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Steam locomotives were used by British Railways over the period 1948 to 1968. The vast majority were inherited from the "Big Four" railway companies nationalised at the end of 1947. In addition, BR built 2537 steam locomotives up to 1960, 1538 to pre-nationalisation designs and 999 to its own standard designs. These locomotives had short lives, some as little as five years against a design life of over 30 years, because of the decision to end the use of steam traction by 1968.