Steam Locomotive Operating Manuals

[NW Mailing List]

In the "good 'ole days", the crafts of enginemen and trainmen were totally 
separate. That's not to say that occasionally a brakeman might switch to a 
fireman's job, if the opportunity presented itself. After all the enginemen 
made more money than a trainman.

However, if you hired as a fireman, you might fire for 5, 10, or more years 
before you got to move to the right side of the cab. Promotions were made on 
an as needed basis. Also, you moved up in seniority order. So, 
theoretically, the man ahead of you might be promoted, and you might not be 
promoted for another couple of years. Of course, when you were promoted, you 
started working extra, or as needed. It might be another five years before 
you got to run on a regular job. It was all seniority.

It is similar today, except that a new hire comes in as a qualified 
conductor, but when his number is up (except for certain exceptions), he has 
to go to "engine school" to qualify as an engineer. If he doesn't pass, 
guess what? He hits the street.

Jeff Sanders

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 5:09 PM
Subject: RE: Steam Locomotive Operating Manuals



> Thanks to everyone for the info.

>

> What was the career path to becoming an engineer on the N&W? Did you hire 

> on as a brakeman or a fireman and eventually become either a conductor or 

> an engineer based on competence and experience and length of service?

> _________________________________

> Mike Weeks, LCSW, LCAS

> M1, Brody School of Medicine 2013

> MSW, UNC at Charlotte 2003

> BS Acct, UNC at Charlotte 1989

> ________________________________________

> From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org [nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] 

> On Behalf Of NW Mailing List [nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 3:27 PM

> To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

> Subject: Steam Locomotive Operating Manuals

>

> I, for one, cannot recall seeing any railroad specific operating

> manuals for steam engines, per se. What I have seen and do see at

> shows and the like are ICS manuals, fireman's questions, plus various

> catechisms published over the years by a number of originators.

> Forney's is one name which comes to mind and another similar one was

> "The Locomotive Up To Date" starting in I think the late 1890's and

> being reprinted and updated by the publisher over the next 3 decades.

> The most recently dated one of those I have seen is 1927. The

> Locomotive Up To Date was recently reprinted and I am sure you can

> find it either at a big train show like Gaithersburg, MD this coming

> weekend or perhaps even on-line. The originals are potentially

> fragile, hence the desire to preserve them and wear out the reprint.

>

> These two I have named provide probably everything one would need to

> know for the era about firing, operating, braking as well as breakdown

> and repairs. You want to know about valve gear and valve events; they

> have it. You want to know about the new airbrakes (remember the early

> dates of these things), they have that. Backhead pressure .... I think

> we get the picture. They have it all. I am sure there are more more

> recently published ones of the same concept and perhaps one of our

> other corespondents here can assist in that area. But I do not recall

> seeing any specifically dedicated to one railroad for unlike today

> when it's kind of one size fits all, you specified exactly what you

> wanted from your lot of engines and the manufacturer of the day gave

> you a specific price based upon the quantity ordered and the specs

> required.

>

> Bob Cohen

>

> ------------------------------

>>

>> Message: 3

>> Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:41:11 -0400

>> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

>> Subject: Re: Operator manual for steam locomotives?

>> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

>> Message-ID: <46116829.38ae.40c7.8433.c874de5b73bd at aol.com>

>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>>

>> Mike:

>>

>> I can't answer your question directly because I don't know the answer, 

>> but I do know that there were "operator's manuals" for the LC2 electrics 

>> (and I'd have to assume for the LC1s as well....) because I have one in 

>> my possession.  Someday when I've gone to my reward ("I was put on this 

>> earth to accomplish certain things, and at the rate I'm going I'll live 

>> forever!") it will go to the N&WHS archives.

>>

>> Dave Phelps

>>

>> In a message dated 10/25/09 08:48:16 Eastern Daylight Time, 

>> nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

>> I hope this isn't a stupid question: Over the years, I've seen dozens of 

>> "operator manuals" for diesel locomotives for sale, but  I've never seen 

>> one for a N&W steam locomotive (or any steam locomotive, for that 

>> matter). Is that because there simply wasn't one? Did you learn to become 

>> a steam locomotive engineer by serving as a fireman and then eventually 

>> "switch seats" when you were experienced enough?

>>

>> Mike Weeks

>> Greenville NC

>>

>>

>> _________________________________

>> Mike Weeks, LCSW, LCAS

>> M1, Brody School of Medicine 2013

>> MSW, UNC at Charlotte 2003

>> BS Acct, UNC at Charlotte 1989

>> ________________________________________

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>>

>> Message: 4

>> Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:31:08 -0400

>> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

>> Subject: Re: Operator manual for steam locomotives?

>> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

>> Message-ID: <CEA3167E9C20420592EB2C9EDAEC9F25 at Jimmy>

>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>>

>> Mike,

>>    International Correspondence School did have a fairly complete set of 

>> manuals that described how a steam locomotive and its various appliances 

>> operated. If you can find them they are a real treasure trove of 

>> information. Excellent is the only word to describe them!

>>    Years ago I approached Jim about having my set reprinted and sold 

>> through the N&WHS. Nothing ever came of it.

>>    The C&O had a fireman's manual that is very very good. At one time it 

>> a reprint was available through the C&OHS. There are also a couple of web 

>> sites that have manuals from the PRR & NYC.

>>    As far as I know the N&W had nothing specific to compare with any of 

>> the above, however, my set of ICS books came from an N&W engineer and I 

>> would venture a guess that the N&W may have went that route ( plus on the 

>> job training ) as far as educating their new firemen. BTW, the ICS course 

>> catalog has an illustration of a J on the cover.

>>

>> NYC course: http://www.railarchive.net/firing/index.html

>>

>>    I can't find the PRR right now, but, I do have it in a pdf file.

>> Jimmy Lisle

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