The Topeka state journal., 1905-10-07
RAILROAD NEWS.
Mechanical Stoker Great Labor
Saver for Firemen.
Results of Its Operation Pre-
sented by C. A. Kraft.
IT is A BIG SUCCESS.
Two Roads Have Made Extensive
Experiments With 1t.
Gossip and Matters OF Interest
in Railroad Circles.
IT is A BIG SUCCESS.

OF particular interest to railroad engi-
neers and fremen throughout the coun-
try is an extensive paper on the me-
chanical stolzer which was read at the
thirteenth annual convention of the
Travelling Engineers association held at
Detroit recently. This paper was pre-
pared and read by c. A. Kraft, road
foreman of engines on the Chesapeake
and Ohio and in it were given some of
the results of experiments with these
stokers by the Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Chicago and st Louis and the Chesa-
peake and Ohio railways.
Passenger engines on one division of
the Big -Four between Cincinnati and
Chicago, were equipped with the stoker
and have been in operation since the
first of the year. These stokers are
attached to locomotives with wide fire
boxes as well as to those with long fire
boxes, and the result is, says Mr.. Kraft
that the stoker does its work efficiently
and economically, and that the fireman
having once become acquainted with
the stoker and recognizing its labor
saving features, becomes it's enthusiast
tic supporter. In his statements as to
the work performed by the stoker, Mr..
Kraft says that the coal is distributed
uniformly over the widest type of fire
boxes, with an entire absence of any
blow holes, and the evenness of tenn
perature secured has had a very mark
ed effect on the cost Of repairs to the
locomotives. The StOIxer itself does not
come in contact with the fire, and as
1t IS strong and simply made the cost
OF maintenance is very slight. The con-
tfnuouS feeding of coal has a very mark
ed effect upon the amount consumed.
Run-of-mine coal is used, but it has
been found that a good grade of slack
viii secure even better results, owing
to the principle of feeding coal in small
quantities widely distributed. Absence
of dense volumes of black smoke is
also very nOticea BILE. An engine COM
ing into terminal with clean fires, such
as are possible with this machine, is not
called upon to go to the cinder pit and
dump its fires, but is backed into the
roundhouse. where she holds steam for
hours, until she is ready to go on her
return run In the fastest and heaviest
runs made. it is found that the steam
gauge shows a variation of not exceed
ing five pounds under ordinary condi-
tiOns.
Practical tests showing the capacity
of the stoker have proven that it will
feed, under normal conditions, a total
Of $4,000 pounds of run-of-nine coal per
hour. With an unlimited coal-feeding
capacity, therefore. and with such
mechanism as will allow the fireman
to regulate the stoker to existing con-
ditions, the duties of the fireman are
very much lessened and he has far
more time to give attention to the run
ming of the engine. It brings the fire
man to the end of his days work in a
fresh condition, ready for extra duty
should a call be made upon him. By
relieving the firemen of the back
breaking, Blistering work, the rail-
roads are enabled to secure men of
more than ordinary intelligence to do
the work of firemen, and thus be prO-
vided with a high grade of men from
whom to promote to engineers.
AS to the service in which the stOker
will prove most valuable, Mr.. Kraft
states as his opinion that on the or
dinary American type of engine there
is no necessity whatever for the stOker
as the fireman has to be kept on the
engine of course and the work is not
such that an ordinary man cannot ex-
ecute it with ease. But with the long
fire box type of engine on a long run
over a division comparatively free
from grades, where the engine is load
ed to its maximum capacity all the
time, is where the stoker will be found
the most valuable. as a machine will
not tire and consequently will enable
the engine to carry the maximum pres
sure all the time and get the full ben
eft of the tractive power of the en-
gine over a long continuous trip.