Steam question?

I have a question for some of you that have been around a while:

I don't know what made me think of this but about 15 years ago I met an older guy that came to my place along with a good friend of mine. We were discussing railroad, what else? Any way the discussion led to this guy telling me he was a licensed, I'll say pressure vessel engineer for lack of a better word. A short line tourist railroad used him and his license to operate their steam locomotive powered trains, (I won't divulge which railroad). He was up in years and said he only operated the steam locomotive a couple times a year but they still used his license? Was this ever the scenario? or was this old head just old heading me? Is this a requirement presently that someone on the property has to have a pressure vessel license like this in order to get insurance, pass steam locomotive inspections, etc...

I have been around railroads for 40 years and when I took promotion to engineer it required 3 days of testing and 1,500 questions and this was just for diesels, steam was long gone by this time. I have heard tell steam locomotive engineers had the same type of testing I did plus a lot about steam, it was no easy test, perhaps that is why they were firemen for 15 or 20 years.

SMITTY GOIN' LOCO
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER, RETIRED
Last run July 24, 1992

Sometimes I sit and wonder how come I am not in a mental institution then I take a good look around at everyone else and realize, maybe I already am!!!