(erielack) Firing up a Steam Engine (fwd)

[gelwood <"gelwood_@_dnaco.net">]

Here is the firing process as define by somebody who has doen it.  Bill
fired both 4449 and AFT1.  See my AFT section for his comments.


George Elwood
http://www.dnaco.net/~gelwood

- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 16:52:03 -0500
From: Bill Dennington <"bill4denn_@_mindspring.com">
To: George <"gelwood_@_dnaco.net">
Cc: Todd and Tiana <"hotrains_@_choice.net">
Subject: Firing up a Steam Engine

Actually the process was not that unpleasant.  First, the boiler had to be =
filled to the proper level with water, if it was not already filled.  Gener=
ally this was to a level of between one-quarter to one-half  a glass on the=
 water glass. (This was a device which allowed the engine crew to visually =
see the water level in the boiler.  Usually there were two glasses, one for=
 each side of the backhead of the boiler and allowed both the engineer and =
the fireman to see the water level from their particular side of the cab.

Then, if the locomotive was coal-fired, the fireman would shovel enough coa=
l into the firebox to completely cover the entire grate area of the firebox=
 at least two to three inches deep.  After that pieces of wood or old lumbe=
r, doused with fuel oil or kerosene were tossed in, and then either a  ligh=
ted signal flare or fuel oil soaked cotton waste balls were thrown in to ge=
t the fire started.  The wood would catch fire first and then gradually the=
 coal would begin to burn.  Once the entire area of coal was burning, the f=
ireman would every so often shovel more coal into the firebox providing mor=
e fuel to keep the fire going.  =20

An artificial draft was needed to keep the heat and smoke from blowing back=
 through the firebox door and to pull the heat through the boiler flues and=
 blow the smoke out the stack until steam pressure was built up to the poin=
t where steam from the boiler could be used for that purpose.  This was acc=
omplished by having a high-pressure air line connected to the blower line o=
n the locomotive.  The air would suffice until the fireman could switch ove=
r to using steam for the blower.  The switch over point was usually when th=
e steam pressure was at around 50 to 75 psi.

On a locomotive such as the American Freedom Train T-1 (Reading 2101) full =
steam pressure was at 245 psi.  From a cold boiler to 245 psi usually would=
 take about two and half to three hours, sometimes longer.  Actually the sl=
ower you warmed everything up the better as it gave the boiler time to warm=
 and expand at a much more even rate. =20

As the steam pressure came on up above about 150 to 175 psi the various ste=
am operated appliances, such as the cross-compound air pumps (providing air=
 for the brakes and other air actuated devices), the dynamos (providing the=
 electrical power for the headlight, locomotive running lights, cab lightin=
g, and radios) and injectors (which are used to put water into the boiler) =
were brought on line.  If the locomotive was stoker- fired, such as the 210=
1 and the AWP 290, the stoker was used to transfer coal to the firebox at t=
his point, too.  A trough which ran from under the coal pile in the tender,=
 under the cab floor to the back of the boiler had a big auger in it which =
was turned by a small steam engine in the tender.  This auger would carry t=
he coal through the trough up to the firebox and dump it onto a firing tabl=
e which was a steel plate cast with five vanes and five corresponding steam=
 jets.  The jets would blow the coal out over the firebox grate area and di=
stribute the coal in an even pattern over the entire area of  grates all bu=
t eliminating any need to shovel coal.  This was a great blessing on an eng=
ine as big as the 2101 which would be almost impossible to hand-fire while =
out on the mainline running at track speed or climbing a heavy grade.  The =
fireman regulated the fire by controlling how fast the stoker fed coal to t=
he firing table and also seeing that the firing jets were adjusted in such =
a manner so as to insure the coal was being distributed as evenly as possib=
le over the entire grate area of the firebox. =20

No attempt would be made to move the engine until every appliance which eit=
her operated by air or steam had been tested and known to be fully function=
al.  The steam pressure would be allowed to rise until the safety valves on=
 the boiler lifted at their preset pressures.  The T-1 had three safety val=
ves, the first opened at 245 psi, the next at 247 psi, the last at 249 psi.=
  The low-water alarm would be tested.  The whistle would be liberally test=
ed!  Bell, headlights, brakes, sanders (these were pipes just ahead of the =
big drive wheels which were connected to the sand dome on top of the locomo=
tive, the engineer would use the sanders for traction on slippery rail by o=
pening a valve in the cab and air would blow the sand down the pipe and ont=
o the rails.) and radio were all tested.

