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

Swansman · Dec 24, 2021

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.

Hamilton · Dec 24, 2021

Or you could go to Sheffield Park.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/the-stations/sheffield-park-station/

Swansman · Dec 24, 2021

Hamilton said:
Or you could go to Sheffield Park.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/the-stations/sheffield-park-station/

Not if you want real, wild steam.

Tyrone Biggums · Dec 24, 2021

Train Spotter · Dec 24, 2021

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!

Perfidious Albion · Dec 24, 2021

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.

Cowfold Seagull · Dec 24, 2021

Perfidious Albion said:
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.

Yep, l've never seen the appeal either. :nono:

Swansman · Dec 24, 2021

Perfidious Albion said:
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.

In the last decade they've primarly operated around coal mines where they have a lot of... you know, coal.

Up until 2008 they were common in China both in industry and on their passenger lines. They even built new steam locomotives until 1999. But as the 2008 Olympics came closer they wanted to look like a very modern and forward country so they started to phase out steam and when, a few years later, they started to invest heavily in high speed rails, the end was near - when China sets out to do something, they do it. But its a big country and just sven or eight years ago you could still find a few passenger lines and a lot of steam working in the industries. As they are now phasing out coal in China, this is quickly ending.

In very recent years there's been experiments with new fuel that would make steam locomotives possibly less pollutive (is that a word?) than Diesel. But its too late unfortunately.

Official Old Man · Dec 24, 2021

Whilst I love to watch the old steam trains run I don't understand people who pay a fortune to travel in an old carriage behind a train you cant see.
Similar to the Xmas Bluebell Train. Best seen all lit up traveling past in full steam than sat in it looking out.

junior · Dec 24, 2021

Hartz mountains.

METALMICKY · Dec 24, 2021

Hamilton said:
Or you could go to Sheffield Park.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/the-stations/sheffield-park-station/

Indeed. Took my kids there a couple of days ago for the Santa Special and it was great!

Mr Putdown · Dec 24, 2021

Would the palace team and fans chartering a steam train to and from the Southampton game be considered a real journey “in the wild”?

Springal · Dec 24, 2021

Not very good for the environment are they?

Raleigh Chopper · Dec 24, 2021

I am against this and it is rubbish.
Every summer there are regular steam locomotives that run on the main SW railway around Devon and Cornwall.
Only last summer I was sitting on a train in Plymouth Station and it was getting ready to pull out.
Also, one of the finest things is the Romney,Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
Train, fish & chips and a couple of pints in The Pilot and back on the train again.

Swansman · Dec 24, 2021

Raleigh Chopper said:
I am against this and it is rubbish.
Every summer there are regular steam locomotives that run on the main SW railway around Devon and Cornwall.
Only last summer I was sitting on a train in Plymouth Station and it was getting ready to pull out.
Also, one of the finest things is the Romney,Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
Train, fish & chips and a couple of pints in The Pilot and back on the train again.

You are still going to be able to do that. They are just going extinct in the wild (industry & passenger lines without tourist intent), not the tourist / museum stuff, though that could also come under threat if the steam locomotives are target by environmental groups.

Springal said:
Not very good for the environment are they?

Well no not currently but trials are being made with biofuel, making steam trains possibly better than diesel in that regard in a few years.

I would also believe that the very few steam locomotives out there is a very small issue in the grand scheme of things.

dsr-burnley · Dec 24, 2021

junior said:
Hartz mountains.

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.

herecomesaregular · Dec 24, 2021

Swansman said:
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.

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:

anyway, I digress. Steam engines zzzzzzzz.

Swansman · Dec 24, 2021

herecomesaregular said:
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.

Sure, nothing wrong with it but is it really the same thing as watching that lion, in its own habitat, chasing down the antelope? I think not.

hart's shirt · Dec 24, 2021

Swansman said:
Steam Locomotives: Future looking dark, 2022 might be the last year

Probably a good time to buy some cheap railway buffers.

It'll be an end of line sale.

Cheshire Cat · Dec 24, 2021

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

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