What Year Transition from Steam to Diesel?

Question

In what year was the number of Steam Locomotives equal to the number of free-running Diesel Locomotives?

Answer 1

The transition was gradual and all but complete by the late fifties. In addition, dieselization progressed at different paces on different properties. The information provided here refers only to the Southern Pacific.

The "break even" point of the SP was around 1953-54. Around the same time, EMD produced the F7, which outperformed the earlier F3s and E9s, and hastened the demise of steam on the western giant.

The last steam powered commute train was January 22, 1957, powered by SP class GS4 #4430 on train No. 146 from San Francisco to San Jose, California.

The last run of steam on Southern Pacific proper, was a special train, from Reno, Nevada, to Oakland, California, with engine SP class GS6 #4460, on October 19, 1958. This coincided with the official end of steam on the same date, when engine SP class AC12, the last of the SP "cab forwards" built, #4294 was donated to the city of Sacramento, Ca., where it remains today as a featured exhibit at the California State Rail Road Museum, as, sadly, the last of its kind.

Answer 2

Well the last Class 1railroad to run steam locomotives in regular service was the Norfiolk & Western. They stopped running steam locomotives in 1963. I'd say somewhere around the late 40s or early 50s though was when the transition really began to pick up. Since manufacturing was no longer focused on war production and raw materials were more readily availible that left diesel locomotive companies such as General Motors and General Electric free to make even more diesel locomotives.

Answer 3

I think you will find the answer to your question was the late 50s early 60s as this is when the Deltic Diesel locomotive was introduced as the main high speed replacment for steam trains in the UK.

Answer 4

I don't remenber I did in HS