Was the prototype of this engine hand fired? Thanks!
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No.
By this stage of steam locomotive development the fire boxes had grown far too large to hand fire. That's why the Berkshire has a 4-wheel trailing truck...to support the weight of that huge firebox.
Not only did it have a stoker, as Rich says, but I'm pretty sure I've seen a version of the original Lima Berk featured in an ad for automatic stokers. It was the Lima demo rather than the Coffin-heater version in the picture, but basically the same engine except for the feedwater heater.
Thanks guys. The tender for this model has what look to me to be doors that are partially open. Did stoker equipped tenders have bunker doors? Thanks again.
Yes.
A stoker isn't perfect. The fireman still has to use the shovel every now and then to touch up the fire.
Rusty
