Re: C&TSRR = Getting The Locomotive Ready = Air

Earl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They do this to remove the fines and dust out of
> the coal. Not doing so will allow the fines to
> settle down through the coal pile and into the
> bottom of the coal space. Eventually you end up
> with a tender full of fines with a small layer of
> good coal on top.
>
> When I was there (oh boy, another "then I was a
> Kid story".....) the engines were not coaled in
> Antonito, just in Chama. That did a pretty good
> job of keeping the fines down, as we shoveled it
> all in the firebox. When I was firing, one of
> things I did in the morning before leaving
> Antonito was to shovel the coal pile ahead against
> the closed coal doors to keep a good supply at
> hand for the trip west. At Osier, more shoveling
> ahead was needed to get home. The tenders on
> '80's hold 9.5 tons, we used 3-4 tons a day,
> leaving a couple of tons in the tender when we got
> home.
>
> Eventually the fines still built up, especially in
> the latter part of the season. We used to wash
> the coal pile on the sly. As the RR paid the same
> amount for good coal as it paid for fines,
> management looked at washing the coal pile as
> wasting money. "You guys get paid to put the coal
> in the firebox, not wash it out on the ground.
> That's nothing but wasted fuel." So.... we did
> it at Sublette or Cumbres when no one was
> looking.
>
> The last place I worked that burned coal regularly
> shorted the tender coal loading and had the
> fireman shovel the old fines and stuff ahead and
> burn it, keeping the tenders cleaner.
>
> One had to be careful when washing the coal pile.
> First you closed all the coal doors - including
> the opening at the bottom. Then you pulled up the
> apron between the engine and tender. Then let'er
> rip. Turn the water off then water started to
> slosh over the top of the coal pile at the front
> of the tender. Then wait while the black mudslide
> poured out the bottom of the coal doors. Failure
> to lift the apron and close all the doors resulted
> in a mudslide filling the cab.
>
> I know this from experience.
>
> We did other things like running the deck hose
> into the depleted coal pile of fines when drifting
> down the hill into Chama. The pile of black mud
> would ooze out through the gangway. We'd then
> shovel the resulting pile of wet black goop in the
> firebox. In that it didn't immediately burn, and
> just sat there smoldering, it made great banking
> material.

Thank you Mr. Earl for the information, I am sure folks will appreciate it.