Amtrak F40PH 204, Salt Lake City, UT, Autumn 1981 (Beyer Patton) The RGZ at Denver, Autumn 1981 (Beyer Patton)
The San Francisco Zephyrs meet, Cheyenne, WY, 1978 (Beyer Patton) A trip with 8444, Northern Colorado, 1978 (Beyer Patton)
I agree, never gets old. But do get tired of seeing these oil fired steam locomotives over fired or over-oiled to make all the smoke. A good fireman would never want to see that oily stack. A sign of a lazy fired locomotive. My grandfather was a steam qualified engineer told me a good fired oil burner, had a pretty clean stack. But I understand the need for all the black smoke for pictures. Always great images!
They're just hamming it up for the photographers. Sort of like Hollywood red carpet photos. After all the paparazzi's flashbulbs have cooled off, this glamorous lady has a good bunch of people taking care of her...
Also it increases fuel consumption, something our old hands were “strongly advised” against. But it is common practice even in Europe, just see any german steam locomotive video when they also waste steam through the cylinder valves.
This is more like how it should look. https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?media/844.127220/
It is not just to be seen by railfans, but also anyone who produces TV shows, or makes movies that does this same stuff. Countless that I have seen have the cylinder cocks open for the sights and the sounds made. As less and less people are alive, who knew the steam era, more viewers accept this fantasy as the way it really was.
That's one thing I appreciate about transition era shots of the N & W. They were exploring just how efficient steam could be, and a clean stack was company policy. A crew could get "called on the carpet" for "hamming it up".
