[Technology] Steam Locomotives: Future looking dark, 2022 might be the last year

[vegster]

Looks like they are going the same way as Lead pipes, corrugated Asbestos and Mercury fillings....pesky progress.

 

[Frankworthington]

Agreed. It's a proper network, three lines I think, with a proper year-round timetable, and it's been largely steam-hauled since it opened so it isn't just a heritage railway. Nice area, well worth a holiday.

On my bucket list

 

[theboybilly]

Why would anyone want to run a steam engine, except for nostalgia?
Coal driven steam is noisy , dirty and polluting. As coal is phased out it will become impractical. Just accept that it belongs to yesterday, and enjoy the Bluebell Railway if that is your thing.

You have absolutely no soul

 

[The-Libertine]

View attachment 143030

This still runs January - November.

Went on it 20 November, instead of going to Villa. Then went to Lech Poznan in the evening! Great way to travel to a match. Plus I used my free train travel on it!

Thanks. I will remember this when we get to play at Lech Poznan in the Champions League.

 

[Scappa]

 

[jackanada]

Haven't the Indian Hill railways still got a few steam engines or did I miss their sad passing?

 

[B-right-on]

I grew up next to this track:

https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/

Was great fun as a yoof watching the trains go up and down the tracks and hanging around the sheds and stations.

 

[Sirnormangall]

Of course there will be museum and tourist shite (which is like watching wild animals in a zoo) but things are looking dark for real steam.

No steam has been reported from the sugar mills of Java, it appears steam is finally abandoned over there.

In China, where you could find lots of real steam only ten years ago, only the Sandaoling persists and under the last year they switched to diesel engines to some of the pits. In 2022 this change is expected to go on and likely at the end of the year there will be no real steam in China.

After that, the last chance to see real steam will be in Bosnia where a handful of coal mines still operate a couple of Kriegslok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdCrKvJBGTc

Obviously also these are on borrowed time so you better go there ASAP.

There is also a small chance that there are real stream hidden somewhere, its just unlikely considering how steam fanatics have scanned the world for many decades.

Truly the end of an era.

Don’t believe everything that comes out of China.

 

[Baldseagull]

Absolutely nothing wrong with watching animals in a zoo, if it's a decent zoo and helps animal conservation. Particularly, of course for stimulating kids interest in animals and their conservation.

Will never forget watching this dude in a zoo somewhere around Alice Springs, decades ago:

View attachment 143042

anyway, I digress. Steam engines zzzzzzzz.

Last Zoo I visited just had a Dog, it was a Shih Tzu.

 

[zefarelly]

You have absolutely no soul

He's trying to stay down with the kids man!

the amount of filthy VW diesel vans chugging about leaving black clouds in the name of 'cool' concerns me more than the occaisional train, diesel cars/vans in general are worse IMO.

The coal powered steam trains, nigh on 100 years ago, got from Worthing to Victoria on the same timetable as now, they were faster and a darn site cleaner on the onside at least.

Coal may be 'dirty' these days . . . A lot of electric is still no cleaner. . . .we're getting there, slowly though

 

[METALMICKY]

My fave song about a steam train!

Saxon

 

[Icy Gull]

https://youtu.be/JnX1qM5_zJo

 

[Norman Potting]

Hope this link works - on a positive note.....


https://www.facebook.com/1776297562667984/posts/2811268382504225/

 

[Dr Q]

Lucky enough to have Hellifield station nearby that gets a lot of steam through on various tours. Went and saw the Flying Scotsman there on Thursday pulling a trip over the Settle-Carlisle line and Ribblehead Viaduct. FS came in early on it’s own and waited for the passenger train to come up from Manc (pulled by a wonderfully smokey Class 37 diesel). FS took over for the run up to Carlisle with a little help from a Class 47 diesel.
Will have to do the trip sometime, but I rather enjoy the cheaper looking at it from the outside very close up.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Might not be any wild, but still glad are some working in museum type places. Better than them all being still and only looked at. Huge part of it requires the noise, smells, sights etc.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

A thread proving that the great and the good of NSC can and will squabble about anything. Literally anything.

And even managed to get a side squabble about zoos into it as well.

May it never change.

 

[Swansman]

Some excellent news.

Due to some issue with the regular trains, there is now real steam (= doing work, not some museum shit) in (on?) Java:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65SEsTtcRxI

Other good news is that the real steam in Bosnia certainly will survive the year and most likely for longer than that, partly thanks to the war and increasing diesel prices.

 

[Dr Q]

Some excellent news.

Due to some issue with the regular trains, there is now real steam (= doing work, not some museum shit) in (on?) Java:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65SEsTtcRxI

Other good news is that the real steam in Bosnia certainly will survive the year and most likely for longer than that, partly thanks to the war and increasing diesel prices.

Not quite sure why you have such a thing against museums or preserved railways? I guess it says a lot about your drugged up, moronic persona! We have some fantastic steam railways in the UK with some of the most iconic loco's still running. Not sure why you'd need to go to some E European sh*thole to see some steam donkey??

 

[Swansman]

Not quite sure why you have such a thing against museums or preserved railways? I guess it says a lot about your drugged up, moronic persona! We have some fantastic steam railways in the UK with some of the most iconic loco's still running. Not sure why you'd need to go to some E European sh*thole to see some steam donkey??

I don't have anything against it all, I just prefer them in the wild.