We have seen
engineers drop the reverse back in the last notch in order to make a
hard pull, and were unable to tell why they did so.
Now, as far as doing the work is concerned, it is not absolutely
necessary that you know this; but if you do know it, you are more likely
to profit by it and thereby get the best results out of your engine.
And as this is our object, we want you to know it, and be benefitted by
the knowledge. Suppose you are on the road with your engine and load,
and you have a stretch of nice road. You are carrying a good head of
steam and running with lever back in the corner or lower notch. Now
your engine will travel along its regular speed, and say you run a mile
this way and fire twice in making it. You now ought to be able to turn
around and go back on the same road with one fire by simply hooking the
lever up as short as it will allow to do the work. Your engine will
make the same time with half the fuel and water, simply because you
utilize the expansive force of the steam instead of using the live steam
from boiler. A great many good engines are condemned and said to use
too much fuel, and all because the engineer takes no pains to utilize
the steam to the best advantage.
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