The bane of a fireman's life was clinker,and as I haven't seen it mentioned yet a few observations...
On the L.M. and I would imagine the other regions,best grade coal was reserved for passenger and express freight turns,and second class grade for the rest.We were provided with best Yorkshire for our top work and this made hardly any clinker, it was amazing stuff,the difference between it and the poorer grades was remarkable.There was also the benefit of a good clear road when working expresses which kept the fire in good hot condition .This worked in the opposite way alas for slower trains and with poorer coal clinker would soon build up in stop/start conditions.
We were always instructed by our drivers when young hands never to use the blower as this increased the build-up of clinker,also not to open the front damper for the same reason.Only the back damper was to be used and any experimentation with them would be stopped at once by the driver.We could only break up the clinker with the dart and this at the back half of the box.We were told that if we brought the clinker to the top of the fire it would eventually incinerate but I used to think this was wishful thinking as once the build up began it seemed much of the fireiron wrestling did little to improve things and we were on a downward slope to where eventually the fire would have to be completely cleaned.This could really only be done properly on shed so it was soldier on and take a "boxful" on shed at the destination.
Clinker
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James Brodie
- GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:13 pm
- Location: North Yorkshire Moors.
Re: Clinker/slag front dampers etc
Sirs,
If you ran with the front damper open you got a good bright fire from the front of the box spreading back.
Primary air at both ends had less chance of distorting the bars. We fired a flat fire little and often, no great heap over the door and when cleaning or lifting slag when running if you lifted the slag along the left side of the box then when firebed livened up then cleaned the fire along the right side of the box. if a front damper wasn't to be used then it wouldn't have been fitted. We were instructed to close the leading damper in flood water conditions, last time I saw that obsrved I also saw the train The Royal Scot passing us ,us passing them, drawing level for a while then watched the guards tail lamp dissapear in the distance. The location..Thirsk..our choo choo was a humble WD 2-8-0 the driver W Fisher when he saw the coaches with lamps at each table and the destintion boards with a tartan background thought we were on the wrong road.
Jim Brodie.
If you ran with the front damper open you got a good bright fire from the front of the box spreading back.
Primary air at both ends had less chance of distorting the bars. We fired a flat fire little and often, no great heap over the door and when cleaning or lifting slag when running if you lifted the slag along the left side of the box then when firebed livened up then cleaned the fire along the right side of the box. if a front damper wasn't to be used then it wouldn't have been fitted. We were instructed to close the leading damper in flood water conditions, last time I saw that obsrved I also saw the train The Royal Scot passing us ,us passing them, drawing level for a while then watched the guards tail lamp dissapear in the distance. The location..Thirsk..our choo choo was a humble WD 2-8-0 the driver W Fisher when he saw the coaches with lamps at each table and the destintion boards with a tartan background thought we were on the wrong road.
Jim Brodie.