OIL AS LOCOMOTIVE FUEL 105 



of oil, great care must be exercised by enginemen or damage to fire 

 boxes of locomotives would, be considerable. When an engine is 

 working hard with the burner fully opened, and the engine is suddenly 

 shut ofE and .the burner closed up to minimum, if the cold air dampers 

 are not closed, cold air takes the place of heated air and the contraction 

 of the sheets would be rather excessive, and, as a consequence, would 

 cause flues to leak or sheets to crack. However, on small lines like otirs, 

 we are able to hold this danger down to a minimum by personal super- 

 vision and strict discipline, and by having dampers located in a con- 

 venient position so that they can be closed as the flow of oil is reduced. 

 By watching this closely the damage to fire boxes has been very little 

 if any more than with coal. 



During the last two weeks we have had unusual snow conditions, 

 and the use of oil, as compared with coal, has proven a large factor 

 in keeping the road open. The old type of locomotives, equipped 

 with narrow, low fire boxes, are objectionable from an oil burning 

 standpoint for the reason that boiler inspection laws of this country 

 require tests of stay bolts every thirty days, and with this type of 

 engine it would be necessary to remove a great many of the fire brick 

 for such an inspection ; also in deep snow the fire box is Hable to be 

 filled up through dampers and choke out the burner, and an oil burner 

 cannot be steamed without a proper amount of air. 



Were we able to get as good a coal as the Pocohontas of West Yir- 

 ginia, or the better grades of bituminous from Pennsylvania, the 

 efficiency of locomotives between oil and coal would not be so great, 

 and, from a cost standpoint, coal would be preferable. With the poorer 

 grades of coal however, the difference in favour of oil is considerable. 



As a fiire preventative oil is far superior, but, while it is said there 

 are no sparks from this class of fuel, there is a soot that forms in flues, 

 particularly if the burner gets a little dirty, and in cleaning this soot 

 from flues, which is done on the road by opening engine with a heavy 

 exhaust, this soot takes fire causing sparks. These sparks, however, are 

 thrown high in the air and do not remain Hghted far from the stack, 

 and there is not much danger of fire on this accoimt ; but in many places 

 through California or Oregon they do or have had, grass fires from oil 

 burners. Also, great care must be used not to put pieces of wood, 

 waste or such material in fire boxes as there is no netting or stoppage 

 of any kind to arrest discharge of such. 



I will add that we run through a heavily timbered region, and 

 from a fire setting point of view I think the danger has been reduced 

 at least 99 per cent. I am of the opinion that many of the fires alleged to 

 be set by locomotives are really caused by trespassers or the throwing 



