CHAPTER III 

 FIRING WITH VARIOUS FUELS 



TO 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 noz- 

 zle should be of the proper size and pointed straight with 

 the stack. This latter is of great importance. 



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. With coal, wood or oil, the 

 firing is done by the engineer, but with straw for fuel, it 

 is usual to have an extra man or boy for this purpose. 



How to Fire 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 



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