Word: steams
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...biggest order for locomotives. They were all diesels-in of them, to cost $21,000,000. Thus, the New York Central marked the quiet revolution which has been going on in the Central-and many another U.S. railroad -since war's end. The revolt is against steam locomotives in favor of oil-burning diesels. Of the 1,176 locomotives which U.S. railroads had on order Dec. 1, only 33 were steam. The rest were diesels...
While G.M. tinkered, American Locomotive turned out a small number of heavy switching diesels. But the industry's big interest remained in steam...
...experiment pay off. The Army gave G.M. big orders for diesels for overseas work (where there was more oil than coal). On the other hand, the Government restricted the old-line companies, American and Baldwin, to making war equipment for the military, and steam locomotives for U.S. railroads. Thus, war's end found G.M. well ahead in diesels. Of some 5,000 diesel units now in service, two-thirds have been built by G.M. Into the once staid locomotive industry, G.M. has also breathed some of the dog-eat-dog competitive spirit of the auto industry...
Young's Way. Passengers needed little selling. The practically smokeless diesels provide a cleaner, smoother ride than steam. And railroads found that the high initial cost of diesels (the $600,000 is twice that of a steam engine) is offset by more efficient use of fuel, fewer layups, lower repair costs and less roadbed damage...
...holdouts is Robert R. Young's Chesapeake & Ohio, which earns 80% of its income from coal-hauling. Asked recently when C. & 0. would diesel-ize, a Young aide snapped: "Never, I hope." With his new coal-burning steam turbine "500" locomotive, now touring the country, Bob Young hopes to prove that he has something better than a diesel. His engine is closer to the next development which he thinks will crowd out the diesels-the oil-or coal-burning gas turbine locomotives...