The fireman's rolling furnace
The engineer's command center
The mind-bending physics of water and draft
Life on the footplate
lupita12 Traditional Queensland cool burns clear dry undergrowth without damaging the tall forest canopy.
chrisd Firemen manually moved ten to twenty tons of coal per trip, spreading it evenly across the grate to prevent cold spots.
Fireman's massive diet: A hard-working steam locomotive fireman could burn up to 6,000 calories during a single shift—more than twice the average daily recommendation!
Which resource did a standard steam locomotive tender carry in the greatest volume and weight?
Approximately what percentage of a steam engine's water is lost to the atmosphere after being used?
An enclosed chamber in a steam engine or boiler where fuel is burned to produce heat. Stokers shoveled coal from the tender into this chamber to keep the boiler's water boiling.
chrisd Stoke the locomotive's firebox to learn how steam pressure drives the train.
What did thick black smoke billowing from a steam locomotive's smokestack usually indicate?
chrisd The Automatic Stoker
The steel screw feeds the boiler while we watch the tracks ahead.
How did the automatic stoker distribute coal evenly across the massive firebox grate?
What mechanical device was invented to feed coal into the firebox of giant 20th-century locomotives?