Engine 557 sits on rails in front of its home shop in Wasilla. The 557 Restoration Company fired up the old steam locomotive Nov. 8, 2025, for the first time since the 1950s. The last steam locomotive ...

Last month's "How It Works" story gave you the basics of the four-stroke cycle, describing the motion of the intake and exhaust valves in relation to the piston moving up and down in the cylinder.

The introduction of several advanced, efficient, and more robust power options over the years has largely overshadowed steam engine technology. However, it was a revolutionary technology that, upon ...