Taking her medicine. The crew of Valley Railroad Locomotive 3025 prepares her for a few days of "cold" storage by injecting water treatment chemicals directly into her boiler. These chemicals are designed to prevent the formation of mineral deposits on the inner surfaces of the boiler shell and the flues. Such deposits not only degrade the efficiency of the boiler, but can also hasten corrosion of the steel. In this shot, you can see the clever rig they are using, which struck me as a sort of IV for a locomotive. A long hose with a funnel is connected to a small valve on the Engineer's-side tender water line. The Fireman (seated in the cab) has his hand on the injector lever and when his Engineer (standing) pours the Maalox-like, white chemicals into the funnel, he starts that injector, sucking the chemicals into the water line and on into the boiler. I have often seen railroad crews pouring water treatments into locomotive tender tanks, but this is the first time I had ever seen a direct injection into the boiler. It makes perfect sense. With the locomotive about to be inactive for 5 days, the crew wanted to ensure that the concentrations of chemicals inside the boiler were at an effective level. After the operation was complete, the Engineer joked that he was half expecting 3025 to burp! LOL!
A tribute of appreciation to the workers who maintain the track, keeping our railways in shape regardless of weather and danger, and keeping them running effeciently.
