To Index
A steam engine carrying a load of dehydrated potatoes from Summerside in 1946 on Train 1163. One of the uses for these dehydrated potatoes was at starch factories, one of which was located at Hunter River. With steam engines, it took an expert knowledge of fire temperatures and steam levels to avoid slow running times. Learning how to navigate curves such as this one involved traversing them many times, and becoming familiar with every up and down, flat and hump on a section of track. The fireman would learn to use landmarks on the left of the train, which would allow him to adjust steam pressure acccordingly. Once many fireman learned these tricks of the trade, they would have to learn the territory all over again as a driver. A first-run driver could not use landmarks familiar to him as a fireman, since he could only view the area from the right side of the train. (Lowell Huestis)
To Text