The Decline of Steam Locomotive Technology - Essay Example

Page Decline of Steam Locomotive Technology Introduction Steam engine technology has been a predominant technology of the twentieth century. The power of steam has been used in several industries like the mining industry, power industry, textile industry, and most importantly, railroad industry. In this paper the decline of steam locomotive technology will be discussed and analysed, with special emphasis on the steam engine driven railways since they were deployed for cross functional industrial purposes including passenger transport, industrial freight and haulage, etc. Steam locomotive being the most influential example of steam engine technology, its disappearance from the modern railroad deserves to be reflected on. According to Lindqvist, the general perception about history of technology holds that “the initial stages of growth and development of new technologies are far more interesting than the boring routine maintenance and depressing dismantling of older technological systems.”1 However, research on older technological systems helps us not only to analyse the dynamics of industrial demands but also to understand the contemporary political and social values. Moreover, economic analysis of the decline of a technological system may have extremely useful implications for the future technologies. This paper is divided into four major parts: Introduction, Literature Review, Analysis and Conclusion. Reputable scholarly resources and contemporary literature of twentieth century have been used for research and reflection on the topic. Cases of USA and UK have been discussed with special emphasis. Research Question: Give an account of a disappearing technology of the twentieth century. Why has its use decreased? Literature Review The steam engines have been part of a gigantic technological system which dominated the world almost throughout the twentieth century. Steam locomotives, a very important implementation of steam engine technology, symbolised engineering excellence, facilitation of communication and strong bureaucratic administration. The colonial powers like Britain used steam locomotives and railroad networks for fulfilling their colonial ambitions. Further, in Canada, USA and the Continental Europe, steam locomotives facilitated political organisation, industrial production and transportation, Theoretical Perspective: Innovation can be regarded as the driving force of technological development which is designed to meet the socio-economic demands of the populace. So, too much emphasis on the developmental phase of a technological system may appear to be natural; but this is not a wise option always.2 “We know, for example, more about the first automobiles and the infancy of the automobile industry than we know about the dominating transportation technologies at the same period.”3 But the importance of an older technological system lies in the fact that it may not be necessarily abandoned at the introduction of a new system. Although cases of exponential decline of a technology are known, older and modern technologies do exist in our world side by side. Illustrating the American charcoal industry, Schallenberg has put forward that evolution, adaptation and survival are the key phases in the life cycle of a technology which may eventually culminate at a slow or exponential decline.4 In the case of steam engine technology, the pace of phasing out the steam locomotives has been fast in some countries (e.g., Britain, USA, etc.) and slow in some other countries (e.g. India, China, etc.). The extent of once powerful steam engine technology has been truly international and impressive. Evolution of Steam Locomotives: Steam locomotive capable of passenger conveyance was invented by the British engineer George Stephenson in 1825. Hence UK can be regarded as the first country in the world that developed its steam powered railway system. In USA, steam locomotive was first operated in the year 1829. Subsequently, locomotive manufacturing industry started off in the country. In the 1830s and 1840s, steam locomotives started operating in Belgium, Austria and Germany. Generally, steam locomotives and steam powered railroads began to operate all over the world as the twentieth century closed in.5 However, horse drawn transport system dominated the world throughout the nineteenth century. Steam locomotives began to dominate the surface transport system of the world (primarily Europe and America) only in the wake of twentieth century. By the time of World War I, steam locomotives became more important than horse transportation. According to Lindqvist, “it (World War I) was a war that relied heavily on two older transportation systems: railways which were the dominant system (B), and horses which were the older system (A).”6 After the World War I, steam engines dominated the transportation system of the world. Until the 1950s, the situation remained almost unchanged and the steam locomotive technology was extensively used in surface transportation and haulage systems. Decline of Steam Locomotives: Decline of steam power has been most marked in the railroad industry. However, phasing out the steam locomotives has not been smooth, easy and fast. Although steam locomotives had lost the technological supremacy much earlier, it took at least a few decades for retiring them decisively. “Diesel traction of trains was introduced during the 1930s but was systematically developed during the 1940s and 1950s.”7 Also, introduction of electric powered engines could be envisaged right in the late nineteenth century. “The emergence of electric railway traction dates back to 1879. The first implementation of electric power in vehicles was restricted to urban areas, with the development of the electric tramways between 1880-1914 and the first metro lines.”8 However, steam locomotive technology faced fiercest competition from diesel locomotives. In 1936, Winchester wrote about this subject in details. “IN recent years the steam locomotive has experienced increasing competition, especially in connexion with the smaller trains and coach units, from the Diesel-engine-driven type. For certain types of work it has considerable advantages, and there is little doubt that in the course of time it may replace the heavier and more cumbersome steam-engine.”9 At that time, steam power was used to handle the traffic of rail coaches for inter-city communication, rail-buses, rail-car passenger conveyance, etc. According to the experts like Winchester, diesel power could be a better alternative in this context as compared to the steam power. However, controversies always existed alongside the comparative analysis. Winchester further wrote, “It should, however, be pointed out, in fairness to the steam-engine, that the cost of coal is appreciably less, per pound, than that of fuel oil used for Diesel engines.”10 Hence, phasing out steam engines took time but it was inevitable. Britain started inducting the diesel engines in its railroad system and other industries from the 1950s. The dieselization programme escalated during the 1970s. By June 1975, steam power was used regularly only in 41 locations across the country. Most of the steam locomotives were put in reserve.11 In USA during the 1970s, “President Eisenhower