Steam locomotive production
North America
Early 20th Century
Early 20th Century locomotive production in the USA included units made for both domestic and export markets. Foreign market production increased significantly during and immediately after World War I. In the following table (from Wright, 1930), the years 1905-1911 include Canadian output and the years 1912-1929 include both Canadian output and equipment built in railroad shops.
| Year | Domestic | Foreign | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 866 | 309 | 1175 |
| 1897 | 865 | 386 | 1251 |
| 1898 | 1321 | 554 | 1875 |
| 1899 | 1951 | 514 | 2465 |
| 1900 | 2648 | 505 | 3153 |
| 1901 | - | - | 3384 |
| 1902 | - | - | 4070 |
| 1903 | - | - | 5152 |
| 1904 | - | - | 3441 |
| 1905 | 4896 | 595 | 5491 |
| 1906 | 6232 | 720 | 6952 |
| 1907 | 6564 | 798 | 7362 |
| 1908 | 1886 | 456 | 2342 |
| 1909 | 2596 | 291 | 2887 |
| 1910 | 4441 | 314 | 4755 |
| 1911 | 3143 | 387 | 3530 |
| 1912 | 4403 | 512 | 4915 |
| 1913 | 4561 | 771 | 5332 |
| 1914 | 1962 | 273 | 2235 |
| 1915 | 1250 | 835 | 2085 |
| 1916 | 2708 | 1367 | 4075 |
| 1917 | 2585 | 2861 | 5446 |
| 1918 | 3668 | 2807 | 6475 |
| 1919 | 2162 | 1110 | 3272 |
| 1920 | 2022 | 1650 | 3672 |
| 1921 | 1185 | 638 | 1823 |
| 1922 | 1303 | 231 | 1534 |
| 1923 | 3505 | 280 | 3785 |
| 1924 | 1810 | 226 | 2036 |
| 1925 | 994 | 291 | 1285 |
| 1926 | 1585 | 185 | 1770 |
| 1927 | 1009 | 167 | 1176 |
| 1928 | 636 | 111 | 747 |
| 1929 | 1022 | 139 | 1161 |
Total Production
The middle of the 20th Century marked the end of large commercial production of steam locomotives in North America. Estimates of total production can be broken down into two time periods based on the period before and after the creation of American Locomotive Company in 1901. The following table provides a summary of this production and in some cases represents estimates rather than precisely known values (Bruce, 1952). A detailed list of manufacturers shows many of the larger producers. The Baldwin Locomotive Works was the largest producer of steam locomotives in the US, possibly the world, having produced around 70,000.
| Class of Builder | Prior to 1901 | 1901-1950 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Builders of more than 100 units each | 61520 | 99130 | 160650 |
| 63 Builders of less than 100 units each | 1350 | 0 | 1350 |
| 70 Railroad Company-Shop Builders | 7130 | 5870 | 13000 |
| Total Production | 70000 | 105000 | 175000 |
See also
- Category:Rail transport timelines
- Historical sizes of railroads
References
- Bruce, Alfred W. (1952). The Steam Locomotive in America: Its Development in the Twentieth Century. New York: Bonanza Books. Table 3, partial excerpt.
- Wright, Roy V., editor (1930). Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice, Ninth Edition. New York, N.Y.: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Company. p. 108. Table I, with corrections to Total column. This reference cites annual review issues of Railway Age as the primary source the table.