MAKING UP THE FIRE.
Locomotives belonging to this company are not permitted to cool down, unless the fire has to be drawn that work may be done. At the end of a trip, the fire is cleaned and banked to wait for the next run. By getting to the round-house two hours before train-time, we find our engine receiving the first work of preparation for the trip. The fire is spread over the grates, and a fresh supply of coal laid over the whole fire. To make an engine steam freely with anthracite coal, it is very important that the fire should be properly burned through before starting out. About two hours’ time is needed for this, so that the mass of coal will get properly ignited without the aid of the blower. A fire that has to be forced along with the blower never proves satisfactory.
GETTING READY FOR THE TRIP.
The engineer and fireman reach the round-house about half an hour before train-time, and each proceeds to do his own line of work preparing the engine for the run. The engineer attends to oiling round,—an important matter where ninety miles have to be passed without stopping. Each bearing and rubbing surface is provided with an oil-cup, with feed carefully regulated to supply the required lubrication. Mechanical ingenuity has arranged excellent methods for securing regular lubrication, but the care and skill of the engineer are needed to keep them working properly. As he moves round the engine, his trained eye detects the smallest defect; and, as he examines every cup and reservoir, the touch in time that prevents delay is given wherever needed. At the same time the machinery gets a final inspection, and the air-pump is started going. Meanwhile, the fireman has been attending to his duties,—giving the fire its finishing touches, filling oil-cans, and brushing the dust off the cab-fittings.
Now we back up to the train. The air-hose is coupled, two minutes’ fast pumping of the air-pump charges the car reservoirs with their full pressure of air, and we are ready for the start. While waiting for the signal, I look into the fire-box, and see a furnace 10 feet long and 42 inches wide filled up with coal to a depth of 10 inches. It takes about a ton and a half of coal to make this fire ready for the road. The fire was level on the surface; but the greatest depth was in the front, where the grates slope downward. The fire-box alone gives a heating-surface of 120 square feet.
THE TRAIN TO BE PULLED.
The train consists of five Pullman sleeping-cars and one dining-car, the six cars weighing 200 tons. The engine and tender, in working order, weigh 74 tons, which gives a total weight of 274 tons to be moved by the force exerted by the pistons.
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.