Big Engines that Could!
These two steam locomotives photos are from the railway museums, miles apart. The first photo is from the museum in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is one of the sovereign nations that emerged in the collapse of the Soviet Union. The second photo is from the Virginia Transport Museum in Roanoke, Virginia.
Both of these locomotives are huge. They are one of the main highlights of the respective museums. The 0250 on the left had a top speed of 78 mph and the 611 ran with a top speed of 110 mph. The 250 was built in 1946 and the 611 in 1941. Both had 4-8-4 wheels configuration.
When I think about the two photos, it is also natural for me to think of the comparison, not just between these two locomotives but also the disparate political and economic systems they came from in the bygone era. The left locomotive was built in the Soviet socialistic system while the right one was built in the US capitalist system.
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But it is presumptuous and irresponsible to compare steam locomotives in general in two different economies, let alone compare the two economies themselves, solely based on just these two locomotives alone. Substantial literature is now available on the comparison of the two economic systems, especially in the context of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.
Instead, it perhaps makes more sense to draw parallels between the two locomotives and their role in that era. It was an industrial era and big iron machines dominated the scene in both places.
Certainly, I am not suggesting that the then-socialist economic system was equally comparable to the capitalist system. History has already made that call. I am still drawing attention to the specific common era from the technological and economic development perspective, which may get ignored with emphasis just on comparisons.
The industrial era with big machinery is now replaced with multiple economic revolutions, the latest one being dominated by Artificial Intelligence. The political systems are also different. It’s not a communist or socialist ideology against capitalism but it is authoritarianism against democracy, at the core. It is also not a contest between labor and capital classes but a struggle between the proponents of facts and alternative facts. In this new scenario, the comparison is not just between different countries but also within those countries.
I don’t have a looking glass to see the future. All I can say is that we must continue to run ahead in technological and social advancement, just like those steam engines did, just to stay on track. But for now, I just want to listen to heavy metal instead of discussing heavy topics.