Three body styles of diesel locomotive: cab unit, hood unit and box cab. These locomotives are operated by Pacific National in Australia.

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R class steam locomotive number R707 as operated by the Victorian Railways of Australia.

A Green Cargo RC 4 class electric locomotive repainted in its original livery for the Swedish 150-year railway anniversary in 2006.

A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine,^[1] first used in the early 19th century to distinguish between mobile and stationary steam engines.

A locomotive has no payload capacity of its own, and its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. In contrast, some trains have self-propelled payload-carrying vehicles. These are not normally considered locomotives, and may be referred to as multiple units, motor coaches or railcars. The use of these self-propelled vehicles is increasingly common for passenger trains, but rare for freight (see CargoSprinter). Vehicles which provide motive power to haul an unpowered train, but are not generally considered locomotives because they have payload space or are rarely detached from their trains, are known as power cars.

Traditionally, locomotives pull trains from the front. Increasingly common is push-pull operation, where a locomotive pulls the train in one direction and pushes it in the other, and can be controlled from a control cab at the other end of the train.

Origins[link]

First passenger railway, L&MR

Prior to locomotives, the motive force for railroads had been generated by various lower-technology methods such as human power, horse power, gravity or stationary engines that drove cable systems.

The first successful locomotives were built by Cornish inventor Richard Trevithick. In 1804 his unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren ironworks, near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. Although the locomotive hauled a train of 10 tons of iron and 70 passengers in five wagons over nine miles (14 km), it was too heavy for the cast iron rails used at the time. The locomotive only ran three trips before it was abandoned. Trevithick built a series of locomotives after the Penydarren experiment, including one which ran at a colliery in Tyneside in northern England, where it was seen by the young George Stephenson.^[2]

The first commercially successful steam locomotive was Matthew Murray's rack locomotive, Salamanca, built for the narrow gauge Middleton Railway in 1812. This was followed in 1813 by the Puffing Billy built by Christopher Blackett and William Hedley for the Wylam Colliery Railway, the first successful locomotive running by adhesion only. Puffing Billy is now on display in the Science Museum in London, the oldest locomotive in existence.^[3]

In 1814 George Stephenson, inspired by the early locomotives of Trevithick and Hedley persuaded the manager of the Killingworth colliery where he worked to allow him to build a steam-powered machine. He built the Blücher, one of the first successful flanged-wheel adhesion locomotives. Stephenson played a pivotal role in the development and widespread adoption of steam locomotives. His designs improved on the work of the pioneers. In 1825 he built the Locomotion for the Stockton and Darlington Railway, north east England, which became the first public steam railway. In 1829 he built The Rocket which was entered in and won the Rainhill Trials. This success led to Stephenson establishing his company as the pre-eminent builder of steam locomotives used on railways in the United Kingdom, the United States and much of Europe.^[4] The first inter city passenger railway, Liverpool and Manchester Railway, opened in 1830, making exclusive use of steam power for both passenger and freight trains.

Locomotives vs. multiple units[link]

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Advantages of locomotives[link]

An early design of electric locomotive showing the steeplecab arrangement: North Eastern Railway No.1, England from 1905

There are many reasons why the motive power for trains has been traditionally isolated in a locomotive, rather than in self-propelled vehicles.^[5]

Ease 

Should the locomotive fail, it is easy to replace it with another. Failure or maintenance of the motive power unit does not require taking the entire train out of service.

Maximum utilization of power cars 

Idle trains waste costly motive power resources. Separate locomotives enable costly motive power assets to be moved around as needed.

Flexibility 

Large locomotives can be substituted for small locomotives where the grades are steeper and more power is needed. A 'passenger' locomotive can also be used for freight duties if needed, and vice versa.

Obsolescence cycles 

Separating the motive power from payload-hauling cars enables one to be replaced without affecting the other. At times locomotives have become obsolete when their cars were not, and vice versa.

Safety 

In case of an accident, the locomotive may act as buffer zone for the rest of the train. If an obstacle is encountered on the line, the heavier mass of a locomotive is less likely to be deviated from its normal course. Also it may be safer in the event of fire especially with diesel locomotives.

Noise 

A single source of tractive power, which means only motors in one place, means that the train will be quieter than with multiple unit operation, where one or more motors are located under every carriage. The noise problem is particularly present in diesel multiple units.

Advantages of multiple units[link]

There are several advantages of multiple unit (MU) trains compared to locomotives.

Energy efficiency 

Multiple units are more energy efficient than locomotive-hauled trains and more nimble, especially on grades, as much more of the train's weight (sometimes all of it) is placed on driven wheels, rather than suffer the dead weight of unpowered coaches.

