Fireman (steam engine)

The heater is part of the operating staff of a manually kept firing. He is responsible for fomenting and stirring up the fire and the fuel loading, takes over for furnaces, which are used to heat a boiler, usually the tasks of the boiler attendant.

Previously, heater particular steam locomotives and steamships ( stoker ) to find, but also with other, stationary combustion sources. Because fire management and fuel supply are largely automated in modern incinerators, the classic professional image of the heater is almost extinct today. However, the operating personnel of firing is still sometimes referred to jokingly as a heater.

Heater on steam locomotives

The heater carries usually a physically demanding job, by shoveling coal from the Tender ( or the tank engine from the coal reservoir ) on the gridiron - per layer can come together several tons. For locomotives with Stoker, oil or coal furnace, this work is not necessary. In this case, the heater must only regulate the amount of fuel and provide fuel for chunky solid fuels the embers on the grate if necessary.

Besides tuned to the energy requirement of the load to be powered fire management of the heater is responsible as a boiler operator for the water level in the boiler and for the operation of the numerous auxiliary equipment. Main display instruments for the work of the heater are the Kesseldruckmanometer and the water level indicator.

The fireman of a steam locomotive is under the drivers and on whose instruction other objects that go beyond the loading of the firebox and boiler water monitoring execute. While driving and when stopping at the platforms of the heater has regularly the task of monitoring the track and the train of the heater side.

Current situation

With the elimination of the steam locomotive from the rail, the heaters were superfluous in the years 1960-1970. The profession of the heater was no longer needed. The heaters were not released, but as a " train attendants " ( " Beimann " ) used to fast moving trains to support the engineer. Also the Beimann abolished - was only in 1996 then - in agreement with the railway unions.

In Britain, the unions prevailed in the 1950s that were riding heater on electric locomotives. This scheme was developed by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her reign (1979 - 1990) abolished after they had significantly curtailed the power of the unions.