During the past 15 years there has taken place one of the greatest revolutions in the history of motive power. Some 22,500 diesel-electric locomotives have replaced approximately 65,000 steam engines.
In 1940 one-twentieth of one percent of all freight service (comprising about 90 percent of railroad income) was handled by diesel power. Today 85 percent of all freight and passenger service is diesel-driven. Ninety-eight percent of the diesels in use today were built during the past 15 years, with half of them no more than five years old. The savings effected in fuel costs alone aggregate over a halfbillion dollars annually. No other technological development has contributed to the financial stabilization of the nation’s railroads as has the utilization of diesel power.
When dieselization is completed at an estimated 30,000 units, approximately 3.75 percent of the crude oil barrel will be required for fuel and lubrication purposes. Because of shifting...
