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Streamlined steam locomotives

By Robert S McGonigal | March 26, 2021

12 notable designs of the 1930s and ’40s

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Black-and-white streamlined steam locomotive in a rail yard.
Image of a gray-and-orange steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
Two steam locomotives, side-by-side. The one on the right is streamlined.
An orange-and-black steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
A steel gray steam locomotive at the head of a train in a rail yard.
Streamlined steam locomotive hauling a passenger train emitting a large smoke plume.
A semi-streamlined locomotive in a rail yard.
A streamlined steam locomotive at rest.
A streamlined steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
A green-painted locomotive with a nose headlight.
Streamlined steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
Color image of a bullet shaped steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
Black-and-white streamlined steam locomotive in a rail yard.
Image of a gray-and-orange steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
Two steam locomotives, side-by-side. The one on the right is streamlined.
An orange-and-black steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
A steel gray steam locomotive at the head of a train in a rail yard.
Streamlined steam locomotive hauling a passenger train emitting a large smoke plume.
A semi-streamlined locomotive in a rail yard.
A streamlined steam locomotive at rest.
A streamlined steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
A green-painted locomotive with a nose headlight.
Streamlined steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.
Color image of a bullet shaped steam locomotive at the head of a passenger train.

New York Central J-1 4-6-4 5344 Commodore Vanderbilt


North America’s first streamlined steam locomotive was conceived by New York Central mechanical engineer Carl F. Kantola in February 1934, less than two weeks after Union Pacific motor train M-10000 introduced streamlining to the continent’s rails. Three-year-old J-1 Hudson 5344 rolled out of the shops clad in an “upside-down bathtub” cowling in December 1934. As part of its makeover, the 4-6-4 was named for the founder of the New York Central System, Commodore Vanderbilt. It was one of only two engines to be streamlined twice, trading its 1934 shrouding in 1939 for the styling given to the 20th Century Limited’s J-3 Hudsons.

Glenn Grabill Jr. photo

 

A new aesthetic — “streamlining” — took hold in the 1930s. Objects from telephones to ocean liners were designed to be unified in appearance instead of collections of parts. Curves replaced square corners, and horizontal lines replaced verticals.

Streamlining burst upon the railroad scene with the 1934 introduction of two sleek internal-combustion-powered passenger trains. Steam was still king, so railroads desiring a modern image applied streamlined styling to existing and new steam locomotives. The benefits were mostly aesthetic, but increased efficiency through reduction of wind resistance was also a factor.

More than two dozen North American railroads fielded steam locomotives that were streamlined to some degree. Here are 12 of the most notable ones.

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