Parne lokomotive so obratovale na naših progah več kot 130 let. Zaznamovale so razvoj železnic in sprožile neslutene posledice za sleherno nacionalno gospodarstvo. Kljub svoji velikosti in navidezni robustnosti so bile izdelane zelo premišljeno in natančno. Njihova poglavitna konstrukcijska načela, ki jih je že leta 1829 postavil George Stephenson s svojo malo Rocket, veljajo še danes, tudi pri največjih strojih. Z leti so se v pomoč strojevodju v strojevodski hišici uveljavili tipični inštrumenti in pripomočki za upravljanje, prav tako pa so se izoblikovala posebna delavniška orodja in merilni inštrumenti, potrebni pri njihovem vzdrževanju.

Locomotive department

Much over hundred years steam locomotives reigned on our railway lines. They were manufactured in different factories and were of different classes. In spite of their hugeness and weight, their accurate and well co-ordinated functioning have always been of greatest importance. The engine-driver controlled the steam engine by means of instruments and gauges installed on the foot-plate. For maintenance and repairs special tools and measuring-instruments were used.