A. By banking the fire, the water in the boiler is kept warm over night and steam is raised quickly in the morning, saving time and fuel.
Q. When leaving a banked fire, is it practicable to shut the water out of the glass or water column?
A. Yes. In freezing weather, this may be done by closing the valve at the top and bottom of the glass; and open pet cock beneath. Care should be taken, however, to open them before the fire is started in the morning.
LAYING UP A TRACTION ENGINE.
Q. How should you prepare your engine and boiler for laying up through the winter, to protect them from frost and injury?
A. While steam is on, clean your boiler and engine thoroughly outside, scrape off all oil, grease and scale; after which apply a good coat of asphaltum paint to the boiler and smoke stack. If no paint can be had, lamp black and linseed oil will answer. If this cannot be had, take rags, saturate them with grease or oil, and go over them with that.
Now open the blow-off valve, and blow the water off with a low pressure of steam, after which take out all the hand-hole plates and wash the boiler out thoroughly, removing all the mud and scale; then replace the hand-hole plates, close the blow-off valve and fill the boiler nearly full of water, after which pour in a gallon of black oil upon the water.
After this is done, open the blow-off valve again and allow the water to run out. The oil will follow the water down and cover the whole inside of boiler with a coating of oil, making as good a protection against rust as can be found.