No need to turn locomotive 

Many multiple units have cabs at both ends, the train may be reversed without uncoupling/re-coupling the locomotive, giving quicker turnaround times, reducing crew costs, and enhancing safety. In practice, the development of driving van trailers and cab cars has removed the need for locomotives to run-around, giving easy bi-directional working and removing this MU advantage.

Reliability 

As multiple unit trains have multiple engines, the failure of one engine does not prevent the train from continuing its journey. A locomotive drawn passenger train typically only has one power unit, meaning the failure of this causes the train to be disabled. However, some locomotive hauled passenger trains may utilize more than one locomotive, as do many locomotive hauled freight trains, and so are able to continue at reduced speed after the failure of one locomotive.

Locomotive classifications[link]

Motive power[link]

Locomotives may generate their power from fuel (wood, coal, petroleum or natural gas), or they may take power from an outside source of electricity. It is common to classify locomotives by their source of energy. The common ones include:

Steam[link]

The main components of a steam locomotive

A steam locomotive at the Gare du Nord, Paris, 1930

Locomotive 030-219 of Renfe in Miranda de Ebro, Spain

In the 19th century the first railway locomotives were powered by steam, usually generated by burning coal. Because steam locomotives included one or more steam engines, they are sometimes referred to as "steam engines". The steam locomotive remained by far the most common type of locomotive until after World War II.^[6] In the USA, Mathias Baldwin started building stationary steam engines for commercial use and by 1830, opened his own workshop producing steam locmotives. Baldwin Locomotive Works became the world's largest by the early 1900s and built the most powerful steam locos in history, the 2884 "Yellowstone" for the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad. The first steam locomotive was built by Richard Trevithick; it first ran on 21 February 1804, although it was some years before steam locomotive design became economically practical.^[2] The first commercial use of a steam locomotive was Salamanca on the narrow gauge Middleton Railway in Leeds in 1812. The locomotive Fairy Queen, built in 1855 runs between Delhi and Alwar in India and is the oldest steam locomotive in regular (albeit tourist-only) service in the world, and the oldest steam locomotive operating on a mainline.^[7][8]

The all-time speed record for steam trains is held by an LNER Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive of the LNER in the United Kingdom, number 4468 Mallard, which pulling six carriages (plus a dynamometer car) reached 126 mph (203 km/h) on a slight downhill gradient down Stoke Bank on 3 July 1938.^[9] Aerodynamic passenger locomotives in Germany attained speeds very close to this and due to the difficulties of adequately balancing and lubricating the running gear, this is generally thought to be close to the practicable limit for a direct-coupled steam locomotive.^[10]

Before the middle of the 20th century, electric and diesel-electric locomotives began replacing steam locomotives. Steam locomotives are less efficient than their more modern diesel and electric counterparts and require much greater manpower to operate and service.^[11] British Rail figures showed the cost of crewing and fuelling a steam locomotive was some two and a half times that of diesel power, and the daily mileage achievable was far lower. As labour costs rose, particularly after the second world war, non-steam technologies became much more cost-efficient.^{[citation needed]} By the end of the 1960s–1970s, most western countries had completely replaced steam locomotives in passenger service. Freight locomotives generally were replaced later. Other designs, such as locomotives powered by gas turbines, have been experimented with, but have seen little use, mainly due to high fuel costs.

By the end of the 20th century, almost the only steam power still in regular use in North America and Western European countries was on heritage railways largely aimed at tourists and/or railroad hobbyists, known as 'railfans' or 'railway enthusiasts', although some narrow gauge lines in Germany which form part of the public transport system, running to all-year-round timetables retain steam for all or part of their motive power. Steam locomotives remained in commercial use in parts of Mexico into the late 1970s. Steam locomotives were in regular use until 2004 in the People's Republic of China, where coal is a much more abundant resource than petroleum for diesel fuel. India switched over from steam-powered trains to electric and diesel-powered trains in the 1980s, except heritage trains. In some mountainous and high altitude rail lines, steam engines remain in use because they are less affected by reduced air pressure than diesel engines.^{[citation needed]} Steam locomotives remained in routine passenger use in South Africa until the late 1990s, but are now reserved to tourist trains. In Zimbabwe steam locomotives are still used on shunting duties around Bulawayo and on some regular freight services.

As of 2006 DLM AG (Switzerland) continues to manufacture new steam locomotives.^[12]

Gasoline[link]

Gasoline locomotives have been produced since the early 1900s.^[13][14]

Diesel[link]

The EMD F40PHM-2 uses a Diesel-electric transmission designed by Electro-Motive Diesel.

