Y'all,

Well, I've fired up 1925 tonight and I have a student tomorrow, so my work won't be as bad as it could be this Saturday. Also, our wonderful summertime Carolina heat and humidity has broken. I know we'll have plenty of visitors to the cab, and this brings me to my question: I often joke with the families who come to inspect the engine cab, upon showing them the fire door and the inferno inside, that they should bring me a hot dog or marshmellow to cook next time they come. It's something they can relate to, but I grew up reading Wylie Bryan's stories about firing on the Seaboard Air Line in Trains, and how they would toast sandwiches and stuff on a scoop. Has anybody ever written down stories about how this was done, besides Wylie, on other lines? Are there recipes?

As you can see, one day, I would actually like to demonstrate "cooking in the cab" for the visitors at Spencer.

Happy weekend beating the rust back, everyone! Jim

http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

Jim,
I have heard of that too. My only experiences were in South Africa, which nearly all engines had a small pot of tea brewing on the ledge above the firebox door. I have a slide around someplace looking in the cab of a 19D at Grahamstown...Engine had a regular driver, er engineer sorry, and the logo was well kept inside and out. They would make toast somehow I was told, but image it was something like the scoop.
Greg

videos

sales@gregschollvideo.com

> Has anybody
> ever written down stories about how this was
> done, besides Wylie, on other lines? Are
> there recipes?

> As you can see, one day, I would actually
> like to demonstrate "cooking in the
> cab" for the visitors at Spencer.

Hey Jim!
The closest thing to what you describe, is a scene in the Disney movie, THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE. In some of the scenes, there are what appear to be strips of bacon hanging on the partially opened firebox door, getting cooked. I believe it was Slim Pickens engine. They also sat a coffee pot on the backhead some where to heat the coffee.

All I can think of....

Russell Underwood

NFDRwy@Cox.net

Jim,

This sort of thing was done in Australia as well as South Africa. They call the coal shovel a "banjo", so it was referred to as "cooking on the banjo".

This topic came up for discussion some time in the past on one my mailing lists. Alas, I tried searching the groups I belong to on Yahoo to no avail.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a


Surviving World Steam Locomotives
james1@pernet.net

For an interesting story about 'Scoop Cuisine', click in the link below to get the story from one of the NKP 765 crew members. The story I refer to is towards the bottom of the page unter the heading of 'A Day at The Movies'

765 Story
mguptail@765.org

There was an article in the British magazine Steam Railway a few years back all about the art of cooking with a steam locomotive. It had how-to tips on things like frying bacon and eggs on the coal scoop, and baking potatoes in the smokebox. I don't remember which issue it was off the top of my head but I'll see if I can find it.

rjenkins@railfan.net