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

Kelly Anderson Wrote:
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The big
> railroads would often fire an engine from cold in
> 45 minutes.

Yikes! From a practical standpoint, I could see why that might be necessary, but taking the long-term view, I would think that would radically increase the amount repair necessary at the next major inspection. I have been to many steam operations around the US in the last 10 years and have had an opportunity to observe this process at most of them. For an 80-100 ton locomotive, the times to go from stone (winter) cold to ready for work seem to range from about 3 hours to 12 hours or more. The quickest I've seen was at a museum, which lit the match at 9AM in zero degree cold and had the engine running in the yard 3 hrs later. They used a mixture of coal, wood and paper to start the fire and used shop air for draft from the get-go. The longest procedures were at Kelly's operation in Strasburg, where it appeared as if they started warming the boiler with a torpedo heater pointed into the firebox the afternoon before the locomotive was needed. I have zero experience operating steam locomotives, but I do have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. I think if I owned a steam locomotive, I would probably lean more toward the more lengthy and gradual procedure than the "git 'er done" approach as the best way to ensure safe, trouble-free operation.

/Kevin Madore