Having been snooping around railroadiana shows for years, I have seen lots of diesel locomotive operating manuals published by the builder. It recently dawned on me that I never see STEAM loco operating manuals! Why is that?

Did the builder instruct one or more railroad employees about each new engine upon delivery? Was there any technical literature unique to a series of locomotives?

tr2manz@frontiernet.net

> Having been snooping around railroadiana
> shows for years, I have seen lots of diesel
> locomotive operating manuals published by
> the builder. It recently dawned on me that I
> never see STEAM loco operating manuals! Why
> is that?

> Did the builder instruct one or more
> railroad employees about each new engine
> upon delivery? Was there any technical
> literature unique to a series of
> locomotives?

The ICS series of instructional manuals is probably the best general series for an all emcompasing view of how the various steam locomotives and their appliances work. Major parts of this series have been reprinted by Little River Press http://www.littleriverpress.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

I have a copy of a Technical Mannual from the U.S. Army that is a pretty concise one volume edition of "how to run a steam locomotive", but I do not believe that anyone has reprinted that one yet.

"The Locomotive Up to Date" by Chas. McShane is also a very good one volume guide, I like the 1920 and 1923 versions better that the earlier ones, which tend to spend too much time on mechanical oddities and other snake-oil locomotive appliances that never really caught on as standard.

One reason you will not see a specific model operating manual is that most locomotive engineers worked up as firemen apprentices, and were taught by another engineer. While working as firemen, they would learn their footplate trade, and study for their air brake exams, which were often taken in three different parts. The various "catachisms" were used as study guides for these exams.

In those days a promoted engineer was responsible to know his air brake so well; he could tear it apart, fix it and put it back together again. Recent experience with modern enginneers and their air brake abilities makes me wish for those days again!

Steve Zuiderveen

Little River Press
SZuidervee@aol.com

> In those days a promoted engineer was
> responsible to know his air brake so well;
> he could tear it apart, fix it and put it
> back together again. Recent experience with
> modern enginneers and their air brake
> abilities makes me wish for those days
> again!

> Steve Zuiderveen

I could do that with an M22 but I leave a 26 to the experts ... and forget the PLCs and the computer desk ...try a PC or HL control group


lamontdc@adelphia.net

What I was really getting at was this, for example: Did ALCo produce a manual specific to the five streamlined 4-4-2s delivered to the Milwaukee Road in 1935? Did Lima produce a manual for its "Daylight" 4-8-4s built for the SP? How was the engineman introduced to the specific points a newly-acquired machine?

tr2manz@frontiernet.net

Around 1945 Reading Company published a book called "Firing the Steam Locomotive" which discussed the fireman's job. I am not aware of a manual on running them.

The RR's had instruction departments and Air Brake Instruction cars; I don't know how much printed matter there was.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association