Experimental diesel-powered locomotives were first built just after World War I. In the 1940s, they began to displace steam power on American railroads. Following the end of World War II, diesel power began to appear on railroads in many countries. In many countries the significantly better economics of diesel operation triggered a dash to diesel power, a process known as Dieselization. By the late 1960s, few major railroads in North America, Europe and Oceania continued to operate steam locomotives, although significant numbers still existed outside these areas.

As is the case with any vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, diesel locomotives require some type of power transmission system to couple the output of the prime mover to the driving wheels. In the early days of diesel railroad propulsion development, electric, hydraulic and mechanical power transmission systems were all employed with varying degrees of success. Of the three, electric transmission has proved to be most popular, and although diesel-hydraulic locomotives have certain advantages and are continuously used in some European countries, most modern Diesel-powered locomotives are diesel-electric.

Diesel locomotives require considerably less maintenance than steam, with a corresponding reduction in the number of personnel needed to keep the fleet in service. The best steam locomotives spent an average of three to five days per month in the shop for routine maintenance and running repairs.^{[citation needed]} Heavy overhauls were frequent, often involving removal of the boiler from the frame for major repairs. In contrast, a typical diesel locomotive requires no more than eight to ten hours of maintenance per month.^{[citation needed]} and may run for many years between heavy overhauls.^{[citation needed]}

Diesel units do not pollute as much as steam trains;^{[citation needed]} modern units produce low levels of exhaust emissions. Diesel-electric locomotives are often fitted with "dynamic brakes" that use the traction motors as electrical generators during braking to assist in controlling the speed of a train on a descending grade. This technology is similar to regenerative braking used in hybrid cars, the key difference being that dynamic braking does not store the generated power, instead routing it to resistors where it is converted into waste heat.

Slug or drone[link]

A slug or drone locomotive is a non-powered unit attached to a diesel-electric locomotive to provide additional traction and braking capability. The slug has traction motors but no engine, power being supplied by the attached locomotive (known as a 'mother'). At slow speeds, a diesel-electric prime mover can potentially produce more power than can be usefully used by its own traction motors; a slug increases the number of traction motors available to use the power more effectively.

Slugs are mainly used in rail yards for switching duties, in which case they are normally built without a cab. Other slugs, designed for use on service trains, may be fitted with a cab, which can control the whole consist, and may also provide additional fuel storage for the mother locomotive. In recent years, conventional locomotives have been used in place of slugs on service trains, remotely controlled from the lead locomotive configuration.

CP Rail used a prototype drone locomotive system called LOCOTROL which evolved into today's systems.

Electric[link]

Fusée Electrique of 1893, body removed. Compounded pistons drove a Gramme-style dynamo powering electric motors on all axles.^[15] The small engine, right, was the exciter for the dynamo windings.

AC locomotive in Valtellina (1898–1902). Power supply: 3-phase 15 Hz AC, 3000V, (AC motor 70km/h). It was designed by Kálmán Kandó in Ganz Company, Hungary.

In 1893 in Paris Charles Brown assisted Jean Heilmann in evaluating AC and DC transmission systems for Fusée Electrique, a steam locomotive with electric transmission, and using this knowledge he designed a three-phase AC electric locomotive for Oerlikon, Zurich. Brown (by then in partnership with Walter Boveri) put these into service on the first electrified main line, the Burgdorf—Thun line, Switzerland, in 1899. Each thirty-tonne locomotive had two 150 hp (110 kW) motors.^[16]

In 1894, a Hungarian engineer Kálmán Kandó developed high-voltage three phase alternating current motors and generators for electric locomotives.^[17] His work on railway electrification was done at the Ganz electric works in Budapest. The first installation was on the Valtellina line, Italy, in 1902. Kandó was the first who recognised that an electric train system can only be successful if it can use the electricity from public networks. After realising that, he also provided the means to build such a rail network by inventing a rotary phase converter suitable for locomotive usage.

The electric locomotive is supplied externally with electric power, either through an overhead pickup or through a third rail. While the capital cost of electrifying track is high, electric trains and locomotives are capable of higher performance and lower operational costs than steam or diesel power.^{[citation needed]} Electric locomotives, because they tend to be less technically complex than diesel-electric locomotives, are both easier and cheaper to maintain and have extremely long working lives, usually 40 to 50 years: the last unit of the Italian E626 class, introduced in 1928, was retired 71 years later, in 1999. There are many other examples of electric locomotives operating for more than half a century with minimal overhaul, and it is not unusual for electric locomotives to be operating close to their centenary.^{[citation needed]} The Finnish State Railroad is planning to phase out the Soviet-manufactured VR Class Sr1 engines, operative since 1973, in 2024, at which time they will have been over fifty years in line service.

