Steam & Excursion > Injector responsibility

1.  Who's responsible?  Well, of course ultimately the engineer is responsible, but as far as routine operation the fireman on Western railroads operated his injector (or feedwater heater)  as the primary device and the engineer ran the one on the right if asked.  In the East the engineer was usually made primarily responsible.  In fact, some Eastern railroads put both water supplys on the engineers side.  Personally, when firing I like to have direct control of the water supply as it is easier to maintain an even temperature in the boiler when I can control both coal and water.  Great Northern Ry seemed to be an exception as a Western railroad - they put exhaust steam injectors on the engineers side, indicating the engineer had primary responsibility.  Then there's the PRR which uniquely put both injectors in the middle of the backhead.

2.  Modes of operation.  There are two methods, equally valid.  One method is to run the injector full time, using the water control valve to modulate the flow to match the usage of the boiler,  The other is to use the injector fully on, but in short bursts of up to about a minute, so as to not put in too much "cold" water at any one time.  There's a third mode, not recommended.  That is to run the injector full on, then full off for extended periods of time.  It's hard on the boiler due to wide temperature swings, and the mark of a poor fireman.  Temperature change is very hard on a boilers flues, staybolts, and firebox seams.

-LD

At the risk of sounding racist, down south, the RR's hired a lot of blacks as firemen and the engineers did not trust them to manage the water of the locmotive, so both injectors were on the right side.

Earlk Wrote:
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> At the risk of sounding racist, down south, the
> RR's hired a lot of blacks as firemen and the
> engineers did not trust them to manage the water
> of the locmotive, so both injectors were on the
> right side.

Not racist at all Earl since it was true, according to my great uncle, since he was one of them.

It was common on Camelback, Anthracite burners,  that both injectors were operated by the engineer...
The fireman typically stood at the rear of the boiler, often standing on the foot plate of the tender.
He was exposed to the elements and often the grate was wide enough that two sets of Butterfly
fire doors were required to ensure that the back corners of the grate were easily reached
with scoops of coal.

The exposure to the elements was an equal-opportunity position for those fireman, regardless of 
race, religion or national origin (Typically, though, the track gangs were headed by foremen of Italian descent).

For firemen, though, their job was to keep the boiler hot, regardless of the weather or the crusty old engineer and his 'two-guns'

Typically, injector vendors offered variants with two separated sets of cones and valves,
feeding a single boiler check on the engineer's side of the boiler.  
The two injectors were cast into a single body casting, with two independent delivery systems, two
supply valves and separate operating handles....Specifically designed for Camelback loco designs... 

As a youngster, I sometimes got to ride in the other side of the cab...which was vacant, but had
a small seat forthe fireman's use during any extended idle periods.  
The local freight that serviced Long Branch, was called the "Long Branch Drill" by the CNJ RR crews.
On the New York & Long Branch RR, Long Branch, NJ.

Great time to alive, back then ...

​W.