Running Steam Forever

Steam can be run forever it you maintain operating condition. I don’t see why that is not possible.

For a modern railroad in the transportation business, equipment must be replaced as it wears out because that is the cheaper option compared to perpetual rebuilding of the same equipment.

But for a historic railroad in the business of entertainment and recreation provided by the use of antique steam locomotives, replacing them with modern diesel locomotives as they wear out defeats the business model.

For that type of business, all that is necessary are passengers willing to pay the ticket price that includes the cost of the perpetual maintenance. For that type of business, steam locomotives and the experience they provide is the product of the business. But, for modern transportation, locomotives are only the tools to produce the product.

As the state of the art for tools evolves, modern tools become more efficient in producing transportation. But, for an historic steam railroad, steam locomotives are not the tools for producing the product. They are the product.