Re: How to be a good fireman?

Yes, Martin Depew was a great teacher who had very high values. He would tell you what to do then ask you why it should be done that way. This was a very effective method of learning. On being an engineer he always taught that it was a team effort to get a train over the road. He taught me how to get a train moving from a stop and no one would know that you had started. The same goes for stopping. Little things like easy couples, smooth braking and maintaining a "smooth/even" speed were very important to him. He expected you to know the steam engine and the what and why of each part. He believed that if you treated the fireman with respect then the engineer would receive the same in return. I miss Martin as he had so much more to teach all of us. The knowledge he had was beyond my grasp.
By the way Martin Depew worked on the Missouri Pacific all of his life. He started out as a fireman became an engineer and when the diesel came along he taught the crews how to operate them. When he passed away, I received a great honor by receiving some of his books.