@feet posted:I hate to say this but one of the reasons steam lasted as long as it did was WW2. The diesel engines were needed for the war effort.
And this is PART of the story of why the Niagaras even came to be in the first place, .....Diesel engine production was at the time controlled by the war production board. They saw fit to restrict Diesel engines ( of all types) to military purposes. Couple that to petroleum shortages (42-43???ish?) .....coal was not restricted, coal was in abundance,.......the story of the Niagara is all over the NYCHS web site, The development of the Niagara was led by the Central to be ( at the time) the most efficient STEAM locomotive ever produced.......war time traffic, saw the need for motive power, especially dual purpose locomotives......we all know why diesel replaced steam. The railroads saw a huge decline after WWII......diesels became cheaper to produce, cheaper to run and a whole lot less infrastructure to maintain,.......yes, by the numbers, the Niagara ( as well as many other 4-8-4 platforms) were very efficient and powerful,.....these beasts were born to fill a void......when technology was needed elsewhere, once the technology came back home,....that spelled the doom for the Niagara and all her cousins,...
Pat
