Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

BRITAIN AT WORK. i io Photo ; F. Moore, Charing Cross Road. PICKING UP WATER AT THE GORING TROUGHS. of live coal, with which he starts the fire ; while, till the driver arrives, the same man looks after the occasion- elsewhere, or if the repair of bridges, crossing- gates, track-troughs, signal posts, etc., at certain specified points demands a sharp look- out, together with a reduction of speed. Needless to point out, very serious accidents might happen were not these notices carefully scanned. The board, however, also contains notices of a different kind, as, for instance : “ Complaint is made of ashes being thrown from engines on to the point rods and signal wires at Mugby Junction. This practice must cease at once.” The driver next proceeds to the stores, where he obtains a supply of oil and waste, the amount of the former being booked to him, for he is allowed I lb. of waste per week merely to clean his hands. Generally he receives three different kinds of oil, namely, rape oil for machinery, a thicker oil for the cylinders, and paraffin or petroleum for the gauge and head lamps. At the stores also are issued to him the discs, if any, carried in front of the locomotive, to notify the destination of the train. Meanwhile, the fireman has gone to another part of the shed to obtain a supply of dry sand heated by special furnaces. After this the two men repair to their engine, which they find coaled, cleaned, repaired, and already making steam. Here it must be explained that, about three or four hours before the engine is required, a bar boy comes along with a torch-lamp, steel broom, and fire-box lifter, and enters the fire-box to clean it of clinkers and to re-arrangre the bars. After him follows the fire-lighter, carrying on his shoulder a shovel engine ally, to see that it is making steam properly.. When on the footplate the first thing that requires the driver’s atten- tion is the level of the water in the gauge glass. He must ascertain whether the level as it appears shows correctly the height of the water within the boiler by opening the lower cock. On being satisfied that the boiler is safe, the engine must be examined over a pit, the loco- motive itself being placed in such a position that every part of it may be inspected without having the machinery moved. The driver then descends and carefully oils all bearings, RUSHING PAST A STATION.