Steam & Excursion > DM&IR 2-8-8-4 222

It was 60 years ago today that DM&IR 2-8-8-4 222 pulled that railroad's last steam powered ore train, ending the era of big-time class 1 revenue steam freight in the USA.

Class 1 revenue standard-gauge steam freights continued in lesser roles on the Colorado and Southern (Burlington Lines) on the Leadville branch in Colorado until October 11, 1962 and on the Lake Superior and Ishpeming (which was a class 1 by the then-existing ICC rules) until some date in September 1962.

Of the 12 2-8-0's on the Lake Superior and Ishpeming (LS&I) roster at that date, 10 still survive, with 5 of those having been restored to service for tourist service.  Is there any good information and/or photos on the last days of LS&I revenue steam opeation?

So, if my memory hasn't failed me, the DM&IR, GTW and N&W were the only major U.S. roads that ran steam into 1960, in regular service.  Were there any others ?  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/20 11:03 by NKP715.

NKP715 Wrote:
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> So, if my memory hasn't failed me, the DM&IR, GTW
> and N&W were the only major U.S. roads that ran
> steam into 1960.  Were there any others ?

Maybe the Illinois Central?

Yes.....February 1960.

NKP715 Wrote:
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> So, if my memory hasn't failed me, the DM&IR, GTW
> and N&W were the only major U.S. roads that ran
> steam into 1960, in regular service.  Were there
> any others ?  

What about the Denver and Rio Grande  Western.  They were a major railroad!!!
Steam freights ran on the Narrow gauge until 1968.   D&RGW passenger operations on the Silverton line from Durango technically lasted until
sold to Bradshaw in 1980-81!

I think the D&RGW holds the distinction of bein the last class one to run steam.

FWIW NW Steel and Wire in Sterling Ran steam into the early 70's I believe.  Grand Trunk 0-8-0's did the work.  Saw it twice!
Greg

NKP715 Wrote:
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> So, if my memory hasn't failed me, the DM&IR, GTW
> and N&W were the only major U.S. roads that ran
> steam into 1960, in regular service.  Were there
> any others ?

As far as standard gauge operations in the USA, the Illinois Central is said to have had some steam activity as late as April 1960 and Canadian Pacific main line steam operations in Maine lasted at least into March 1960, as is well documented and illustrated in Kevin Holland's 2006 book, Canadian Pacific Steam in Color, Volume One



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/20 07:02 by LTCerny.

GT commuter in Detroit? 

Don't forget the Edgemore and Manetta.

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Don't forget the Edgemore and Manetta.

Well if you really want to stretch there is the Crab Orchard & Egyption Railroad in Marion, Ill.  We stopped there in Oct 1985 on our way to Colorado.
Sat in the cab of 17 with the engineer as he started the fire, and shot lots of video and some stills during the day.  A few bigshots from the Southern RWY came and they ran a caboose and little coach for them for a few miles.  Was a nice little steam op.  But not class one by any means!
Greg

Photo of 17 below.
http://www.gregschollvideo.com/gallery/pic13.html

< "GT commuter service in Detroit."

Grand Trunk Western ran the last regularly-scheduled, steam-powered passenger train in the United States on March 27, 1960, on roundtrip trains #21 and #56 from Detroit north to Durand and return. Thousands of rail enthusiasts wanted to ride, and, with 2,000 passengers holding tickets, the two trains had to be run in two sections—as two separate trains—to accommodate the excess number of passengers. GTW 4-8-4 #6319 led the first sections of trains #21 and #56 with 15 passenger cars, and 4-8-4 #6322 with 22 passenger cars pulled the second sections of these same two trains.
 
Reportedly, GTW 4-8-4 #6323 was the last steam locomotive used in regularly-scheduled, steam-powered, main line passenger service in the U.S. With just one day remaining before its ICC boiler time expired, #6323 was quietly substituted for diesels and made the unannounced, last steam-powered run on a regularly scheduled, U.S. passenger train on September 20, 1961.

Yeah, yeah, I know all about UP #8444 never having been retired, yadda-yadda-yadda, so I’ll let you folks argue over the details and semantics of the above statements. Get out the popcorn. Be safe.
 
John B. Corns  (the real misterwandle)
 

Ok you guys........what railroad ran the last American built 4-8-4 in regular service?        (Yes, I have to get a device and learn how to get pictures up on T.O.).

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Ok you guys........what railroad ran the last
> American built 4-8-4 in regular service?      
>  (Yes, I have to get a device and learn how to
> get pictures up on T.O.).

Would that be the Chessie System, when 614T was handling all those empty & loaded coal trains between Huntington and Hinton, WVa.?

HotWater Wrote:
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> Keystone1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Ok you guys........what railroad ran the last
> > American built 4-8-4 in regular service?    
>  
> >  (Yes, I have to get a device and learn how to
> > get pictures up on T.O.).
>
> Would that be the Chessie System, when 614T was
> handling all those empty & loaded coal trains
> between Huntington and Hinton, WVa.?

Well I did 4 days of that cool stuff in Jan 1985.  I wouldn't consider it "Regular Service Steam Days" however.  But it was about as close as it comes to being the steam days that I can remember!
Here's a shot of 614 a few years prior to the coal tests.
http://www.gregschollvideo.com/gallery/pic12.html
Greg

Lloyd Stagner's book American Steam Finale is an EXCELLANT source for when steam ended on various roads.

Steve

Last American built 4-8-4 type in service would have been in Mexico.

Out 

callum_out Wrote:
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> Last American built 4-8-4 type in service would
> have been in Mexico.
>
> Out 

I remember the many ALCO 4-8-4s in Mexico, when I was there delivering EMD GP35 units, plus GA8 units to one of their 100% steam narrow gauge railroads. That was 1964, however when were those ALCO 4-8-4s built for the NdeM railroads.? For some reason I thought that the last 4-8-4s built for the U.S. railroads were the Lima locomotives for the C&O, i.e. the 600 class Greenbriers. (J3 & J3a models).

Question was when were the last US built Northerns in regular service, the NdeM engines last ran like in 1967?

Out 

Per steam.locomotive.com, in 1946 NdeM received 16 from ALCo and 16 from Baldwin.  I believe the last regular operations were in the summer of 1968.

Steve

What about fireless operations?

Dreamer



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/20 22:29 by Dreamer.

callum_out Wrote:
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> Last American built 4-8-4 type in service would
> have been in Mexico.
>
> Out 

Actually the question was "what railroad ran the last American built 4-8-4 in regular service?". Thus, the "last American built 4-8-4 (singular) would be one of the C&O J3a locomotives, or an N&W J Class. Ross Rowland's C&O J3a #614 (614T) handled revenue coal trains in "regular service", during the 1980s.