The fireman's rolling furnace
The engineer's command center
The mind-bending physics of water and draft
Life on the footplate
chrisd The Mechanical Lubricator
We roll and we pump! (Oh-oh, yeah!) / The faster we go, the more the oil flows! (Smooth ride!)
chrisd Steam shooting through a nozzle creates a vacuum that sucks up cold water, condensing it to force open the boiler's check valve.
chrisd The blastpipe nozzle directs escaping steam upward to pull heat through the boiler
chrisd Pump water from the tender to discover how steam pressure powers a massive locomotive.
Scooping water splash: If a fireman forgot to raise the water scoop in time, the tender would violently overflow, soaking the rear of the cab and passenger windows!
Who patented the revolutionary steam injector in 1858, eliminating the need for mechanical water pumps?
Who invented the water trough system that allowed steam trains to refill their tenders while moving?