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Manually shovelling coal on a steam engine. Is there another way?

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70014IronDuke

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Not well at all, hence for many, many years there was always a 'secondman' in the cab.

Yes, but it wasn't as simple as that. The secondman was needed to work the train heat boiler on passenger stock. and I think was needed on unfitted freight too - but stand to be corrected.

EDIT And wasn't he needed for coupling up to stock?
 
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QueensCurve

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Hi. Just been watching the Top Gear race to the North with Jeremy on the footplate of Tornado.

He stated that 30 tons of coal would have to be put in the firebox to get there.

Was wondering if there was another easier way to do it. Some sort of corkscrew system to move it along? Was any automatic system tried?

Just curious

Had steam traction remained mainstream railway technology, there would no doubt have been developments to make it more efficient both thermally and in terms of manpower.

In one sense it seems perhaps odd that the creators of Tornado perpetuated a century-old design rather than introduce innovations.
 

QueensCurve

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Most mechanical stokers blew the coal from the fire end onto the firebed with a....

Thank you for the very informative answer. Re fatigue for the fireman this would seem to have been a severe limitation for steam traction.
 

broadgage

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Had steam traction remained mainstream railway technology, there would no doubt have been developments to make it more efficient both thermally and in terms of manpower.

In one sense it seems perhaps odd that the creators of Tornado perpetuated a century-old design rather than introduce innovations.

The owners of Tornado consider the loco to be not a replica, but simply the next one in a series, the design therefore replicates the earlier engines in the same series, so far as changes in technology and regulations permit.

I am all in favour of innovation and hope that one day someone will build a truly modern steamer, perhaps with pulverised coal firing and perhaps even with steam turbine drive and electric transmission.
I would pay good money view such a machine and be hauled by it, but not exactly heritage.
 

Merthyr Imp

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