THE START.
As the signal is given to start, the engineer drops the links full forward by means of the steam reverse gear, pulls the throttle lever open, and the engine responds by moving forward. A sprinkling of sand is dropped upon the rails, the throttle-valve is opened a little wider, and with resounding exhausts the engine is working into speed. From the start, the necessity of pushing forward, and utilizing every second of time, is recognized. The train has not moved more than its own length when a speed of ten miles an hour is reached. The engineer now hooks back the links to cut off at ten inches, pulls the throttle wide open, and “lets her go.” While waiting at the station, steam was kept down to 130 pounds by the injector and heater. The injector was shut off just before starting. When we got out about half a mile, the steam-gauge began to point towards 140, the popping pressure; and the engineer started the injector, and it was kept going continually during the remainder of the trip. It is a No. 9 Sellers, and can supply the boiler during the heaviest work without reaching the limit of its capacity. There is a No. 8 injector on the fireman’s side, but it is never used to run by. The injector and air-pump are two things about these engines that seldom need to be touched on the road after they are set to work.