Do steam engines have drivers?

You probably don’t hear that at least because there are very few steam engines in operation these days.

Do you mean a steam locomotive ? Clearly it won’t need anyone to steer because it’s on tracks. The staff in the steam engine would be the engineer who keeps all the pressures correct and controls the propulsion power, a brakeman who controls ..the brakes! and depending on what the fuel is, someone to throw wood or coal on the fire.

Steam engines of all sorts have drivers. That includes locomotives and power boilers as well as whatever steam launches and other marine steam engines still exist. However, not all steam boilers have active drivers. For example, many heating boilers (operating at under 15 psi internal pressure) may be passively operated.

But in addition to the human driver, most of the steam engines that I’m familiar with have pretty complex control systems, as well.

You can watch these guys drive one

@dabbler is right to ask. Are you talking about a steam locomotive or something like that? A “steam engine” is, generically, by definition, of course, an engine powered by steam. An engine is basically something that converts energy into mechanical force or motion. If you were using a steam engine to power a train; a locomotive, something like that or a ship or a tractor, etc., then it would require a driver. I you were using a steam engine to power something like a pump, it wouldn’t require a “driver.” If only just to start and stop them. There’s not a lot of steering involved, obviously, but someone has to be in control; someone has to be at the switch.

Though, I guess you are probably talking about a steam locomotives, as in trains and railway cars, and yes, they do require drivers.

A steam locomotive or traction engine will have a driver, the locomotive would have an engineer as well, to keep the rire stoked. A static steam engine, such as those that powered cotton mills in the 19th century, would have engineers monitoring them all the time.