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On sanding the flues: 1.) The cinders in coal acts like sand in cleaning the flues, thereby solving that problem. 2.) One little technicality: egmurphy called the scoop "small." It really isn't small, and I've heard of fireman tossing in a heck of a lot of sand to clean really dirty flues. 3.) When sanding the flues, you would usually close the dampers (to make a strong draft through the firebox door to carry the sand, which also makes the smoke turn black. To elaborate a little on starting a cold boiler: 1.) Everything said so far is hunky-dory. 2.) In the cab of the locomotive is the firing manifold, from which the fireman controls the admission of steam to all of the oil-related steam usages, and the blower. There is usually a way to put steam into the manifold (frequently through the blower pipe). 3.) With a dead-cold boiler with no steam available (rare then, common now), diesel can be used, which doesn't require heating, and compressed air can be used for the atomizer and blower. If you've got nothing, then build a wood fire, but be sure to clean it all out once you have steam going, since cinders could go out the stack (there isn't as much cinder protection on an oil burner). You want to fire the boiler so that the pressure goes up at about 1-2 psi per minute, no more. I hadn't known about the smoke lights, cool! I have heard of running with the blower on. It's not the "correct" practice, but because of peculiarities of some locomotives, such as FEF-3's, some fireman would do it. Sincerely, Daniel Parks
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