The Traveling Engineers Association | Page 6

too heavy in some places, causes clinkers to form. If
the door is open too long, too much cold air is drawn over the fire,
causing the tubes to leak.
51. Q. What do you consider abuse of a boiler?
A. Careless or improperly supplying water to the boiler, improper firing
or allowing steam to vary from high to low pressure, causing
unnecessary expansion and contraction.
52. Q. Does the stopping up of flues affect the steaming capacity of the
engine?
A. Yes; obstructed flues reduce the heating surface, reduce the
steaming capacity of the engine, and, as a rule, result in causing the
flues to leak. They also cause an increase of speed of the gases through
the remaining flues and a poor steaming engine.
53. Q. What causes honeycomb over the flues?
A. Honeycomb on flues is usually caused by the draft through the fire
picking up the sulphur and molten clay which is in a molten and sticky
condition in the fire; as it passes on its way to the stack, some of it
strikes the flue-sheet and sticks or passes through the flues, clogging up
the netting in the front end.
54. Q. How would you take care of a boiler with leaky tubes or fire-box,
and why?
A. Keep a bright, clean fire, especially up next to the flue-sheet, and as
even a pressure of steam as possible and not use the blower any
stronger than is absolutely necessary.
55. Q. Why is it very important that coal should be broken so that it
will not be larger than an ordinary sized apple before being put into the

fire-box?
A. In order to get rapid and complete combustion, coal should be
broken into small pieces; this aids combustion by exposing a larger
surface to the flame and can be fired more economically and better
results are obtained.
56. Q. Should rapid firing be practiced?
A. No; it should not be practiced for the same reason that heavy firing
is wrong. A few moments should intervene between each shovelful to
allow the fresh coal to get to burning and to maintain the high
temperature in the fire-box.
57. Q. When and why should you wet the coal on the tender?
A. Coal should be wet for the purpose of cleanliness to keep dust from
flying and because moderately wet coal gives out more heat for the
reason that there is not so much fine coal drawn through the tubes. It
should be wet as often as necessary to accomplish these purposes.
58. Q. What are the advantages of a large grate surface?
A. Greater heating surface, lighter fire and more complete combustion
are possible with the larger grate surface, because a larger amount is
burning at one time at a slower rate of combustion.
59. Q. Why are grates made to shake, and how, when and where should
they be shaken?
A. For the purpose of breaking any clinkers that might form and to
shake out all refuse from the grates. The best time to shake grates is
when throttle is closed, as there is no exhaust to carry the unconsumed
gases and sulphur through the flues into the front end, which is liable to
choke or clog up netting and cause a steam failure. Grates should not be
shaken while passing over bridges, near lumber or hay yards or through
prohibited territory.

60. Q. Do you understand that coal furnished represents money
invested, and should be fired economically and not allowed to fall out
of the gangway?
A. The fuel of locomotives is property and represents money invested
the same as do buildings, rolling stock, etc.; careless or inefficient
firemen who waste fuel destroy property as certainly as though cars or
engines were smashed up. The coal should be carefully raked off the
deck and in from the gangways; it should not be allowed to fall, as it is
wasted and dangerous to people near the track. The deck should be kept
clean for greater comfort and convenience.
61. Q. Is is objectionable to fill the tanks too full of coal or overflow
tank at standpipes or water tanks?
A. It is. Tanks filled too full of coal are dangerous and a great waste of
coal, as the jar when running will cause a part of it to fall off; water
overflowing from tanks results in washing away the ballast and in cold
weather freezes over the tracks.
62. Q. What are the duties of a fireman on arrival at the terminal?
A. Different roads have different assigned duties for the firemen to
perform. They should leave the cab, boiler head, oil cans and deck in a
clean condition, boiler full of water, enough fire and steam, so that the
hostler will not be required to put