| Over the course of the history of the locomotive and | | | | considered for use in land based vehicles. Over time, |
| its components, there have been many propulsion | | | | the size was decreased enough to make the Diesel |
| methods. The evolution of the locomotive engine has | | | | engine a viable option for over land travel. |
| needed to be adapted in order to accommodate the | | | | In 1917, General Electric created a Diesel-electric |
| needs for these differing propulsion methods. | | | | locomotive using a single level to control the engine and |
| Back in 1753, the first steam engine was received in | | | | the generator in a coordinated fashion. This caused |
| the American colonies from England. In just a few | | | | New York City to ban steam locomotive from the city |
| years, the first steam engine was in use in America. | | | | due to severe pollution problems, prompting the |
| This early steam engine was used to pump water out | | | | electrification of high traffic rail lines. This was not an |
| of a mine. | | | | economical measure to take in a lesser traffic area |
| From that time on, the engine has evolved into the | | | | though. For this purpose, New York City approached |
| Diesel powered internal combustion engines, then | | | | Ingersoll-Rand to construct a prototype switching |
| converted into the Diesel-electric engines in use today. | | | | locomotive. These engines showed that the |
| The forefather of the Diesel engine was a man | | | | Diesel-electric engine could give the benefits of an |
| named Dr. Rudolf Diesel. His original engine was a | | | | electric locomotive without the rail companies needing |
| compression ignition engine which he patented in 1892. | | | | to finance the electrification of the rails. |
| This engine was not efficient though, due to the poor | | | | Diesel-electric propulsion started to become |
| power-to-weight ratio of the first designs. | | | | mainstream after 1939. Burlington Northern and Union |
| By the time his patent expired in 1912, the Diesel engine | | | | Pacific helped bring these engines into widespread use |
| was being used as a means of propulsion for marine | | | | when they used the Diesel engines to haul passengers. |
| vehicles and also for stationary purposes. Due to the | | | | This prompted the change from the steam engine |
| size of the engine, they were not initially even | | | | over to the Diesel locomotives. |