Top 11+ of the oldest locomotives still in service today

The Fairy Queen

The Fairy Queen is the oldest locomotive that is still in service today. It was manufactured in 1855 and has been active on and off ever since. The locomotive typically ran between Howrah and Raniganj in India. Around 1909, the locomotive was put on display at the Howrah station where it remained stationary for a few decades. India's government designated it as a national treasure in 1972 and placed it in National Rail Museum in New Delhi. The Fairy Queen enjoyed a 35-year stay there before it was overhauled and returned to service. 

These days, The Fairy Queen generally hauls tourists and enthusiasts. It runs on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from October until March every year. Passengers enjoy a scenic trip from Delhi to Alwar and back again. The Fairy Queen only hauls two coaches worth of passengers, so it's definitely not the hardest-working train on our list.

The Fairy Queen has won some prestigious awards. It's the current Guinness World Record holder for the oldest train still in operation, and India's Ministry of Tourism also awarded The Fairy Queen a National Tourism Award in 1999. Thankfully, the light workload should keep this award winner in operation for a long time. 

Norfolk and Western 475

The Norfolk and Western 475 is a steam locomotive from 1906. It started life at the Norfolk and Western Railway where it operated on various routes until its retirement in 1957. Most of its trips were for freight, so it lived a fairly uneventful life. The locomotive spent some time in the hands of private collectors for the next several decades before winding up on the iconic Strasburg Rail Road in 1993, where it underwent a $600,000 restoration. Afterward, it was returned to service for passenger use. 

The locomotive, which looks like something out of a Western flick, has had a much more eventful life since then. For instance, the Strasburg Rail Road was the shooting site for the 200 film "Thomas and the Magic Railroad," and the Norfolk and Western 475 was featured in several scenes. It's also consistently painted like its sister locomotives for use in things like photoshoots. There was even an accident back in 2022. Luckily, no one was harmed, and the locomotive was repaired quickly. 

One of the other things that makes the Norfolk and Western 475 special is its power. It's capable of pulling just about anything on a railroad, making it ideal for passengers or freight. Granted, it doesn't haul freight anymore — but it could if someone wanted it to. 

Canadian National 89

The Canadian National 89 followed a very similar life to the Canadian National 7312. It was manufactured in 1910 and put into service for the Canadian National Railway. It underwent renumbering multiple times over the years before it settled on number 89. The 89 also served a stint at the Grand Trunk Railway as number 1009. It wound up at the Green Mountain Railroad, where it remained until 1972 when Strasburg Rail Road purchased the locomotive. Unlike many other locomotives, the Canadian National 89 never really retired. 

Once at Strasburg, the 89 has continued operating as a passenger locomotive. It completed inspections as recently as 2016, so it still has a long life ahead of it. The 89 often runs with other locomotives in Strasburg's lineup, and that includes the Norfolk and Western 475. 

These days, the Canadian National 89 works as an excursion train where it hosts tourist rides and special events at Strasburg. That's quite a nice retirement from its old days of hauling freight. It's also one of the few locomotives from this era that hasn't spent extensive time in a museum or completely inactive, which makes it a little special. 

Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15

The Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal 15 is an 0-6-0 style steam engine that was built in 1917. It served the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal for almost its entire operational life. The engine would wait dockside for cargo to be loaded and then haul it around New York to wherever it needed to go. It was retired in 1963 before being purchased by Southern Appalachian Railway in 1965. Eventually, it was sold to the Toledo, Lake Erie and Western Railway where it sat on display for decades. You've heard this next part of the story a few times already — Strasburg Rail Road purchased No. 15 in 1998. 

After its purchase by Strasburg, it underwent some restorations. Then, the most interesting part of this locomotive's history happened. It was restored to be a life-sized replica of Thomas the Tank Engine for use in the movie "Thomas and the Magic Railroad" and other media. The locomotive has worn the Thomas paint job ever since, and it's mostly used today for special events and tourism rides. As you can imagine, it's quite popular with kids. 

Strasburg often lends the 15 to other railways for special Thomas the Tank Engine-related events. That's essentially how this locomotive spends its days. It's easily among the most noticeable steam-powered trains still running today, and it should continue to run for a while since its workload isn't too strenuous. 

Great Western 90

The Great Western 90 is one of the longest-tenured locomotives in the Strasburg Rail Road lineup. It was originally built in 1924 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Originally, it served on the Great Western Railway of Colorado. Unlike most locomotives, which pull all types of freight, the Great Western 90 was best known for hauling sugar beets. The Great Western Railway of Colorado sold the locomotive to Strasburg in 1967 where it has been ever since. Much like the rest of Strasburg's lineup, the Great Western 90 is used for tourism and special event trips — its days of sugar beet hauling are long over. 

The 90 has had a rather soft history compared to many of its contemporaries. It has been loaned to other railways for excursion use, but otherwise it's been remarkably consistent with few issues or serious overhauls, although the engine was involved in a fatal accident back in 1944 when it was hit by a truck. Tragically, two people died in the incident. 

Things have picked up for the locomotive in modern times. While its mandatory FRA inspection and overhaul came up in 2023, the Great Western 90 is Strasburg's biggest and strongest engine, so it shouldn't remain out of service for any longer than it needs to. 

Union Pacific 4014

The Union Pacific 4014 was built in November 1941 as part of a series of locomotives known as the Big Boys. There were 25 in the production run, but 4014 is the only one that is still operational. The 4014 was owned by Union Pacific for its entire operational life, which was only about 20 years. In that time, it traveled over one million miles. It was retired in 1961 when it was sent to a museum. Union Pacific reacquired the 4014 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, California in 2013. After a six-year overhaul, the Big Boy returned to service in 2019 for Union Pacific's heritage program. 

This thing is absolutely massive. The Big Boys measured over 132 ft long and weighed an incredible 1.2 million pounds. If stood up on its hind end, the Big Boy would be nearly 10 stories tall. It has a maximum tractive power of 135,375 lbs, making it one of the strongest steam locomotives ever produced. Even outside of steam power, it ranks among the top contenders. The only reason it was retired was because more efficient diesel and gas-turbine engines were coming out. 

These days, the 4014 is a heritage engine. It's mostly used for tourism, and the legendary locomotive goes on tours in various parts of the U.S. so folks can see and ride on a train pulled by the 4014.