CHAPTER III. 



FIRING WITH VARIOUS FUELS. 



k O maintain a uniform steam pressure with any 

 kind of fuel, the draft should be sufficient 

 and the fire should be supplied with air from 

 below. No cold air should be allowed to 

 get to the tubes except by passing through 

 live coals that may ignite fresh fuel. The 

 cone screen in the stack should be straight 

 and the exhaust nozzle should be pointed straight with the 

 stack. This latter is of great importance. 



With any kind of fuel, the ash pan must not be allowed 

 to fill up, or warped and melted grates are sure to result. 

 There is no excuse for allowing the ash pan to fill up, and 

 a good engineer never permits it to do so. 



Firing with Coal. Keep the grates well covered, but with 

 as thin a fire as possible. Do not throw in large lumps of 

 coal or put in very much at a time. A thin fire lightly and 

 frequently renewed is the most economical. The engine 

 should be allowed to blow off once a day to see if the steam 

 gage and pop valve agree, but if the pop valve frequently 

 opens, it is an indication that the fireman is either careless 

 or unable to control his fire. 



The best way to check the rise of steam is to start the 



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