What Steam Locomotive Firemen Endured for 12 Hours Straight

A steam-locomotive fireman did far more than shovel coal. He had to predict what the locomotive would need several minutes before it needed it. On a hard freight run, the engineer could demand more power by opening the throttle. More steam left the boiler. More water disappeared. The fire burned harder. Coal vanished faster. The fireman had to stay ahead of all three. Fire. Water. Pressure. Add fresh coal too heavily and he could cool or smother part of the fire. Wait too long and steam pressure could collapse on a grade. Let boiler water fall dangerously low and the consequences could become catastrophic. This historical documentary reconstructs the working life of an American steam-locomotive fireman and explains why the job required judgment, route knowledge, physical endurance, and constant attention. #SteamLocomotive #RailroadHistory #ForgottenJobs