Watch on Soap2day. The History of American Railroads: The Years of Steam traces the rise and decline of American steam railroading, following classic steam trains from their prominence in the 1920s through the 1940s, the transition years of the 1950s, and the twilight of steam in the 1960s and early 1970s. Featuring historic railroads including the Central Railroad, Reading Railroad, Delaware and Hudson, Ontario and Western, Canadian Pacific, Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio, and New York Central, the documentary explores the legacy of America’s steam era.