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I watched some of this, but not all.

This video contains some of the best animation of the internal workings of a steam locomotive that I’ve ever seen. And his explanations of the parts and how they work (at least for the section I watched) were accurate and correct…with one exception.

Like so many people, he refers to the stoker as an “automatic” stoker. There is nothing “automatic” in the operation of a steam locomotive stoker. It is entirely under the manual control of the fireman. He controls the speed of the stoker and the setting of the distribution jets, which blow the coal out on to the fire.

@Rich Melvin I thought this was a goof in our language. Sort of like DEF Fluid. DEF is an acronym for Diesel Exhaust Fluid. Consequently, DEF Fluid is repetitious. I took the phrase "automatic stoker" as automating the shoveling part. So "automatic" doesn't belong because automated or mechanized shoveling is what a stoker does. It would be more accurate to call it an "automatic shoveler" I suspect. It's just a stoker. I'll stop rambling now.

Either way, I took this video was a grain of salt when first saw it just because it's the internet. But it's good to hear it's at least in the ball park for correctness, coming from a guy qualified to verify like yourself

@BillYo414 posted:

@Rich Melvin I thought this was a goof in our language. Sort of like DEF Fluid. DEF is an acronym for Diesel Exhaust Fluid. Consequently, DEF Fluid is repetitious. I took the phrase "automatic stoker" as automating the shoveling part. So "automatic" doesn't belong because automated or mechanized shoveling is what a stoker does. It would be more accurate to call it an "automatic shoveler" I suspect. It's just a stoker. I'll stop rambling now.

Good idea.

Either way, I took this video was a grain of salt when first saw it just because it's the internet. But it's good to hear it's at least in the ball park for correctness, coming from a guy qualified to verify like yourself

I didn't watch it because I have a hard time dealing with individuals that have never worked on equipment like that. Thanks for Rich's comment.

@BillYo414 posted:

... I took the phrase "automatic stoker" as automating the shoveling part. So "automatic" doesn't belong because automated or mechanized shoveling is what a stoker does. It would be more accurate to call it an "automatic shoveler" I suspect.…

I’ll say it again…there is NOTHING “automatic” about a steam locomotive stoker. It does not “automate” anything.

Jack, you might actually enjoy this one. He does a decent job with this.

@BillYo414 posted:

@Rich Melvin ...I took the phrase "automatic stoker" as automating the shoveling part. So "automatic" doesn't belong because automated or mechanized shoveling ...

@Rich Melvin posted:

I’ll say it again…there is NOTHING “automatic” about a steam locomotive stoker. It does not “automate” anything. ...

He also referenced the cab's "automatic firedoor" in the video. Automatic can also mean ... mechanical. I'm guessing the term was used that way in the dated technical literature he used for the video?

Regardless, fun video to watch. He does great work. I think I more enjoyed his video explaining how he made the BigBoy video (posted by RailRide) ... even though I didn't understand so much of the graphics software terms he was using. lol

Last edited by CNJ Jim

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