Sometimes you just get caught with your pants down.
A few years ago I was firing on the #5 on the St. Louis, Iron Mtn and Southern in MO. It was the 4th of July run to an evening picnic with fireworks. I stayed on the engine (no supper or ice cream) and kept things simmering perfectly.
The stop was supposed to be about an hour and a half. After an hour the engineer came running back and said "Let's Go!"
I had her ready and we started to back up about seven miles upgrade. The engineer was working her really hard and she was sucking down steam faster than I could make it. That's when I asked him about the tender brake!
I worked harder than I've ever worked before. Shaking grates, shoveling coal, cussing a lot all the way back.
For a fireman it was torture. We never stopped and we never ran low on water, but I can tell you I still have nightmares about that run!
Scooter