History - OT & not OT

Hi,

This is a history question I do not know the answer to.

The Viking oar-paddled boats used a stearing oar (or board) on the right side of the boat. This is the origins of the navel term starboard (stear board). Since the stearing board would foul the dock, the left side of the ship evolved into the port side.

That appears to be the evolution of port (left) and starboard (right).

When the steam locomotive was developed, the engineer rode the right side of the control area - probably to keep the area clear for the fireman turn and throw his shovel of coal into the firbox door (maybe he would not back into the engineer).

In Britain, Austrailia, Argentina and many other placed, people drove on the left side of the road. I do not know if this was due to a carry over from steam locomotives or not.

In the US and many other areas, automobiles drove on the right side of the rode (or more likely took the convention of passing on the right since wagon trails were seldom more than one lane wide and anything went in towns.

I know the Americans threw out a lot of conventions when they becam the USA (throwing out tea for coffee, throwing out Father Christmas for Sinter Claus, etc).

I am not sure why the stearing column was moved to the side you passed someone else coming at you (visability?).

Airplanes also seem to evolve into a left seat pilot seat.

There is my abreviated background.

Why do railroad locomotives have the head operator ont he right side while the automobiles and airplanes have the head operator on the left?

Thanks.

Doug vV