Re: Procedure for firing up a locomotive on the C&TS?

narrowgaugejoe10 Wrote:
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> Let me just say, that there is no way ANY boiler
> could possibly be fired up from a 100% cold fire
> up in 45 minutes unless it is a little tiny live
> steamer.
>
> A 100% cold fire up in the old days if they really
> wanted to push to get an engine ready could be
> done with 3 hours or less. Over time they realized
> the large amounts of stress this created, and
> damages to the boilers.

Sure you can, I've done it (once in an emergency situation). In my case, she was backing out of the house under her own power (at low pressure) in fifty minutes, and on the train in one hour, ten minutes from lighting the fire.

You are right about causing stress in the boiler. In the bad old days here, Linn talks about forty five minute steam-ups being SOP. The retired PRR boiler maker who Linn apprenticed under one time had him put his hand on #90's lower side sheet as the pop valve lifted for the first time. The lower sheet was still cool to the touch. In reply to the surprised look on Linn's face, the old boiler maker asked, "What does that tell you?"