In general, back in the very early part of the 20th century, were the steam engines kept warm for days or weeks or were they allowed to cool down after their shift?
Dave
Well, let me give you some examples of how things worked here on the railroads of Central Appalachia during the first half of the 20th century, when the coal fields of the area were booming.
First, keep in mind that locomotives were an investment, and the railroads, being in business to make maximum profit, didn't assign many "extra" locomotives to a given engine terminal and let them sit idle for very long. Most locomotives didn't work a fixed "shift". Men and machines were expected to be available for work 24/7. Few locomotive sat idle doing nothing for very long because that cost money which meant less profit for the railroad. Typically, a steam locomotive might spent about 50% to 55% of its time being serviced or repaired, and the remaining time working. Locomotive didn't spend much time sitting idle by themselves in a dark corner of the enginehouse. Most of the time, if the loco was in the enginehouse, it was being worked on. In general, most crews didn't go to work at a "regular time" of day -- they went to work as called for duty. When the railroad had a job that needed doing, they simply used what men and (suitable) machines were available.
Let's take
a very general look at Thurmond, West Virginia, for example. Deep in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a typical small, but very busy, engine terminal on the C&O Railway. In its peak, about 200 cars of coal were brought into Thurmond daily. Crews took empties to the mines and picked up coal from these mines on the mainline and on branch lines during the day and during the night. Loaded cars brought in were shuffled in the yards during the day and during the night. Trains from Hinton or Handley brought in empties or picked up loads day and night. Locomotives that handled local passenger trains that originated out of the terminal usually ran during the day light hours only, but the locos usually spent all night being serviced/repaired/inspected.
When a crew returned to the engine terminal from their assignment, a
hostler would drive the locomotive to the ash pit and dump it ashes, then drive it into the engine house. If the enginehouse was full of locomotives being worked on, the hostler would drive the locomotive to the service area to fill it with coal, sand, and water, otherwise he'd drive the locomotive into the enginehouse if space was available. The engineer, who'd just used the locomotive on a run, filled out a form at the end of his run listing any problems with the locomotive, indicated any repairs needed, etc. The enginehouse crew would fix things that were broken, perhaps replacing brake shoes if needed for example, check the running gear, and generally inspect the locomotive from head to toe for defects or problem areas, and check the locomotive service records to see what scheduled maintenance needed to be done. Rods were tightened and usually the running gear was sprayed down and cleaned, then lubricated and the engine rubbed down with "waste", lights and windows cleaned, etc. If required, any "scheduled maintenance" was done, things that weren't done every day but were done
every few days or every so-many miles, such as washing the boiler out and/or the smokebox cleaned, etc. Leaking pipes were repaired as needed, etc. Once the locomotive was deemed fit for service, the hostler would drive it out to the ready track, or if he hadn't done so already, fill it with coal, sand, and water and then drive it to the ready track and bank its fire. Before making it to the ready track, the locomotive may have spent just a few hours or maybe even 12 (or more) hours being serviced. Typically, the locomotive didn't sit long on the ready track -- it would be put to use on the next run it was suitable for.
Meanwhile, a few miles away, in the plateau area above the Gorge, the Virginian Railway kept a single MB class 2-8-2 stationed at the Oak Hill depot for work on the White Oak branch. A hostler, who lived in a company owned house across the street from the depot tended to the MB when it wasn't working, keeping the fire up, making sure the boiler had water, banking the fire at night, etc. Crews would be called as needed, taking the loco out on a run. Usually, another Virginian MB would bring empties to Oak Hill and the crews would swap out the locomotives, the one loco that had seen a day or two of duties returned to the engine terminal at Page where it was serviced. Crews would oil up the loco's running gear, and fill the locomotive with coal at one of the tipples and pickup water from a plug or water tank in the area. The little MB didn't sit idle for very long at at time -- sometimes two crews used the loco during a 24 hour period.
Meanwhile, a few miles away in Mount Hope, the KGJ&E, the little shortline railroad that handle coal from a dozen of so mines operated much like the C&O, working its men and machines around the clock, making runs to the mines during the day and at night, although apparently most runs occurred during the daylight hours. The KGJ&E had a small enginehouse, where it maintained its five steam locomotives when they came back off runs. The shortline's locomotive probably saw more idle time that the C&O but it'd be rare for them to sit for more than a few hours, with their fires banked. Like the C&O, men and machine were expected to be available 24/7. But in general, the KGJ&E's locomotives were older and less technologically advanced that the C&O's, so typically they probably spent more hours being worked on, serviced, and maintained. Major repairs that the KGJ&E couldn't do were performed by the Virginian at Page (see next paragraph.)
A few more miles from here, the Virginian operated a engine terminal at Page, a little larger than the C&O's Thurmond operation. But like the C&O, few locomotive sat around with nothing to do. Like the C&O, engines were assigned to a terminal only if business warranted them being there. Few locomotives sat idle for very long. Once they were serviced and moved out to the ready track, they were put into service ASAP, on the next run they were suitable for, usually within only a few hours at most.