A French TGV holds the world speed record for the fastest wheeled train, having reached 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph) on 3 April 2007.^[18][19]

Some electric locomotives can also operate off battery power to enable short journeys or shunting on non-electrified lines or yards.^{[citation needed]} Battery-powered locomotives are used in mines and other underground locations where diesel fumes or smoke would endanger crews, and where external electricity supplies cannot be used due to the danger of sparks igniting flammable gas.^{[citation needed]} Battery locomotives are also used on many underground railways for maintenance operations, as they are required when operating in areas where the electricity supply has been temporarily disconnected.^{[citation needed]}

Hybrid locomotives[link]

Besides locomotives which use only a fuelled power source (e.g. an internal combustion engine), and an electrical engine,^[20] there are also hybrids that additionally use a battery. Here, the battery acts as a temporary energy store, allowing e.g. the implementation of regenerative braking and switching off the hydrocarbon engine when idling or stationary (as used in automobiles such as the Toyota Prius).

Steam-diesel hybrid locomotives[link]

Steam-diesel hybrid locomotives have been tried in Britain, Russia and Italy but with only limited success.

Gas turbine-electric[link]

A gas turbine-electric locomotive, or GTEL, is a locomotive that uses a gas turbine to drive an electrical generator or alternator. The electric current thus produced is used to power traction motors. This type of locomotive was first experimented with in 1920 but reached its peak in the 1950s to 1960s. The turbine (similar to a turboshaft engine) drives an output shaft, which drives the alternator via a system of gears.

A turbine offers some advantages over a piston engine.^{[citation needed]} The number of moving parts is much smaller, and the power-to-weight ratio is much higher. A turbine of a given power output is also physically smaller than an equally powerful piston engine, allowing a locomotive to be very powerful without being inordinately large. However, a turbine's power output and efficiency both drop dramatically with rotational speed, unlike a piston engine, which has a comparatively flat power curve.

Gas turbine locomotives are very powerful, but also tend to be very loud. Union Pacific Railroad operated the largest fleet of gas turbine-electric locomotives in the world, and was the only railroad to use them for hauling freight in regular service. Most other GTELs have been built for small passenger trains, and only a few have seen any real success in that role.

After the 1973 oil crisis and the subsequent rise in fuel costs, gas turbine locomotives became uneconomical to operate, and many were taken out of service. This type of locomotive is now rare.

Fuel cell-electric[link]

In 2002 the first 3.6 tonne, 17 kW hydrogen (fuel cell) -powered mining locomotive was demonstrated in Val-d'Or, Quebec. In 2007 the educational mini-hydrail in Kaohsiung, Taiwan went into service. The Railpower GG20B finally is another example of a fuel cell-electric locomotive.

Atomic-Electric[link]

In the early 1950s a Dr. Lyne Borst of Utah University was given funding by various US railroad line and manufactures to study the feasibility of an electric drive locomotive in which a an on board atomic reactor produced the steam to generate the electricity. At that time the dangers of atomic power was not fully understood, Borst believing the major stumbling block was the price of uranium. With Borst atomic locomotive the center section would have a 200 ton reactor chamber with steel walls 5 feet thick to prevent radiation leaks and in case of accidents. He estimated that if atomic locomotives with 7000 h.p. were manufactured the estimated cost of each would be approximately $1,200,000 dollars. ^[21]

Use[link]

A brass makers plaque from an Andrew Barclay locomotive of 1925.

The three main categories of locomotives are often subdivided in their usage in rail transport operations. There are passenger locomotives, freight locomotives and switcher (or shunting) locomotives. These categories determine the locomotive's combination of physical size, starting tractive effort and maximum permitted speed. Freight locomotives are normally designed to deliver high starting tractive effort—needed to start trains that may weigh as much as 15,000 tons—and deliver sustained high power, at the sacrifice of maximum speed. Passenger locomotives develop less starting tractive effort but are able to operate at the high speeds demanded by passenger schedules. Mixed traffic locomotives (US English: general purpose or road switcher locomotives) are built to provide elements of both requirements. They do not develop as much starting tractive effort as a freight unit but are able to haul heavier trains than a passenger engine.

Most steam locomotives are reciprocating units, in which the pistons are coupled to the drivers (driving wheels) by means of connecting rods. Therefore, the combination of starting tractive effort and maximum speed is greatly influenced by the diameter of the drivers. Steam locomotives intended for freight service generally have relatively small diameter drivers, whereas passenger models have large diameter drivers (as large as 84 inches in some cases).

With diesel-electric and electric locomotives, the gear ratio between the traction motors and axles is what adapts the unit to freight or passenger service, although a passenger unit may include other features, such as head end power (also referred to as hotel power or electric train supply) or a steam generator.

Some locomotives are designed specifically to work mountain railways, and feature extensive additional braking mechanisms and sometimes rack and pinion. Steam locomotives built for steep rack and pinion railways frequently have the boiler tilted relative to the wheels, so that the boiler remains roughly level on steep grades.

