Watch The Very Best Of British Steam Today (2004) : Full Movie Online Free Although British Railways retired the last of its steam fleet in 1968 interest in steam engines has continued to grow. Hardly surprising really as the country that invented the steam engine has always had a love affair with this most human of all machines. Without the efforts of Britain's many heritage steam lines, the opportunity for families to savour the nostalgic atmosphere of a steam railway would have been lost many years ago.