The train driver in the courtyard

Chapter 101
Inside the steam head.

While inspecting the furnace, Master Zheng said unhappily, "Today, the coal worker at the locomotive depot replaced the coal on our truck with second-class coal."

"Second-class coal?"

"On our line, [-] miles past Zhangzhuang Station, there is a section with a higher slope."

After listening to Master Zheng's explanation, Li Aiguo understood.

Coal on trains is graded.

On smooth sections of the road, the coal used on the locomotive is second-class coal.

For steep road sections, first-class coal or high-quality anthracite should be used.

The higher the quality of the coal, the stronger the power it can provide.

If it is replaced by second-class coal, to provide the same power, the fireman needs to shovel more coal.

No wonder they are so upset.

Master Liu checked the instrument, and asked curiously: "Why do you want to replace our first-class coal when it's so good? What do the comrades who supply the coal say?"

"He didn't know either. He only knew that the first-class coal that should have been supplied to our train was sent to the train to Moscow."

Hearing this, Master Liu fell silent.

Compared with the 131 train, the train to Moscow is more important.

Master Zheng also figured it out, he cheered up, and grinned: "Isn't it just to shovel more coal? My old Zheng is the best coal shoveler in the locomotive depot."

"Okay, if you're too busy then, just say hello, and Lao Liu and I will help you."

As a reminder, Li Aiguo saw that the time on the iron-cased alarm clock was close to the departure time.

With a slight pull, accompanied by the clear siren sound, the black locomotive moved slowly along the rails in the faint sunlight.

Sitting in the driver's building, Li Aiguo felt a little bored listening to the monotonous sound of wheels hitting the rails.

It would be nice if a radio could be installed in the cab.

Imagine, driving a train, listening to storytelling, that day is called beautiful.

Whoops, eats, eats, whoops, eats, eats.
In the driver's building, Li Aiguo focused on controlling the train.

Perhaps because of the use of second-class coal today, the pressure of the steam has never been raised.

Li Aiguo measured the distance and felt that he was approaching the steep section of the railway track.

He raised his head and looked back, and saw Master Zheng, the fireman, waving his coal shovel wildly, sweat dripping from his forehead.

The short-sleeved overalls on his body had long been soaked with sweat, and his whole body seemed to have been drenched by heavy rain.

"Master Zheng, you can't do it alone, why don't you say hello loudly."

Li Aiguo informed the co-driver Liu Qingquan to help.

When the power of the train cannot keep up, the driver and co-driver often need to help the fireman shovel coal.

"I can do it. I'm the best fireman in our locomotive depot. I won't be troubled by this little problem."

His mouth was very firm, but Master Zheng stepped aside.

Liu Qingquan shoveled coal with a coal shovel.

With more people and more strength, the value of the barometer rose quickly, and the power of the steam locomotive also increased a lot.

It's just that Liu Qingquan was the co-driver after all, and he was getting older, so he started panting loudly after working for a while.

"Master Liu, come on, you stare at the dashboard, I'll shovel coal."

Li Aiguo stood up and replaced him.

Picking up the coal shovel, it was a crazy output, which made Master Zheng dumbfounded.

"Okay, Driver Li, if you are a fireman, you must be qualified."

"Old Zheng, you can say cheap things. Driver Li is a regular driver. Do you care about your fireman?" Liu Qingquan joked.

"What's wrong with the fireman, what a shame!" Master Zheng usually doesn't like to talk.

This will feel despised, and angrily yelled: "The leader said, we just have different divisions of labor, and we are all contributing to the construction of the motherland. There is no distinction between high and low status."

"Yes yes yes, Old Zheng, you are as tall as Xing Duanchang's shoulders." Liu Qingquan said.

"It's just average height! Without me, the train would have to lie down. My job is as important as Duan Zhang Xing, and the status is naturally the same." Master Zheng is confident.

Now Liu Qingquan had nothing to say, he could only laugh a few times, and turned to look at the dashboard.

While shoveling coal, Li Aiguo gave Master Zheng a thumbs up: "Master Zheng, great job!"

"Driver Li, don't let Master Liu lead you into trouble. Now is a new society where everyone is equal. Leaders are no different from us except for the division of labor. You don't have to feel short when you see them."

Master Zheng said loudly while shoveling coal: "The spring just started the year before last. The higher-ups saw that I was a long-term road worker, and I was serious and responsible in my work. They planned to transfer me to the logistics department to be responsible for the distribution of materials."

"Tell me, I'm a coal shoveler. Instead of shoveling coal, I go to the office instead."

"Can I realize my value?"

Hearing this, Li Aiguo suddenly felt respect in his heart.

Unexpectedly, this master coal shoveler who doesn't like to make a sound has such a high level of ideological awareness.

"Master Zheng, this is you." Li Aiguo gave another thumbs up.

Master Zheng smiled: "I just do my job well."

After passing the steep section, the steam pressure returned to normal, and Li Aiguo returned to the driver's seat.

Thinking about what happened just now, he suddenly thought of a question.

Why can't an automatic coal loading machine be designed.

In this way, the workload of the fireman can be reduced.

Li Aiguo told Master Zheng this idea.

Master Zheng laughed loudly: "Patriotic, you young man is smart, but our locomotive originally had a coal stoker."

Li Aiguo slapped his forehead suddenly.

Negligence, the old man has already made a coal stoker in this day and age,
This steam locomotive was imported from Lao Maozi, so it is naturally equipped with it.

just
Seeing Li Aiguo's doubts, Master Zheng threw coal into the furnace and explained: "In the beginning, I did use a coal stoker for a while."

"Later the big guy found out that the coal stoker was too much coal."

"Think about it, the coal stoker itself needs to consume steam to push coal, and it cannot throw coal to the hearth at a fixed point. The thickness of the coal spread on the hearth is uneven, the quality of the coal is different, and the degree of combustion is different."

When it comes to burning coal, Master Zheng is eloquent.

Li Aiguo also understood, in a word, it is to save coal.

Lao Maozi is rich in resources, so it can naturally be made vigorously.

Our florist family is relatively poor now, so naturally we need to save coal.

At noon, as usual, the co-driver Liu Qingquan brought the meal to the dining car.

Same as yesterday, in addition to the lunch box, I also brought back a bottle of train beer.

"Driver Li, Comrade Zhang Yazhi gave you this."

Good guy, I just did a small favor and delivered beer for two consecutive days. There is a gold mine in Yazhi's house?
It was given to me, so we just drank it, Li Aiguo didn't say much, he opened the bottle cap and poured half an enamel jar for Master Zheng and Liu Qingquan.

Dun dun dun. After drinking half a bottle of beer, the whole person became much more energetic.

Open the beef kidney lunch box, the upper layer is fried meat with lentils, and the lower layer is rice.

The life of a train driver is good!

(End of this chapter)