How much water does a steam locomotive use per mile?

As an example Southern Railway 2-8-2, # 4501 in excursion service averaged about 13 miles to the ton of coal and approximately 100 gallons of water to the mile. Larger engines such as N&W 611 were probably in the 150-200 gallon range. 1218 was hungrier, and thirstier, 11miles/ton and 130 gallons.



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The water consumption varied from 24.32 lb per drawbar horsepower hour (about 4.11 kg/drawbar MJ) for the ex-LNER class A4 Pacific to 32.64 lb per drawbar horsepower hour for the ex-Southern Railway West Country class Pacific.

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Temperatures of Steam and Water Edit To illustrate: Temperature of the steam in a locomotive boiler at 190 psi is 383 degrees Fahrenheit (195 degrees Centigrade). This is also the temperature of the water at that steam pressure.

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On most steam locomotives the fuel and water are carried in a separate car, the tender, behind the locomotive. Usually the tender is semi-permanently coupled to the engine. Lindy's tender, which originally carried coal as the fuel, has been converted to carry oil.

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Many locomotives can last 30–40 years, depending on the maintenance done on them. Our GG1 Lasted 41 years, but many of the steam locomotives were retired early. So they had years left in them, but the company did not want to run steam anymore, so they were retired early.

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Water Troughs These troughs allowed train crews to replenish the water supplies of their locomotives without having to stop the train. As the locomotive reached the start of the water trough (usually indicated by a track side marker board), the fireman would lower a scoop into the trough.

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An A4 Pacific locomotive running uphill with an express train was generating a drawbar horsepower of between about 1200 to 1300 horsepower. (Allen, 1950, Table 50, p xl). So an A4 Pacific running under these conditions was using between about 30000 and 32000 lb of water per hour (13.6 to 14.5 tonnes per hour).

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Steam locomotives exhausted to the atmosphere so water had to be constantly replenished. Over the course of a route, considerable variations in water quality were found, creating different types of incrustation. The problems were less with land boilers as the feedwater was constantly recycled.

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  • A steam engine is huge and heavy. ...
  • Steam engine has low efficiency.
  • Steam engine does not start at once.
  • Before a steam engine can start, one has to build a coal fire to get steam which takes a long time.


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Diesel engines are much more efficient than steam engines, but the combustion in the steam engine's firebox can be more carefully controlled and, so, possibly produce less of the types of pollution caused by imperfect combustion.

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The class J-1 and J-3a Hudsons of 1927 had 79 inch drivers. They were fast, powerful, very well proportioned, good looking, and may have been the best known steam locomotive. Honorable Mentions: CMStP&P Class F7.

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The heaviest train ever hauled by a single engine is believed to be one of 15,545 tonnes (34,270,820 lb.) made up of 250 freight cars stretching 2.5 km. (1.6 miles) by the Matt H. Shay (No.

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