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Why didn't oil fired steam locomotives take off? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 day ago by doomsdayrs@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

A steam locomotive is known to be able to pull more then any pure combustion engine locomotive. (Uncited)

Why didn't oil fired steam locomotives take off?

This started when I watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hszu80NJ438

During the runtime, it mentioned oil fired retrofits.

I search it up, and found one.

It was an overview video of a modern retrofit, and it seems to not be too difficult to retrofit, even using the same steam blaster to spread the oil in the smoke box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up1UaMVnv4M

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[–] toadjones79@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago

They did. Diesel steam was the main source of steam over time. Coal was used for a relatively short period of time. Wood for even shorter before that. Jupiter (the engine from Central Pacific that met I. That famous photo of driving the Golden Spike on the Transcontinental Railroad) was wood fired while it's Union Pacific counterpart was more modern, and coal fired. But my grandad ran Diesel Steam his whole career.

Today there isn't much nostalgia for Diesel Steam. So a lot of the working museum pieces are coal fired. I can't remember if Big Boy, from UP, is diesel or coal. I think it's diesel though.

I'm a railroader not a foamer.