History Main / SteamNeverDies

* In Russia, some steam locomotives and maintenance infrastructure for them is still kept mothballed for use in case of wartime power/oil shortages. [[https://trainpix.org/photo/287160/?vid=133102 Some steam locomotives]] are still in commercial operation.

* In the early seasons of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', the trains were [[http://s3cf.recapguide.com/img/tv/119/1x1/South-Park-Season-1-Episode-1-19-16a9.jpg 19th century steam trains]] later seasons however have shown more [[http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/southpark/images/1/10/FaithHilling00043.png/revision/latest?cb=20120329151232 current equipment.]]

* PlayedWith in ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' of all places. The books began being written back when steam locomotives were the standard. [[TechnologyMarchesOn Over time, as diesel locomotive technology improved and spread,]] it becomes increasingly common to see more recurring diesel characters as well as hear more and more news about steam engines being scrapped and replaced in favor of diesels. It is actually brought up that diesels are much cheaper and easier to run than steamers, as well as having superior performance. By the time of the later stories, except for Sir Topham Hatt's railway on the island of Sodor, it seems that diesel is very far along in the process of superseding steam, and that the only reasons for Thomas and friends to not be replaced is purely for sentimental value, as well as for them being really famous engines. It is said that Reverend Awdry himself detested Britain's Steam-to-diesel era, partially due to his opinions on how inefficiently it was done and partially because he grew up around steam engines, so it makes sense that in his world, the Steam-to-Diesel conversion never caught on in Sodor. It is later established that one branch line is entirely electrified because it was built to assist construction of a hydroelectric dam.

** This was played straight in the episode "Dumbbell Indemnity," most likely so they could work in a parody of "[[http://mcgarnagle.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/2482644583_e348dcf888_o-e1314160071976.jpg?w=640&h=506 Hot Shot Eastbound]]."

* The warning sign for a level crossing without gates or barriers is a steam locomotive in [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Crossing_signs#Trains many countries]].

** In a somewhat related note, fans of ''Series/TopGear'' will notice that ''Tornado'' is the same train that was used for the Race to the North in season 13, where the ''Tornado'' (with Clarkson as one of the crew members) is pitted against a Jaguar XK120 driven by James May and a Vincent Black Shadow ridden by Richard Hammond.

[[caption-width-right:340: Shown: the Class 38 locomotive [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3801 3801]], built in 1943 and still steaming in UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} today.[[note]]It even outlasted [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Monorail the monorail in the image!]][[/note]]]]

*** of particular note in the USA is [[http://www.strasburgrailroad.com The Strasburg Railroad]], an actual operating short line that uses restored and preserved steam engines almost exclusively.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Peppercorn_Class_A1_60163_Tornado The A1 Tornado]] is a modern British steam locomotive built by railroad fans. Based on the now-extinct Peppercorn A1 steam locomotives of the late 1940's, it's fully up to specifications for running on modern railroads.

** In a somewhat related note, fans of ''Series/TopGear'' will notice that the A1 Tornado is the same model that is used for the Race to the North race in season 13, where the Tornado (with Clarkson as one of the crew members) is pitted against a Jaguar XK120 driven by James May and a Vincent Black Shadow ridden by Richard Hammond.

** It was well into the turn of the millennium before the last 1950s-era British Rail Mk 1 coaches and the diesel and electric multiple units based on them were finally put out to pasture. Many of these coaches were originally built with heating systems designed to draw on steam from the locomotive's boiler, which resulted in the decidedly SchizoTech practice of building steam boilers into diesel locomotives to heat the coaches in winter, and it wasn't until well into the 1970s that the last of the passenger locomotive stock was converted to electric heating. It might well have been even later were it not for the [[TheAllegedCar Alleged Boilers]] - all the different designs, made by different manufacturers, were all equally unreliable,[[note]] The ones made by Stone-Vapor were ''probably'' the best but that's not saying much. The ones made by Spanner could also be good, but could also be appalling, as they had a reputation for being ''astonishingly'' inconsistent. [[/note]]
and accounted for more failures than all the other parts of the locomotives put together (and some of ''them'' were [[ObviousBeta pretty bad]]). Some steam heat locomotives (reassigned to freight duties), and coaching stock with dual heating (steam and electric), remained in service for another decade or more.

** It was well into the turn of the millennium before the last 1950s-era British Rail Mk 1 coaches and the diesel and electric multiple units based on them were finally put out to pasture. Many of these coaches were originally built with heating systems designed to draw on steam from the locomotive's boiler, which resulted in the decidedly SchizoTech practice of building steam boilers into diesel locomotives to heat the coaches in winter, and it wasn't until well into the 1970s that the last of the passenger locomotive stock was converted to electric heating. It might well have been even later were it not for the [[TheAllegedCar Alleged Boilers]] - all the different designs, made by different manufacturers, were all equally unreliable, and accounted for more failures than all the other parts of the locomotives put together (and some of ''them'' were [[ObviousBeta pretty bad]]). Some steam heat locomotives (reassigned to freight duties), and coaching stock with dual heating (steam and electric), remained in service for another decade or more.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'': The freight train that plows into the Giant is powered by a steam locomotive that resembles both a New York Central "Dreyfuss" steam locomotive and a Norfolk & Western J Class steam locomotive. There were no steam locomotives operating mainline freight trains in Maine in 1957, especially not from those railroads, so it's also [[JustTrainWrong Just Train Wrong]].However, it could be forgiven, because many railroads still used steam in 1957.

