But if
you are working your engine hard the blower should never be used; if you
have bad fuel and it is necessary to stop your engine you will find it
very convenient to put on the blower slightly, in order to hold your
steam and keep the fire lively until you start again.
It will be a good plan for you to take a look at the nozzle on blower
now and then, to see that it does not become limed up and to see that it
is not turned to the side so that it directs the steam to the side of
stack. Should it do this, you will be using the steam and getting but
little, if any, benefit. It will also be well for you to remember that
you can create too much draught as well as too little; too much draught
will consume your fuel and produce but little steam.
A GOOD FIREMAN.
What constitutes a good fireman? You no doubt have heard this
expression: "Where there is so much smoke, there must be some fire."
Well, that is true, but a good fireman don't make much smoke. We are
speaking of firing with coal, now. If I can see the smoke ten miles
from a threshing engine, I can tell what kind of a fireman is running
the engine; and if there is a continuous cloud of black smoke being
thrown out of the smokestack, I make up my mind that the engineer is
having all he can do to keep the steam up, and also conclude that there
will not be much coal left by the time he gets through with the job;
while on the other hand, should I see at regular intervals a cloud of
smoke going up, and lasting for a few moments, and for the next few
moments see nothing, then I conclude that the engineer of that engine
knows his business, and that he is not working hard; he has plenty of
steam all the time, and has coal left when he is through.
Pages:
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59