Firing a Steam Locomotive

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. Generally 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 coal 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 lumber, doused with fuel oil or kerosene were tossed in, and then either a lighted signal flare or fuel oil soaked cotton waste balls were thrown in to get 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 fireman would every so often shovel more coal into the firebox providing more fuel to keep the fire going. 

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 point where steam from the boiler could be used for that purpose. This was accomplished by having a high-pressure air line connected to the blower line on the locomotive. The air would suffice until the fireman could switch over to using steam for the blower. The switch over point was usually when the 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 slower you warmed everything up the better as it gave the boiler time to warm and expand at a much more even rate. 

As the steam pressure came on up above about 150 to 175 psi the various steam 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 lighting, 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 2101 and the AWP 290, the stoker was used to transfer coal to the firebox at this 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 the coal through the trough up to the firebox and dump it onto a firing table 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 distribute the coal in an even pattern over the entire area of grates all but eliminating any need to shovel coal. This was a great blessing on an engine 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 the 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 possible over the entire grate area of the firebox. 

No attempt would be made to move the engine until every appliance which either operated by air or steam had been tested and known to be fully functional. 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 valves, 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 tested! 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 locomotive, the engineer would use the sanders for traction on slippery rail by opening a valve in the cab and air would blow the sand down the pipe and onto the rails.) and radio were all tested. 

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

Finally, the steam cylinders were blown out to allow any water and condensate to be blown out of the steam chest, superheater, and dry pipes in the boiler. Steam will compress, water will not. Even after the engine begins to move the cylinder cocks are left open until it is ascertained that accumulated water has been sufficiently blown out of the steam delivery system of 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 on the Southern Railway and on the New Georgia Railway it was common practice 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 atomize the fuel into the air. The fireman would ignite the fuel oil with a burning cotton waste ball tossed into the firebox and then control the intensity of the fire by regulating the flow of the fuel oil with the firing valve; and the amount of steam or air being used to blow the fuel into the firebox 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 the firebox bottom. 

The principle of firing with either coal or oil was basically the same. You 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 within five to ten pounds of maximum pressure. You did not want to have the safety 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 possible. Heavy black smoke may make for good pictures, but it actually was a sign of incomplete, and therefore, inefficient combustion. This was particularly 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 soot in the flues which accumulated when there was heavy smoke. The sand would clean the flues but would also induce wear on the flues, sheets and superheater units. This same kind of wear was experienced on coal-fired locomotives because of the cinders which resulted from the coal burning. 

I was taught to fire with nothing more than a light gray haze coming from the stack. This was evidence of a good, hot, efficient fire and actually reduced 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 to avoid the dark, black smoke usually associated with steam engines. It just kind of came with the package! 

While this is not a complete run down on the firing up and operation of a steam engine I trust it helps give you an idea of the amount of work which is involved to make the steam excursions possible today. This was the routine everyday on every railroad up till the late forties and early to mid fifties. No other machine man ever created was as dependant or had as individual 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!