kgdjpubs posted:Hot Water posted:superwarp1 posted:How difficult was it on 3895?She was EXTREMELY difficult to fire, plus she made LOTS of smoke, no mate what you did!
Jack,
How much of that was due to the relatively light trains and therefore lesser draft on the fire?
Not really, as no matter how hard my Engineer worked her, 3985 was simply a bear to maintain 280psi steam pressure AND a proper level of water in the glass, without large volumes of black smoke. She was converted from coal burning to oil burning in 1989/1990 in preparation for the 10th anniversary celebration of the California State RR Museum. Every time I fired her, it was a bi&%$, until about 200 or 2001 when additional firebrick was added (for more/better heat retention) and the air intake tubes were corrected. After those improvements, made by the PE from the Hawaiian Boiler Company that was there in Cheyenne putting the complete new firebox in 844, I no longer had difficulty maintaining proper boiler pressure AND water in the gauge glass, with very little smoke.
The overwhelming comment I've been told by the majority of those that had the chance on the NS side of things was that 611 was far easier to fire than 1218 because the J was actually working as opposed to the A being so overpowered it would drift more often than not. The one differing comment was one who preferred the 1218 since it was far easier to catch up if you got behind--no surprise.
Kevin
