Inside the steam engine head.
While inspecting the furnace, Master Zheng said angrily: "Today, the coal loader in the locomotive depot replaced the coal in our car with second-class coal."
"Second-class coal?"
"On our line, twenty miles past Zhangzhuang Station, there is a section with a higher slope."
After listening to Master Zheng's explanation, Li Aiguo understood.
The coal on the train is graded.
On smooth sections of the line, the coal used in the locomotives is second-class coal.
For steep sections of the line, first-class coal or high-quality anthracite should be used.
The higher the quality of coal, the more power it can provide.
It was replaced with second-grade coal, which provided the same power, and the stokers needed to shovel more coal.
No wonder he is so angry.
Master Liu checked the instrument and asked curiously: "Why do you want to replace our first-class coal? What do the comrades who load the coal say?"
"He didn't know. He only knew that the first-class coal that was supposed to be supplied to our car was sent to the train to Moscow."
Hearing this, Master Liu fell silent.
Compared with train 131, the train to Moscow is more important.
Master Zheng also figured it out. He became energetic and grinned: "Isn't it just shoveling more coal? I, Old Zheng, am the best coal shoveler in the locomotive depot."
"Okay, if you are too busy by then, just say hello and Lao Liu and I will help you."
As a reminder, Li Aiguo saw that the time on the iron alarm clock was close to the departure time.
With a slight pull, accompanied by the crisp sound of the whistle, the black locomotive slowly moved forward along the railway track in the faint sunshine.
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 more comfortable if a radio could be installed in the driver's cabin.
Imagine driving a train and listening to storytelling, those days are called beautiful.
Woo hoo, eat like crazy, eat like crazy, woo woo, eat like crazy.
In the driver's building, Li Aiguo concentrated on controlling the train.
Perhaps because of the use of second-class coal today, the steam pressure has never been able to increase.
Li Aiguo measured the distance and felt that it was close to the steep slope on the railway track.
He raised his head and looked back, and saw Master Zheng, the stoker, swinging his coal shovel like a tiger, and the sweat on his forehead kept flowing down.
The short-sleeved overalls on his body were soaked with sweat, and his whole body looked like he had been soaked 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 train power could not keep up, the driver and co-driver often had to help the stoker shovel coal.
"I can do it. I'm the best stoker in our locomotive depot. This little problem won't trouble me."
The words were very harsh, but Master Zheng gave way.
Liu Qingquan was carrying a coal shovel and shoveling coal piece by piece.
With more people and greater strength, the value of the air pressure gauge quickly climbed up, 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 old. After working for a while, he started breathing loudly.
"Master Liu, come on, just stare at the dashboard, I'll shovel the coal."
Li Aiguo stood up and replaced him.
He picked up the coal shovel and started doing crazy output, leaving Master Zheng stunned.
"Okay, Driver Li, if you are a stoker, you will definitely be qualified."
"Old Zheng, you know how to talk cheaply. Driver Li is a regular driver. Why do you care about your stoker?" Liu Qingquan joked.
"What happened to the stoker? It's such a shame!" Master Zheng usually doesn't like to talk.
They will feel despised and shout angrily: "The leader said that we only have different division of labor. We are all contributing to the construction of the motherland. There is no distinction between high and low status."
"Yes, yes, Lao Zheng, you are as tall as Xing Duan at the shoulders." Liu Qingquan said.
"It's just as tall! Without me, the train would have to lie down. My job is as important as Duan Chang Xing, and my status is naturally the same." Master Zheng said confidently.
Liu Qingquan had nothing to say at this time. He could only laugh twice and turned to look at the dashboard.
While shoveling coal, Li Aiguo gave Master Zheng a thumbs up: "Master Zheng, good job!"
"Driver Li, don't be led astray by Master Liu. This is a new society, where everyone is equal. The leaders are no different from us, except for the division of labor. There is no need to feel shorter when you see them."
Master Zheng said loudly while shoveling coal: "The spring just started the year before last. The superiors saw that I have been on the road for a long time and that I work seriously and responsibly. They planned to transfer me to the logistics department to be responsible for the distribution of materials."
"Tell me, I am a coal shoveler. Instead of shoveling coal, I sit in an office."
"Can I realize my value?"
Li Aiguo suddenly felt a surge of respect in his heart when he heard this.
I didn’t expect that this coal-shoveling master who didn’t like to say anything would have such a high level of ideological awareness.
"Master Zheng, this is you." Li Aiguo gave a thumbs up again.
Master Zheng smiled naively: "I just do my job well."
After passing the steep slope, 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 we design an automatic coal loading machine?
In this way, the workload of the stoker can be reduced.
Li Aiguo told Master Zheng this idea.
Master Zheng laughed loudly: "Patriot, you young man is smart, but our locomotive originally had a stoker."
Li Aiguo slapped his forehead suddenly.
I neglected it. In this era, I have already developed a stoker.
The steam engine head of this engine was imported from Lao Maozi, so it was naturally equipped with it.
only
Seeing Li Aiguo's confusion, Master Zheng explained while throwing coal into the furnace: "In the beginning, we did use a stoker for a period of time."
"Later everyone discovered that the stoker consumes too much coal."
"If you think about it, the stoker itself needs to consume steam to push and deliver coal, and it cannot throw coal at a fixed point and direction on the hearth. The thickness of the coal layer scattered 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 talks endlessly.
Li Aiguo also understood. In a word, it was to save coal.
Lao Maozi is rich in resources, so he can naturally make it efficiently.
Our flower-growing family currently has a relatively small financial background, so we naturally need to save coal.
At noon, as usual, the co-driver Liu Qingquan went to the dining car to bring food.
Just like yesterday, in addition to the lunch box, I also brought back a bottle of train beer.
"Driver Li, this is given to you by Comrade Zhang Yazhi."
Good guy, I just did a small favor and delivered beer for two days in a row. Is there a gold mine in Yazhi’s house?
If someone gave it to us, we would just drink it. Li Aiguo didn't say much, opened the bottle cap and filled half of the enamel jar for Master Zheng and Liu Qingquan.
After half a bottle of beer, I felt a lot more energetic.
Open the beef kidney lunch box, there is fried meat with lentils on the top, and rice on the bottom.
The life of a train driver is good!
(End of chapter)
