The current issue (June 2015) of Trains Magazine has an article by Doug Riddell in the In my own words section. He is a retired Amtrak engineer. In the article he says "...in 1980......I stood for a regular passenger assignment....to fire for Rob...." What exactly did a fireman do while firing on an Amtrak train?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
The term goes back to the steam era. Then the position was the first step in becoming an engineman. After steam, the main job was to confirm train operations (coordinate orders, call signals, watch for hot-boxes, etc.) Inaddition to take care of any issues on the locomotives (investigate alarm bells, reset for over-speeds) what ever to get the primemover back on-line.
In light of Amtrak's one engine crew and Class 1 two man crews, its odd seeing this term in print.
Another question to ask, are there still Firemen positions on RR? What does the UP and NS title the person keeping the firebox hot?
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seppburgh2 The term goes back to the steam era. Then the position was the first step in becoming an engineman.
The term goes back to the steam era. Then the position was the first step in becoming an engineman.
And therein lies a story - or the law of unintended consequences.
The CPR phased out firemen in the sixties, not expecting what would happen when there was no time to teach new hire engineers all they should really know about operating older equipment.
So we progress the the mid to late seventies, by which time men who had been trained as firemen where all now engineers. But the equipment soldiered on. There was "The Canadian" being pulled by "F" units, and the cars were heated by steam. There was still a need for a second man in the cab to call signals or do on the fly maintenace, but no time to teach them proper steam heat equipment repair. The company said, simply stop the train and we will send a repair crew out. Not an acceptable solution on the Saskatchewan prairie in the dead of winter.
So, the company set up a new pool of "Firemen", who were in fact qualified engineers. Engineers could move down and bump whoever was on the Fireman list. Now there were always people who didn't get along with each other, but the upshot was, with one train each way, everyday, you had the top four or five engineers on each Sub. working with each other. This was costing the company a fortune, but no one could figure out a safe, viable alternative. And the men sure liked the job.
As the saying goes, "nice work if you can get it".
This went on until VIA started supplying their own crews, and the steam heat was replaced with HEP in the '90's.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
The fireman on a passenger train may also have been a qualified engineer. Working as a fireman because he wasn't able to hold an engineer's assignment. The current special issue "Trains of the 1970's" has a reprint of the late John Crosby's "Extra board diaries" where he talks of going from being a senior fireman to being the "youngest" engineer.
Even without being fully qualified, the fireman is allowed to run the train in the presence of the engineer.
The fireman's position on the class 1s today is a training position. Today with the flow-back agreements, if an engineer can't hold an engineer's job he's set back to conductor.
Jeff
As a long-time Doug Riddell fan, glad to see him back in print and look forward to the June issue. From experience on my many cab rides on GP7s 1567 and 1568 on the Boston and Maine 1952-1953, North Station - Portsmouth, NH, including one where I ran on the freight return, the main thing about being a fireman was learning to be a better engineer.
Sounds like a fireman's position on a diesel was as an engineer in training. Why not just call it that, and do away with a phrase-fireman- that isn't relative anymore?
Don't forget that trains at that time also had front end and rear end brakemen, also entry level positions that lead to engineer or conductor eventually. It's not as if the eliminating of fireman led to a lack of people to qualify as engineers or conductors.
Murphy Siding Sounds like a fireman's position on a diesel was as an engineer in training. Why not just call it that, and do away with a phrase-fireman- that isn't relative anymore?
They did.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Who's going to make sure the mechanical stoker on 4501 and 611 are doing their job properly?
Johnny
Deggesty Who's going to make sure the mechanical stoker on 4501 and 611 are doing their job properly?
Stoker Ace?
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