Greetings all,

Anyone have any recommendations on the best books for an aspiring fireman to study? I'd prefer to buy an 'antique book', however reprints are fine. What are the titles/authors you folks think are the best reads? Online sources to purchase from?

Thanks, -Jason

The answer depends on how far and deep you want to get into the quagmire. <:-)

Of the three books I own , the best and most effective primer for the "beginner" or "wannabe" who wants to occasionally volunteer would be "How to Drive a Steam Locomotive" by Brian Hollingsworth, a 1981 book from the U.K. It's available cheap on Amazon at the moment. The caution with this book is that you have to become fluent in British railway jargon as much as American; it's basically a whole different language.

Two popular books are "The Steam Locomotive" by Ralph Johnson (1942) and "The Engineman's Manual" by W.P. James (1916 with many revised editions). The former is rare and expensive even in a reprinted edition, and is generally an engineering treatise best if you're heck-bent on becoming a future Strasburg shop employee or the head engineer of the next American Coal Enterprises project.

The latter is still floating around in a recent reprint as "The Locomotive Engineman's Manual": http://www.amazon.com/Locomotive-Engine ... 648&sr=8-1 It, too, is full of FAR more technical information (comparisons of various valve gear types, reversers, various brake types, how to run a Mallet, inspection of tires for wear, etc.) than any volunteer for your average steam-run excursion line will ever need to know.

The book "Basic Steam Locomotive Maintenance" by D.C. Buell has a good chapter on firing and is a good resource for general understanding of steam locomotive operation without too much of the technical engineering details.

I believe the book is available through the Strasburg RR bookstore or from Simmons-Boardman Publishing in Omaha, NE.

Ted Krumreich

"Suggested Unit Course in Locomotive Firing" by University of State of New York.

http://www.railarchive.net/firing/index.html

PC

When I was firing at Steamtown I was given a reprint (photo copy?) of a Reading Company fireman's manual. It was a good "real world" write up of what to do, what not to do. Not sure if anyone has a copy or if the Reading Tech Society might carry it, but it's worth a search....

Dave Crosby

Have a look and download for free! If you work the keywords on the google book search you will find lots of classic steam era reading. Make sure you check off "full view" so you get only the free ones.

http://books.google.com/books?id=s0kAOm ... &q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=E7JKAA ... ng&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=X1viAA ... &q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=_7ZKAA ... &q&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?id=IKkXAA ... &q&f=false

This link appears a very good resource from a cursory look. I guess by 1944 they had figured out what to do and what not to do!

Strictly from my personal experience, as a primer for locomotive mechanics, I would recommend the Pennsylvania Railroad Machinery Examinations for Locomotive Firemen from the '40's. IMHO, it covers the most material in the least amount of pages, with very clear and concise explanations for the most part. The 1949 edition is available here:

http://prr.railfan.net/documents/Machin ... n-1949.pdf

As a first firing manual, I like "Fuel Economy" by Frederic Prior (I think that's who wrote it, I can't find my copy right now.). That book really helped me get the hang of firing because it helped me understand what's actually going on in the firebox and the boiler when you throw a scoop of coal in the fire.

Then, if you really get hooked, I would suggest collecting the International Correspondence School's (ICS) texts on locomotives and railroading. There's a bunch of them that cover various aspects of railroading, steam locomotive mechanics, and diesel mechanics too. The DC Buell books (Railway Educational Bureau) are good to, and as was stated earlier, you can get a big chunk of the steam series in one reprint book called "Basic Locomotive Maintenance". I personally preferred the ICS books. I just had a little easier time understanding them for some reason.

I concur re the ICS books. Here's one from Abebooks:

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=2195871220&searchurl=an%3Dharding%26sts%3Dt%26tn%3Dlocomotive%2Bmanagement%26x%3D0%26y%3D0

I am glad someone found New York State's 1944 "Suggested Unit Course in Locomotive Firing" on my web site. There are only three or four known copies of that book in the country. I have thought of reformatting it, correcting some typos, and creating a print edition, but it would be a time-consuming project. Meanwhile, since I have higher-resolution versions of all the pages I could print it "as is" on my computer printer or have it professionally recopied, for anyone who would care to reimburse my expense. Or you are welcome to print the web site pages for your personal use -- not for redistribution. (I presume it is a public document since it was created by a government agency, but I put a lot of work into getting it on my web site.) -- Dr. Richard Leonard

Update, at least five known copies. Richard are all of the books that you have heard about hard bound in leather covers (the one I have is) or are there any staple bound, spiral binding, or wire loop bound versions out there too?

I thoroughly agree, the book is a excellent reference, readily understandable, and comprehensively illustrated.

PC

My copy is spiral bound with plastic. For copying purposes I "unscrewed" the plastic so the sheets are separated, and it has been stored that way for years -- though I still have the plastic spiral, if I ever wanted to reassemble the book.

That is interesting that their are at least two variations in binding. The hard cover binding on my book had discouraged me from copying it as bending the book to get it flat on a scanner plate could have damaged the spine. It is much too nice a book to risk that. Your having it available from your website is a valuable service to the steam enthusiasts in the hobby and the museum industry.

PC

I am guessing that the hardbound copies were done later by libraries or perhaps individuals, and that the originals were all spiral bound. They were produced during WWII for the use of student firemen and I can't see them being put out in an expensive binding at that time.

If it helps the research, the hard cover version does not look like an amateur binding. It is sewn spine construction, with black leather covers, and has lettering "Suggested Unit Course in Locomotive Firing" and "The New York State Vocational And Practical Arts Association" machine embossed in the cover (indented lettering done with a die under heat and pressure) and the lettering is filled in gold leaf. The book also has a red copyright notice stamp inside dated November 1944 by the New York State Education Department, applied with considerable pressure, you can see the indentation the stamp made in the page. The binding and cover treatment are very much like US Navy hard bound machinery manuals of the 1940s.

PC