Re: 489 First Revenue Run

Learning how to fire an oil burner can be a challenge. Learning how to fire an oil burner that has never burned oil before is even harder.

Looks like Stathi firing to me, he is arguably the most experienced at firing oil on the C&TS. If I was in his shoes I would want to be the first to fire 489. It is very possible that he didn't realize the fire was out. If 89 is barking load enough, and the atomizer is still making noise, and folks in the cab are talking it could be hard to hear the fire go out. Cut em some slack, the folks with the most experience firing an oil burning K-36 are in Durango, and that loco has only been running for a few weeks.

It takes time to learn what a locomotive likes or doesn't, how well it performs or doesn't after just a shopping add in an oil conversion and it just gets harder. Again cut them some slack.

Blow backs can be some what common when learning how to fire. A good fireman and engineer who know their loco and route who communicate with each other, or if the fireman knows the route and engineer well enough can anticipate what the locomotive needs and what the engineer is about to do. That level of skill can take years, among the results is no blow backs. In other words this overall is not a common sight with experienced crews.

This is all meant to be complimentary to Stathi and the shop crews in Antonito. They will get it figured out.
493 wasn't perfect the first time out, adjustments had to be made.

Jeff Taylor
CRRM curator of equipment and rolling stock.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/2021 10:55PM by Jeff Taylor.