[edit] Operational role

Sometimes a locomotive will work in a specific role, such as:

• Train engine is the technical name for the locomotive which is attached to the front of a railway train for the purpose of hauling that train. Exceptionally, where operating facilities exist for push-pull operation, the train engine may be attached to the rear of the train;
• Pilot engine – a locomotive attached in front of the train engine, to enable Double-heading;
• Banking engine – a locomotive temporarily assisting a train from the rear, due to a difficult start or a sharp incline gradient;
• Light engine – a locomotive which is operating without a train behind it, usually because it needs to be relocated for operational reasons.
• Station pilot – a locomotive used for shunting passenger trains at a railway station.

Wheel arrangement[link]

Wheel arrangement is one type of classification. Common methods include the AAR wheel arrangement, UIC classification, and Whyte notation systems.

Remote control locomotives[link]

In the second half of the twentieth century remote control locomotives started to enter service in switching operations, being remotely controlled by an operator outside of the locomotive cab. The main benefit is one operator can control the loading of grain, coal, gravel, etc. into the cars. In addition, the same operator can move the train as needed. Thus, the locomotive is loaded or unloaded in about a third of the time.^{[citation needed]}

Locomotives in numismatics[link]

Locomotives have been a subject for collectors' coins and medals. One of the most famous and recent ones is the 25 euro 150 Years Semmering Alpine Railway commemorative coin. The obverse shows two locomotives: a historical and a modern one. This represents the technical development in locomotive construction between the years 1854 and 2004. The upper half depicts the “Taurus”, a high performance locomotive. Below is shown the first functional Alpine locomotive, the Engerth; constructed by Wilhelm Freiherr von Engerth.

Gallery[link]

Rail transport
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This box: view talk edit

Locomotives

Steam locomotive B-5112 in Ambarawa Railway Museum, Indonesia   WDM-3A diesel passenger and freight locomotive of Indian Railways at Shantiniketan, India   Spanish modern electric locomotive with talgo cars; AVE Class 102 type train   EMD GP50 diesel-electric freight locomotive of the Burlington Northern Railroad   Swiss Electric Locomotive at Brig, Switzerland, note the Alps at top right corner Swiss Electric Locomotive at Brig, Switzerland, note the Alps at top right corner   Italian E.626 now in the National Museum of Transportation at La Spezia   General Electric Genesis units are currently Amtrak's main locomotives.

See also[link]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Ellis, Hamilton (1968). The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Railways. The Hamlyn Publishing Group. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Locomotives

• An engineer's guide from 1891
• Animated engines, Steam Locomotive
• International Steam Locomotives
• Turning a Locomotive into a Stationary Engine, Popular Science monthly, February 1919, page 72, Scanned by Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=7igDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA72

Mark Lanegan (born November 25, 1964) is an American alternative rock musician and singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Lanegan began his musical career in 1985, forming the grunge band Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band, Lanegan also started a low-key solo career and released his first solo studio album, The Winding Sheet, in 1990. Since 1990, he has released a further six studio albums and has received critical recognition and moderate commercial success.

Lanegan has also collaborated with various artists and bands throughout his career. Following the dissolution of The Screaming Trees in 2000, he became a member of Queens of the Stone Age and is featured on three of the band's albums—Rated R (2000), Songs for the Deaf (2002) and Lullabies to Paralyze (2005). Lanegan also formed The Gutter Twins with Greg Dulli in 2003, released three collaboration albums with former Belle and Sebastian singer Isobel Campbell, and contributed to releases by Melissa Auf der Maur, Martina Topley Bird, Creature with the Atom Brain, Bomb the Bass, Soulsavers and Mad Season.

Lanegan has a distinctive baritone voice that has been described "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather"^[1] and compared to Tom Waits.^[2]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

In 1996, during an interview for Pacific Northwest periodical "The Rocket", he said that he drove a combine.^[3] It is known that he came from a 'dysfunctional' family that he tried to avoid, and was heavily into drugs by the age of 18, having already been arrested and sentenced to one year's imprisonment for drug-related crimes.^[4] He managed to get out of jail by taking a year-long rehab course. Around this time he met and befriended Van Conner with whom he would eventually form the Screaming Trees. At this point his relationship with the Conner brothers was restricted to talking about music and working for their parents' electronics hardware store.