Anything which required lubrication was  checked and lubricated, if it need=
ed it, before being used or moved.  The axle journals on the wheels; side r=
od bearings; spring and brake rigging ;and many other moving parts were eit=
her greased or oiled prior to any movement.

Finally, the  steam cylinders were blown out to allow any water and condens=
ate to be blown out of the steam chest, superheater, and dry pipes in the b=
oiler.  Steam will compress, water will not.  Even after the engine begins =
to move the cylinder cocks are left open until it is ascertained that accum=
ulated water has been sufficiently blown out of the steam delivery system o=
f the locomotive.  The cylinder cocks were always opened after an extended =
stop out on the road for the same purpose as just mentioned.

Many times it would be several hours from first starting the fire to being =
able to actually move the engine under its own power.  On excursion trips o=
n the Southern Railway and on the New Georgia Railway it was common practic=
e to fire up the locomotive the day before the excursion was to leave.  It =
took a tremendous amount of work to get the engine ready for a trip.

On a oil-fired locomotive, such as the 4449 Daylight, the process was about=
 the same except that there was no coal to shovel.    The fuel oil delivery=
 system on a oil-fired locomotive had to be operated by air pressure until =
steam pressure was built up to the switch-over point.  The fuel oil was fed=
 to the front of the firebox by a pipe running from the tender.  Inside the=
 firebox the fuel oil came to a burner which allowed the air or steam to at=
omize the fuel into the air. The fireman would ignite the fuel oil with a b=
urning cotton waste ball tossed into the firebox and then control the inten=
sity of the fire by regulating the flow of the fuel oil with the firing val=
ve; and the amount of steam or air being used to blow the fuel into the fir=
ebox with the atomizer valve.  The amount of fresh air allowed to flow into=
 firebox was controlled by opening or closing the draft or damper door on t=
he firebox bottom. =20

The principle of firing with either coal or oil was basically the same.  Yo=
u wanted to fire the engine as efficiently as possible, conserving fuel and=
 water while at the same time keeping the steam pressure at a point to with=
in five to ten pounds of maximum pressure.  You did not want to have the sa=
fety valve lift while on the road, as this was a waste of steam, water, and=
 fuel.  As a general rule you tried to fire with as clear a stack as possib=
le.  Heavy black smoke may make for good pictures, but it actually was a si=
gn of incomplete, and therefore, inefficient combustion.  This was particul=
arly troublesome on and oil-burner because firing heavy with lots of smoke =
required the fireman to have to sand the flues to remove the build up of so=
ot in the flues which accumulated when there was heavy smoke.  The sand wou=
ld clean the flues but would also induce wear on the flues, sheets and supe=
rheater units.  This same kind of wear was experienced on coal-fired locomo=
tives because of the cinders which resulted from the coal burning.   =20

I was taught to fire with nothing more than a light gray haze coming from t=
he stack.  This was evidence of a good, hot, efficient fire and actually re=
duced the amount of cinders being blown out of the stack to some degree.  A=
 stoker-fired locomotive was easier to fire in this manner than with a hand=
- -fired engine.  But, with either type, there were times it was impossible t=
o avoid the dark, black smoke usually associated with steam engines.  It ju=
st kind of came with the package!

While this is not a complete run down on the firing up and operation of a s=
team engine I trust it helps give you an idea of the amount of work which i=
s involved to make the steam excursions possible today.  This was the routi=
ne everyday on every railroad up till the late forties and early to mid fif=
ties.  No other machine man ever created was as dependant or had as individ=
ual personalities and tendencies as the mighty steam locomotive.  I hope we=
 can keep as many of them in operation into this new millennium as possible=
!

Bill Dennington
 "bill4denn_@_mindpsring.com"


 ------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the erielack photopage at http://el-list.railfan.net

------------------------------