[steamer_ctn]

I am wondering whether anybody who has real life experience in driving a steam locomotive.

I am hoping to understand the "rules of thumb" that would be used to operate them. I am not interested in how MSTS or OR uses them, but in true life.

For example:

When is the blower used? Is it used when the locomotive is stationary or moving? What speed would you start or stop it? How would you set its value and amount of blowing?

Similarly how would the damper be used?

The more detailed the info the better?

Thanks

[Lindsayts]

steamer_ctn, on 04 June 2013 - 03:04 AM, said:

I am wondering whether anybody who has real life experience in driving a steam locomotive.

I am hoping to understand the "rules of thumb" that would be used to operate them. I am not interested in how MSTS or OR uses them, but in true life.

For example:

When is the blower used? Is it used when the locomotive is stationary or moving? What speed would you start or stop it? How would you set its value and amount of blowing?

Similarly how would the damper be used?

The more detailed the info the better?

Thanks

See my post in the smoothed data thread. If you can dig a copy of an edition of the "Locomotive Cyclopedia" it has a section on driving and firing loco's ____VERY_____ good reading. I have two copies, the 1925 and the 1941 editions, the books being an EXCELLENT reference to US loco practice. I have in the past supplied copies of this section to a number of fireman.

Lindsay

[Surflegg]

I'll chime in, though I can only vouch for oil firing and not coal - should provide an interesting comparison between the two fuels.

Both of these are used to control the amount of air going into the firebox, and as Lindsay mentioned a considerable amount of experience goes into their use (as an oil-firing trainee, I'm still gaining much of that experience). On an oil burner the blower is typically not used unless absolutely necessary to eliminate black smoke (e.g. transitioning from a small fire to a large fire), or when extra draft is required to build the fire to bring the pressure up. However the rule of thumb is to keep a slight haze in the stack any time the blower is on, otherwise you run the risk of drawing cold air into the firebox, which can cause leaky flues and other issues.

The use of dampers is a little more ambiguous on an oil burner - at a spot fire (i.e. standing still at a station), you can close the dampers entirely, but prior to increasing the fire the dampers must be opened. Typically the dampers are to be opened in proportion with the oil feed valve, again with the goal is to maintain a slight haze in the stack while maintaining boiler pressure. The locomotive I've fired tends to like the dampers wide open, and the amount of air is "controlled" by the draft (either by the steam exhaust or the blower), but it also depends on the locomotive.

Another good resource is available here: ICS Blue Book - this is an early edition of the International Correspondence School's handbook on the firing of locomotives, which includes information on both coal and oil. Lots of interesting diagrams, and probably more info than you'd ever need for MSTS but interesting nonetheless.

[steamer_ctn]

Thanks for that.

It is all valuable information.

However the AI Fireman "can't" work by feel or sight, he needs to have specific rules to follow based on the tangible parameters such as firemas, burnrate, etc.

Hi Surflegg, thanks for the reference. I will have a look at for some clues about rules that might be able to be used.

Lindsay, I would appreciate it if you can supply the info that you have indicate so that I can have a look at it.

Thanks for the suggestions.