signed into law the act creating the Interstate Highway System. America was unmistakably in love with its automobiles, and the federal government decided to make a monumental investment in the roads.”12 Henceforth, automobilism coupled with diesel traction and electric traction triggered off a rapid decline of steam power in the country. “On March 27, 1960, regularly scheduled passenger steam service in the United States”13 In continental Europe and Russia, it took some more time for the steam engines to become obsolete. Today steam engines are used only in a few backward regions of Asia and Africa. However, steam locomotives are still used as symbols of heritage in different developed countries for the purpose of exhibition and tourism. Analysis The use of steam locomotives has drastically decreased in the twenty-first century. An analytical approach will uncover several reasons behind the decline of steam locomotive technology. During the nineteenth century, when horse transportation dominated the world, steam locomotives appeared to be more fast, profitable and reliable. By the end of the nineteenth century, steam locomotives began to dominate our system of surface transport. However, it had some serious disadvantages. Fuel efficiency of steam locomotives is low. Only about 6% of the energy decapitated by combustion of coal is utilized for train traction. Steam locomotives cannot exceed a total power of 3000 Hp and a highest operating speed of 120-140 Kmph. Hence the technical power performance is poor. Steam locomotives need numerous water supply points along the railroads on which they operate. Hence these machines cannot be used in the places where water is not readily available. Moreover, maintenance cost is high. Steam locomotives entail a fuel replenishment procedure which is highly time-consuming. Hence, autonomous functioning of such a locomotive is possible only for 12-14 hours per day. Environmental and fire hazards are also high.14 With the advent of diesel and electric locomotives, these disadvantages of the steam engine technology as per the specifications of manufacturing steam locomotives became more copious. Comparison between steam traction and diesel/electric traction showed that steam locomotives were performing poorly and better options were necessary to be explored, and if necessary, selected. In the course of comparing steam locomotives with diesel locomotives, Winchester wrote that “And it has been the regular experience of users of Diesel-electric locomotives that one pound weight of fuel oil is equivalent, so far as power output is concerned, to eight pounds of coal.”15 Hence in the economic environment of the 1930s, diesel locomotives were more economic than their steam counterparts. Contextually, Winchester further states that “in the first place, the type of oil engine used—the medium to high-speed Diesel—is more efficient than the best locomotive reciprocating steam-engine. It gives a much greater output of power from a given quantity of fuel consumed.”16 In sum, diesel locomotives offered lower cost for operation (by almost 50%), more power, higher speed, higher fuel efficiency and lower atmospheric pollution as compared to the steam locomotive. Lindqvist has attempted to introduce a more relevant variable in the context of technological development. According to him, it is the “prevailing technological volume”17 which can be considered as the overall amount of existing technological systems at a given period of time. Implementation of this variable “would draw our interest to the later – and historically often more significant – stages in the life cycle of a technology.”18Applying this concept of technological volume, we can be optimist about the future of steam power for a while. As a matter of fact, even today thermal power generation involves coal as a major fuel to produce steam produce steam with the help of which thermal energy is converted into electric energy. This electricity is again used for the purposes like electric traction of trains. In this way, steam power or the greater steam engine technological system can still not be regarded as a completely obsolete technology. However, steam locomotives have not obtained any significant improvement in the terms of performance and efficiency. Revival of steam locomotive technology use is not possible at all according to the present day scientific knowledge. Conclusion Generally, historians are interested about the success stories. The story of inception of a technology use thus becomes very interesting. There has been considerable work to know how technologies emerged, who were the inventors, which was the country of first use, etc. In the last century, technologies like nuclear power, steam, computer, antibiotic manufacturing, etc. emerged or were established in a stronger way. However, steam locomotive technology declined. The importance of the story of decline of a technology lies in the fact that this knowledge helps our technologists understand the dynamics of diverse industrial demands. If taking lessons from the past our policy makers invest more in the present day technologies and increase their flexibility and adaptability with the changing world, our future can be made safer. Hence the study of a technology system’s decline becomes very important. The advent of diesel locomotives or electric traction cannot be regarded as the only factor behind the decline of steam locomotive technology. Steam engines had certain inherent drawbacks which needed to be addressed. The technologists failed to achieve this end, and phasing out the steam locomotives became mandatory for socio-economic development. Diesel locomotives will also face a similar fate if continuous research and development are sustained and futuristic technologies like magnetic levitation become cheaper. However, a holistic technological replacement calls for great deal of money. For example in railways, as the speed and performance of the locomotives are bettered, improved signalling, tracks, halts, welding, etc. will be needed. So the future of almost every technological system has certain uncertainties, and steam locomotives have been no exception. Bibliography Allan, I Industrial Steam, Ian Allan Publishing, Surrey, 1994 Brewer, G D ‘On the theory and practice of innovation’. Technology in Society, vol. 2, 1980, pp. 337-363 Ellis, C H The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Railways, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, London, 1976. Lindqvist, S ‘Changes in the technological landscape: The temporal dimension in the growth and decline of large technological systems’ in Economics of Technology, O. Granstrand (ed), North-Holland, London, 1994, p. 284 Profillidis, V A Railway Management and Engineering, Ashgate, Aldershot, 2006. p. 384. Schallenberg, R H ‘Evolution, adaptation and survival: The very slow death of the American charcoal industry’. Annals of Science, vol. 32, 1975, pp. 341-358. The Editors of Publications International, Ltd. .HowStuffWorks "History", Atlanta, April 2008, viewed on 25 November, 2011, Winchester, C ‘Diesel locomotives: The construction of and performance obtained from the oil engine’. In Railway Wonders of the World, Volume 1, C Winchester and C J Allen (eds), The Amalgamated Press Ltd., London, 1936, p. 307. Read More