Musical career[link]

Screaming Trees (1985–2000)[link]

Along with Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana, Screaming Trees were part of Seattle's emerging grunge scene in the early 1990s. The band was formed in 1985 by Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bassist Van Conner and Mark Pickerel.^[5] Mark Pickerel would later be replaced with Barrett Martin. Lanegan said "I was such a shitty drummer that they made me sing."^[3] The band signed to Sub Pop, releasing the Other Worlds EP in 1985 (Originally available only in a cassette format, the album was re-released on CD and LP by SST Records in 1987).^[5] Though the band was being courted by major labels, in 1985 they signed to Velvetone records to release their debut album, Clairvoyance.^[5] Musically the album is a combination of psychedelic music and hard rock, while it bears many similarities to early grunge.^[5]

In 1987, the band released their second effort, and their first for SST Records, Even If and Especially When.^[5] After the release of the album in 1987 the band began working on the American indie circuit, playing shows across the US.^[5] Their follow up album was Invisible Lantern released in 1988. Buzz Factory was the fourth full-length album by Screaming Trees and their final record released through SST released in 1989.

In 1991, the band released their fifth effort, and their first for a major label.^[5] Uncle Anesthesia was released in 1991 and was produced by Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell.^[5] Uncle Anesthesia included the single "Bed of Roses", which gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations. The song peaked at number 23 on the modern rock tracks and was the first Screaming Trees release to chart.^[6] Barrett Martin replaced previous drummer Pickerel and the new line up recorded Sweet Oblivion in 1992.^[5]

Sweet Oblivion was the band's breakout album and included the singles "Nearly Lost You", "Dollar Bill", "Butterfly", and "Shadow of the Season". The two first singles gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations, while the video for "Nearly Lost You" became an MTV and alternative radio hit in the fall of 1992, thanks to the momentum of the Singles soundtrack. "Nearly Lost You" peaked at number 5 on the Modern Rock Tracks and number 50 in the United Kingdom and was the first single to chart outside the United States.^[5] Sweet Oblivion sold a total of 300,000 copies in the United States.^[5] Although the Screaming Trees were viewed as one of the finest bands on the Seattle scene, they never drew the commercial attention that Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden had garnered.

The band's final album (recorded after in-fighting and uncertainty over the quality of the music the band was recording had brought about a hiatus^[3]), Dust was released in 1996. The album spawned several singles, including "All I Know", and "Dying Days" and peaked at number 134 on the Billboard 200 and number 39 on the Canadian album chart which was the first Screaming Trees album to chart outside the United States. Despite consistently favorable reviews, the album did not match the commercial success of Sweet Oblivion. Following the Dust tour in the United States, Screaming Trees took another hiatus for Lanegan to begin his work on his third solo album, Scraps at Midnight. The band headed back into the studio in 1999 and recorded several demos and shopped them around to labels, but no label was willing to take them on.^[5] The band played a few surprise shows in early 2000 and following a concert to celebrate the opening of Seattle's Experience Music Project, the band surprisingly announced their official breakup.^[5]

Solo work and other projects[link]

In 1990, Lanegan released his first solo album, The Winding Sheet via label Sub Pop (which at the time was home to friends Nirvana as well as Soundgarden and The Afghan Whigs). Lanegan had intimated that the album came around following a Leadbelly project he was working on with Mark Pickerel, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic.^[3][7] The project was short lived and eventually other musicians became involved in the evolution to the debut solo record. From the Leadbelly sessions a version of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" appeared on The Winding Sheet ("Ain't It a Shame", is available on the Nirvana box set With the Lights Out.^[7]) Cobain also supplied backing vocals on "Down in the Dark" on Lanegan's debut.^[8] The majority of the album was recorded with Pickerel on drums, Mike Johnson (who would later go on to play bass with Dinosaur Jr) on guitar, Steve Fisk on piano and organ, and Jack Endino on bass.^[7]

The second record, 1994's Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, was a far more cohesive recording, with such ethereal songs as "The River Rise", "Kingdoms of Rain", "Riding the Nightingale" and "Beggar's Blues".^[7] Taking nearly three years to make, the album came close to not seeing the light of day as Lanegan was set to throw the master tapes in a pond outside of the recording studio, only to be stopped by Producer Jack Endino at the last moment.^[7] ("Kingdoms of Rain" was re-recorded on the collaboration album with "Soulsavers" in 2007 and released as a single).

