The glory of steam engines

Stream engines, and I'm thinking of steam locomotives, in particular, are much more romantic than their electric, doesel, and horese-powered counterparts. I think that there are many reasons for this, not all of which have to do with the locomotives per se, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that they act, to a certain degree, as if they are living things.

I must admit that I didn't realize this on my own, but consider the steam locomotive. You may only have seen them in movies, but that's good enough. Listen to it. You can hear it breathe. And by listening to that breathing, you can tell how hard it's working: as it works harder, it breathes faster, just like we do.

Incidentally, if you're even in York, take time to visit the National Railway Museum. This museum has two large rooms that are open to the public, one each for locomotives and rolling stock. Their warehouse is also open for viewing via a catwalk, as is their restoration shop. Most of the locomotives are steam, from the 1820s through the mid twentieth century, and tucked in among all of these locomotives is a rebuilt 4-6-2 whose sides have been cut away to expose the locomotive's inner workings.

Part of the floor beneath this locomotive has been cut away and replaced rollers that press against some of the drive wheels. As the rollers spin (slowly, perhaps half a revolution per second) they cause the drive wheels to rotate. The drive wheels drive the main and connecting rods, which drive the rest of the machinery. The result is that you can see all of the locomotive's parts in motion, as if the locomotive were in use.

[Title edited 9/28/07]