In winter, if no heater is attached to the engine, the room must be kept warm, to insure against frost.
The machine should be started gradually, but before doing so the engineer ought to satisfy himself that the joints and connections in the suction hose are air tight, that the discharge gate is open, the churn valve closed, that the fire has been properly attended to, the cylinder cocks open, the exhaust nearly closed, and all the bearings and journals well oiled, and the wheels properly blocked, especially if the engine is standing on a grade.
The automatic air cocks on the upper pump heads must be opened immediately after starting. They serve to promptly relieve the upper pump discharge chambers of air, and may be closed as soon as water escapes from their orifices.
When cylinder condensation has nearly ceased, the engine being warm, the drain cocks should be closed and the machine speeded up gradually until a good pressure of steam is obtained.
Until the engineer has had some experience with the machine, and is familiar with its workings, it is not advisable to use more than 90 or 100 pounds of steam, which is all that is required for ordinary fire duty; the necessity for more than 120 pounds will probably never arise.
The stuffing-boxes of the engine and pump should be carefully packed.
All of the bearings and journals, as well as the oil cans, should be well supplied with good oil. The best mineral engine oil is recommended for this purpose, as it does not gum or change its viscosity with variations in the temperature of the atmosphere, and it will endure a higher temperature than animal or fish oil without injury.
Fig. 430.—See page [141].