In 1995, Lanegan appeared on the album Above by Mad Season. The project was fronted by friend Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) and was formed in late 1994 by Staley, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees and John Baker Saunders of The Walkabouts. Lanegan appeared on "Long Gone Day" and "I'm Above".^[9] In 1998, Scraps at Midnight was released. The album was recorded the previous winter at Joshua Tree, California and produced by long-time friend and collaborator Mike Johnson.^[7]

The fourth studio album was released in 1999. The album began life as B-Sides for singles from Scraps at Midnight (two tracks from the sessions appear on the single Hotel). Liking the way the sessions were shaping up, a few more were added and the recording was entitled I'll Take Care of You. The album features covers of songs by prominent folk, R&B and punk artists such as Tim Hardin, Booker T. and the MGs and friend Jeffrey Lee Pierce, as well as country icon Buck Owens.^[7] Also in 1999, Lanegan participated in the tribute album for Moby Grape co-founder, Skip Spence, who was terminally ill.^[10]

In 2001, he released his fifth studio album, Field Songs. The album featured friend Duff McKagan, as well as major contributions from Soundgarden's bassist, Ben Shepherd.^[11] 2003 saw him appear on Greg Dulli's The Twilight Singers record Blackberry Belle, sharing lead vocal duties on the epic closing track, "Number Nine". This would be the first in many collaborations with Dulli and The Twilight Singers.^[12]

On his latest solo album, Bubblegum (2004), Lanegan was joined by a cadre of prominent artists, including P. J. Harvey, Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age, Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers, Dean Ween of Ween, and Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin, previously of Guns N' Roses.^[13] Also appearing on Bubblegum is Lanegan's ex-wife, Wendy Rae Fowler now in We Fell to Earth .^[14] The favorably reviewed album is his most commercially successful to date, reaching number 39 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.^[6] Some would assume this is due to the appearance of several prominent musical figures, although the album did receive glowing review by critics.^[14]

Queens of the Stone Age live in Berlin 2005.

Queens of the Stone Age (2000–2005)[link]

Lanegan's first appearance on a Queens of the Stone Age album was on Rated R. Lanegan sang lead vocals on "In the Fade", background vocals on "Leg of Lamb", "Autopilot" and "I Think I Lost My Headache". Rated R became a commercial success and became the first Queens of the Stone Age album to chart.

Shortly after the release of Field Songs, Lanegan became a full-time member of Queens of the Stone Age. Lanegan appeared on the 2002 release entitled Songs for the Deaf, once again singing lead on the tracks "Song for the Dead", "Hangin' Tree", and "God Is on the Radio". The album became the band's big breakthrough and peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA.^[15] He also toured in support for the album over the next two years.^[16] Mark toured full-time as a third vocalist for Queens of the Stone Age for support of Songs for the Deaf.^[16] Joining his friend Joshua Homme, who supported the Screaming Trees as their touring guitarist in 1996. The album received two Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy nominations for singles "No One Knows" (2003),^[17] and "Go with the Flow" (2004).^[18]

In 2005, Lanegan released his last album with Queens of the Stone Age entitled Lullabies to Paralyze where he sang lead vocals on "This Lullaby". The album was delayed during 2004 because of some changes to the line-up: bassist Nick Oliveri was fired and on-off vocalist Mark Lanegan went on tour to support Bubblegum.^[19] Lanegan would later appear for the support of the album.^[20] Lanegan left the tour for a while, citing exhaustion, but would return to finish the tour with the band.^[20]

Lanegan told Christina Fuoco of Live Daily "My relationship with these guys is one of the most satisfying that I've had". "It's great to play with, essentially, my best friends."^[20] When he was asked about the difference between Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age he said "It's all rock 'n' roll to me. A band is a band. They're really not that radically different. It's all rock music."^[20] Lanegan has continued to work with Queens of the Stone Age even after leaving the band. In 2007, he appeared on their album, Era Vulgaris, contributing background vocals to the track "River in the Road".

Collaboration with Isobel Campbell (2004–Present)[link]

Lanegan toured with Isobel Campbell in 2007 in support of their album Ballad of the Broken Seas.

In April 2004, Lanegan released an EP with former Belle & Sebastian vocalist Isobel Campbell, titled Time Is Just the Same. They would later release a single entitled "Ramblin' Man" for their collaboration album Ballad of the Broken Seas. Campbell wrote and recorded the majority of the album's tracks in Glasgow, with Lanegan adding vocals in Los Angeles. The record was well-received by critics who likened the duo to Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue.^[21]

In addition to providing vocals, Lanegan also wrote the track "Revolver" with Campbell. The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Prize.^[22] Lanegan and Campbell played four UK concerts in January 2007, with the London date being moved to a larger venue as a result of high demand for tickets. When making the decision to make a follow-up to Ballad of the Broken Seas, Campbell stated:

It was because he kinda disappeared for a year but in my heart I wanted to do another one because as soon as we’d finished Ballad of the Broken Seas I was writing new songs and I was like; "Oh God, I’ve got to get Mark to sing these."

