mark s posted:To respond to the original question, The Illinois Central ran steam seasonally in regular service out of Paducah, KY, until April 1960. Engines employed were 0-8-0's 4-8-2's, 2-10-2's and 1 2-10-0. Grand Trunk Western ran 4-8-4's and 2-8-2's in commuter service, as well as Detroit Division extra freights for the auto industry, until March 1960; light 4-6-2's and 2-8-2's ran out of Pontiac, MI in freight service into April 1960. Norfolk & Western used 0-8-0's at Williamson, WV and 2-8-8-2's in WV mine run service until May 1960. Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range used 2-8-8-4's in iron ore service May-July 2nd, 1960. Also, (2) 2-8-2's and a 2-8-0 worked commercial business in Duluth, based at the Endion engine house during the same time period.
Of course the D&RGW narrow-gauge was still active, using K36's and K37's in freight service, until Spring 1968. Canadian Pacific was using 4-6-4's and 4-6-2's in Montreal commuter service until June 1960 and kept 15 locomotive on house steam in the St. Luc roundhouse until August 1960. Some Canadian Pacific Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and state of Maine Branch line activity was still steam powered into April 1960. These included 4-6-0's, 4-6-2's, 0-8-0's, 2-8-0's, 2-8-2's and 4-4-0's (these into early 1960, in NB). CP had quite a bit of steam working in/out of Winnipeg through 1959; don't know precisely when that wrapped up. CNR steam ceased in April 1960, with 4-8-2 #6043 pulling a passenger train into Winnipeg from LaPas, MAN. Again, an abundance of Canadian National steam was concentrated at Winnipeg through 1959, rapidly diminishing in early 1960.
Mexico provided a marvelous steam respite through 1962, tailing off after that. In 1962, one could see live 4-6-0's, 4-6-2's, 4-6-4's, 4-8-0's, 4-8-2's, 2-8-0's, 2-8-2's, 2-8-4's, 4-8-4's and 2-6-6-2's, in passenger and freight service. Plus the NdeM narrow gauge, Mexico City-Cuatla, was entirely steam operated with 4-6-0's and 2-8-0's.
I was in Mexico City in 1965 and steam, 4-8-4s, were running on freight between Guadalajara and Mexico City. The roundhouse outside Mexico City has many hot locos during the day I was there. The narrow gauge was still running steam then too. I do not think either operation lasted in steam much after that time.