[[caption-width-right:340: Shown: the Class 38 locomotive [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3801 3801]], built in 1943 and still steaming in UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} today.]]

A sub-trope of AnachronismStew. The cultural snapshot we have of locomotives, especially as portrayed in children's media, seems frozen in time. The protagonists may eat modern junk food, watch Netflix, and email their homework, but when the time comes to take the train to visit a relative, suddenly it's 1900 all over again, complete with steam engine, caboose, coal tender, old-timey passenger cars, and engineers wearing blue coveralls and tall hats.

* PlayedWith in ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' of all places. The books began being written back when steam locomotives were the standard. [[TechnologyMarchesOn Over time, as diesel locomotive technology improved and spread,]] it becomes increasingly common to see more recurring diesel characters as well as hear more and more news about steam engines being scrapped and replaced in favor of diesels. It is actually brought up that diesels are much cheaper and easier to run than steamers, as well as having superior performance. By the time of the later stories, except for Sir Topham Hatt's railway on the island of Sodor, it seems that diesel is very far along in the process of superseding steam, and that the only reasons for Thomas and friends to not be replaced is purely for sentimental value, as well as for them being really famous engines. It is said that Reverend Awdry himself detested Britain's Steam-to-diesel era, partially due to his opinions on how inefficiently it was done and partially because he grew up around steam engines, so it makes sense that in his world, the Steam-to-Diesel conversion never caught on in Sodor. It is later established that one branch line is entirely electrified because it was built to assist construction of a hydroelectric dam.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' is probably the first thing that pops into many people's minds when the words "Steam Train" are mentioned.

* Astrotrain, of ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1,'' is a triple changer, with his altmodes being a Class D51 steam locomotive or a shuttle orbiter. The former was retired in 1975, a decade before the character debuted. Later comics have him [[ReimaginingTheArtifact switching to a modern diesel-electric train]], or [[GrandfatherClause continuing to maintain the steam engine altmode well into the aughts]]. Being a giant space robot powered by energon and capable of flight, Astrotrain presumably considers these differences to be semantics.

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* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'': The freight train that plows into the Giant is powered by a steam locomotive that resembles both a New York Central "Dreyfuss" steam locomotive and a Norfolk & Western J Class steam locomotive. There were no steam locomotives operating mainline freight trains in Maine in 1957, especially not from those railroads, so its also [[JustTrainWrong Just Train Wrong]].However, it could be forgiven, because many railroads still used steam in 1957.

* Astrotrain, of ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1,'' is a triple changer, with his altmodes being a Class D51 steam locomotive or a shuttle orbiter. The former was retired in 1975, a decade before the character debuted. Later comics have him [[ReimaginingTheArtifact switching to a modern diesel-electric train]], or [[GrandfatherClause continuing to maintain the steam engine altmode well into the aughts]]. Being a giant space robot powered by Energon and capable of flight, Astrotrain presumably considers these differences to be semantics.

* Also averted in ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife''; the only time steam locomotives are seen are on old trains (like in movies, or Ed's campaign train in "Ed Good, Rocko Bad", but all the other times, the railroad system uses modern diesel locomotives (such as in "Manic Mechanic" and "Driving Mrs. Wolfe.")

* In Russia, some steam locomotives and maintenance infrastructure for them is still kept mothballed for use in case of wartime power/oil shortages.

** There is another aspect: While coal is indeed more plentiful than liquid fuels and coal ''cannot'' be used for internal propulsion engines (Rudolf Diesel initially intended his engine for coal dust - neither he nor any of his successors could get it to work), however, Coal can be converted into liquid fuel via the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer%E2%80%93Tropsch_process Fischer Tropsch process]] which has been known since the 1920s. While its energy efficiency is ''atrocious'', it is still more than made up for by the better fuel efficiency of internal combustion compared to steam. Indeed, many countries that for one reason or another had no access to oil used exactly this process, be it Apartheid South Africa, UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons or UsefulNotes/EastGermany, though the latter also kept using steam engines almost until the very end.

** There is a vaguely sensible reason for this: modern trains don't really have any kind of profile that makes for an obvious symbol.

* Steam is also alive and well on ''WesternAnimation/{{Chuggington}}''.

[[caption-width-right:340: Shown: The Class 38 locomotive [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3801 3801]], built in 1943 and still steaming in UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} today.]]

* LongRunner boiler manufacturer [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babcock_%26_Wilcox Babcock and Wilcox]] has just released the 41st edition of "''Steam: Its Generation and Use''", the longest continuously published engineering text of its kind in the world, the first edition of which came out in 1875. Of course, ''how'' the steam is being generated and what it is being used ''for'' would be completely unrecognizable to people just a hundred years ago. (B&W now makes boilers for ''nuclear'' applications, as well as more traditional fossil-fuel ones.)

** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_844 Union Pacific No. 844]] was never officially retired after it entered service in 1944, a unique achievement for a locomotive on a Class I railroad. It even outlasted the diesels meant to replace it [[http://www.nevadasouthern.com/Sub%20Pages/locomotive_844.html (including one that took it's number for a time)]]! [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU9uEwSGp9M On one occasion,]] the 844 was headed back to its home terminal when a diesel-powered freight ahead of it suffered a breakdown. In much the same manner as the Tornado above, 844 was able to save the stranded freight train without tying up the mainline for hours waiting for a rescue loco.