After a concert with Lanegan in January 2007, Campbell asked Lanegan if he would consider making a new album, Lanegan replied: "in a heartbeat". This time Lanegan flew to Glasgow to record the new album at the end of March for nine days to record the songs Campbell had written. After working with Lanegan Campbell stated: "It is his classic, effortless American voice that I love". Campbell also stated that "I think I was playing about with that a lot so there’s a few of what Mark would call raunchy songs and a few ballads too".^[23] The album, Sunday at Devil Dirt, was released on May 5, 2008 with the track "Who Built the Road" being the only single released from it.

A third collaborative album with Campbell was released on August 16, 2010 entitled Hawk. The pair toured to promote the album, including a set at All Tomorrow's Parties, 10–12 December 2010 (Bowlie 2) curated by Belle & Sebastian and shows in Australia in 2011.^[24]

The Gutter Twins (2003–2009)[link]

The Gutter Twins at The Bowery Ballroom in 2008. From left: Greg Dulli, Mark Lanegan.

The Gutter Twins is the long awaited collaboration between Mark Lanegan and former Afghan Whigs/current Twilight Singers vocalist Greg Dulli. Working on a collaborative album since at least 2003, the pair first played as The Gutter Twins in Rome in September, 2005.^[25]

Saturnalia was released on March 4, 2008 on Sub Pop, a label both Dulli and Lanegan have worked with before. The duo's first tour commenced on February 14, 2008 in New York City and continued in March and April throughout Europe and the United States.^[26]

The album was a big hit and Blast Magazine's Liz Raftery ended up praising the album calling it "an audial descent into the dark emotions that often lurk beneath the surface."^[27] The album's highest position was at number 7 in Belgium. The album also peaked at number 117 on the Billboard 200. That means that Saturnalia is the first album since Screaming Trees' Dust that has charted at the Billboard 200 with Mark as a permanent band member.^[6][28] On September 2, 2008, The Gutter Twins released an EP called "Adorata" exclusively on iTunes. Adorata contains 8 tracks, most of them are covers, but also two Gutter Twins-songs that never made it to the album.

Lanegan along with Soulsavers.

Collaborations (2006–present)[link]

Lanegan has appeared on three releases with The Twilight Singers (Blackberry Belle, She Loves You and A Stitch in Time). In 2006, Lanegan toured with the band in Europe and Israel, which later expanded to include the United States.^[29] In 2008, Lanegan collaborated with Tim Simenon on a track entitled "Black River" which appeared on Simenon's fourth album under his Bomb the Bass moniker, Future Chaos.^[30]

In 2007, English electronica duo Soulsavers' album It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land featured Lanegan on 8 out of 10 album tracks.^[31] As well as appearing as vocalist, the tracks "Revival", "Ghosts of You and Me", "Paper Money" and "Jesus of Nothing" are credited as written by Mark Lanegan and Soulsavers.^[31] The album also features a re-working of "Kingdoms of Rain", which was initially released on Lanegan's second solo album, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost. "Revival" and "Kingdoms of Rain" were released as singles from the album.^[31] Soulsavers recorded the tracks in England in 2005 and 2006, with Lanegan recording the vocal parts at Conway Studios in Los Angeles.^[31]

In 2009, Soulsavers again enlisted Lanegan with him contributing vocals for several tracks on their third studio album Broken.^[32] This led to a significant run of touring in support of the album, beginning on September 6, in Portland, Oregon.^[33] Following the tour of the United States, Lanegan continued to perform with them throughout their extensive run of European shows. These varied between headline gigs and slots in support of Depeche Mode.^[34] Having completed touring duties for Soulsavers, Lanegan announced a solo European tour. Shows focused specifically on his solo back catalogue, having not done so since touring finished in support of Bubblegum.^[35]

Also in 2009, Lanegan followed in Josh Homme's footsteps in collaborating with UNKLE, the British electronic act masterminded by James Lavelle. He contributed his vocals to "Another Night Out", the final track of the album Where Did the Night Fall (released in May 2010). The album was UNKLE's fifth regular studio album.

On August 12, 2010, Mark Lanegan re-joined Queens of The Stone Age on stage at the Nokia Club in Los Angeles, where he sang four encore songs with the band. The concert was put together to raise funds for Eagles of Death Metal bassist Brian O'Connor, who was diagnosed with cancer a few months prior to the event.

In 2011, Lanegan's music was featured in a trailer and end credits for the video game Rage^[36] and the soundtrack for the film The Hangover Part II. Lanegan's most recent solo album, Blues Funeral, was released in February 2012.^[37] Josh Homme, Alain Johannes, and Martyn LeNoble contributed to the creation of the album.^[38][39]

Discography[link]

• The Winding Sheet (1990)
• Whiskey for the Holy Ghost (1994)
• Scraps at Midnight (1998)
• I'll Take Care of You (1999)
• Field Songs (2001)
• Bubblegum (2004)
• Blues Funeral (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Mark Lanegan: allmusic