines needed extensive maintenance.  They could only travel
a limited distance before needing to be removed from a train to
be serviced.  I think it was 500 miles, then maybe 1,000 miles.

Personally, I like all-electric locomotives (like Amtrak's NEC
corridor).  Back in the day, these had major advantages over steam
in dense territory, despite the cost of constructing wire and substations.
However, today, the diesel-electric locomotive offers most of the
advantages and the power supply for all-electrics has become very
expensive.  Amtrak is still basically using much of the 1930s PRR
system in the NEC, which is worn out.  It is also 25 Hz.