Steam trains, railroads, and locomotive history.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
What flows inside the fire tubes of a steam locomotive's boiler?
The tubes carry hot gases through boiler water, creating a large heating surface for steam production.
Steam locomotive connecting rods turn the driving wheels by converting which type of motion?
A crank pin on the driving wheel lets the rod turn a piston's straight stroke into rotation.
Which route limit tells crews whether a steam locomotive will clear tunnels and platforms?
Track gauge measures rail spacing; loading gauge keeps trains clear of tunnels, bridges, and platforms.
Which part of a Mallet locomotive pivots to help it follow curves?
The rear engine stays fixed beneath the boiler while the front engine swings through curves.
Which locomotive won the Rainhill Trials for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway?
Rocket's multi-tube boiler helped it make steam quickly, a design that shaped later locomotives.
Union Pacific built Big Boy locomotives chiefly for which job?
Big Boy's articulated frame let the 133-foot locomotive follow curves on its mountain route.
What work did roundhouses chiefly support during the steam era?
A turntable lined engines up with radiating roundhouse stalls where crews inspected, oiled, and repaired them.
Where did a tender-equipped steam locomotive carry its fuel and water?
Tank engines were the exception: they carried fuel and water on the locomotive's own chassis instead of a tender.
Where does a tank locomotive carry its water?
One variant, the well-tank locomotive, stores water between its frames beneath the engine.
Which traction type replaced steam on most U.S. main-line railroads after World War II?
Steam and diesel ran side by side in the 1940s and early 1950s before diesel took over.