Amazing Steam Locomotive Photos From 1950s America

Steam locomotives powered American railroads from the early 1800s to the mid-20th century. They played a vital role in westward expansion, industrial growth, and wartime logistics. Known for their power and iconic design, steam engines were gradually replaced by diesel locomotives starting in the 1940s.

The 1950s marked the decline of steam locomotives in the United States as railroads rapidly transitioned to diesel power. While steam engines like the 4-8-4 Northerns, 2-8-4 Berkshires, and Union Pacific’s massive 4-8-8-4 Big Boys were still in use early in the decade, diesel locomotives proved more efficient, easier to maintain, and more cost-effective.

By the mid-to-late 1950s, most major railroads had fully dieselized, and steam locomotives were largely retired, ending a defining era of American railroading. Below is a collection of amazing photos from Steve Given, showcasing steam locomotives in the U.S. during the 1950s.

Chicago & Illinois Midland Railroad, Engine C&IM 551, Pekin, Illinois, April 1950

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Engine CB&Q 5145, Gibson, Nebraska, May 6, 1950

Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, Engine CRI&P 2592, Chicago, Illinois, August 26, 1950

New York Central Railroad, Engine NYC 2778, East Syracuse, New York, June 11, 1950

Road Name Illinois Central, Engine IC 3515, Freeport, Illinois, September 3, 1950

St Louis Material & Supply, Engine SLM&S 17, Pacific, Missouri, July 1950

Central Railroad of New Jersey, Engine CNJ 37, Cranford, New Jersey, USA, February 1951

Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railroad, Engine DM&IR 91, Proctor, Minnesota, September 25, 1951

Pennsylvania Railroad, Engine PRR 5073, Chicago, Illinois, March 4, 1951

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Engine B&O 4000, Proviso, Illinois, September 21, 1952

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Engine CB&Q 1949, Virden, Illinois, May 26, 1952

Chicago St Paul Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad, Engine CStPM&O 85, Duluth, Minneapolis, September 8, 1952

Louisiana & Arkansas Railroad, Engine L&A 253, Kansas City, Missouri, November 1952

New York Central Railroad, Engine NYC 4675, Harmon, New York, August 19, 1952

New York Central Railroad, Engine NYC 4895, Harmon, New York, July 3, 1952

Boston & Maine Railroad, Engine B&M 3630, June 1954

Chicago & North Western Railroad, Engine C&NW 1475, Mason City, Iowa, July 1954

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Engine CB&Q 4951, St Louis, Missouri, June 1954

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad, Engine CB&Q 5346, Lincoln, Nebraska, September 12, 1954

Milwaukee Road Railroad, Engine MLW-571, Bensenville, Illinois, November 8, 1954

Union Pacific Railroad, Engine UP 3222, Kansas City, Kansas, March 28, 1954

Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad, Engine B&OCT 795, Chicago, Illinois, March 29, 1955

Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal Railroad, Engine BEDT 13, Brooklyn, New York, October 4, 1955

Chicago & Illinois Midland Railroad, Engine C&IM 550, Springfield, Illinois, September 1955

Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railroad, Engine DM&IR 1215, Mitchell, Minnesota, September 1, 1955

Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad, Engine LS&I 19, Ishpeming, Michigan, October 19, 1955

Maryland & Pennsylvania, Engine MPA 30, Baltimore, Maryland, March 2, 1955

Road Name Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Engine CB&Q 4954, Centralia, Illinois, November 1955

Southern Pacific Railroad, Engine SP 1297, San Jose, California, September 25, 1955

Colorado & Southern Railroad, Engine C&S 631, Loveland, Colorado, November 16, 1956

Duluth Missabe & Iron Range, Engine DM&IR 501, Proctor, Minnesota, September 1956

Illinois Central Railroad, Engine IC 3527, Paducah, Kentucky, 1956

Midland Electric & Coal Corporation, Engine ME&C 82, Middle Grove, Illinois, July 30, 1956

Reading Railroad, Engine RDG 2119, Gordon, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1956

Road Name Union Pacific, Engine UP 3704, Ogden, Utah, October 27, 1956

Norfolk & Western Railroad, Engine N&W 578 and 573, Bluefield, West Virginia, May 4, 1957

Road Name Illinois Central, Engine IC 254, Centralia, Illinois, April 25, 1957

Illinois Central Railroad, Engine IC 1171, East St Louis, Illinois, May 7, 1958

Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railroad, Engine DM&IR 1201, Virginia, Minnesota, September 1, 1959