110 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



oil in locomotives. The officials stated that they had been using fuel 

 oil for a period of seven years on the northern division of their system. 

 Their power equipment consists of over 200 locomotives, although 

 they had not that number when oil burning was first adopted. During 

 the seven years they have had only one fire along a right of way which 

 was charged to an oil burning locomotive. The boiler inspector gave 

 the matter careful investigation on the ground, and reached the con- 

 clusion that it was not the oil, but twigs from unscreened sand which 

 caused the fire. The master mechanic stated that twigs, etc., in un- 

 screened sand, waste paper, or other material thrown into the fire-box 

 may in certain instances be carried out through the stack in a blazing 

 condition. 



So far as fires being started from the carbonaceous material, 

 which accimiulated on the baffle wall in the rear of the fire-box, are 

 concerned, both the chief inspector and the master medhanic said they 

 considered it practically impossible for a fire to originate from this 

 source. They called special attention, however, to the fact that there 

 is a heavy deposit on the rear baffle wall and that there is no deposit on 

 the sides of the fire-box. They stated that the deposit on the rear 

 baffle wall forms in the shape of a cone and is so hard and firmly attached 

 to the brick that it is necessary to loosen it with a pick. An inex- 

 perienced workman is likely to destroy the brigk in the baffle wall in 

 trying to remove the carbonaceous deposit. In fact, skilled workmen 

 frequently break out portions of the brick. Under separate cover 

 I am sending you two small samples which show pieces of brick adhering. 



Both men stated that the quality or quantity of oil used would 

 make no change in the danger from the carbonaceous deposit. They 

 said that an inexperienced fireman might flood the fire-box with oil 

 to such an extent that some of it might drop to the track but this 

 covild occvir only when starting out from stations or from places where 

 stops are made. 



Summing the whole matter up, the men interviewed stated that the 

 danger from oil burning locomotives is reduced to the lowest minimum 

 that it is possible for human ingenuity to devise. It is believed that 

 patrolling for fires starting from oil burning locomotives is almost 

 useless. It is possible that some of the fires attributed to oil burning 

 locomotives have restdted from burning tobacco or matches thrown 

 away by passengers. 



E. T. Allen, in "Practical Forestry in the Pacific Northwest." — 

 The most fruitful source of fire is spark emitting locomotives and 

 logging engines. Much data has been collected showing that with oil 

 at a reasonable price its use is economical from a labour saving point of 



