Читать книгу Locomotive Engine Running and Management онлайн

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“3d, The fireman now being competent to run a locomotive, and being placed in charge of one, has yet some few things to learn that he did not have the opportunity of learning, from the fact that he was not running the engine. While he may run carefully, and avoid accidents, he has to learn to run his engine with economy in the consumption of fuel and the cost of repairs. To learn this, and to give the young engineer an opportunity to become a first-class man in his occupation, we recommend there be three grades of engineers,—first, second, and third grades,—and that the remuneration they receive be according to grade; the fireman just promoted ranking in the third grade; after one year’s service he enters the second grade; when two years have passed, he enters the first grade, and becomes a first-class locomotive engineer.”

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On railroads where the system of “long runs” for locomotives prevails, there is a locomotive inspector employed, whose duty it is to thoroughly examine every available point about every engine that arrives at his station, and find out what repairs are needed, and to detect the incipient defects which lead to disaster on the road. Some roads that do not practice long runs have an inspector who examines every engine. This plan is very effectually used on the elevated railroads of New York, and has much to do with the immunity from accident of their engines. These inspectors are not employed to exempt engineers from looking over their engines, but merely to supplement their care. In some cases engineers are brought sharply to task if they overlook any important defect which is discovered by the inspector.