DIFFERENT COAL FOR ENGINE 85
By H. E. Huber

Engine 85 was stationed at Ft. Smith, Ark. since the mid-thirties and was there until the diesels took over with the exception of a short period of time during World War II. It was a hand fired coal-burning 2-6-0 that had been converted from a 0-6-0 sometime in the early part of the '30's. The KCS had an engine watchman, Charlie Washburn, who had a seven-day job looking after her when the train crew had finished their work switching in the Ft. Smith yards. I had gotten acquainted with him in the early part of 1941 and spent most of my spare time with him where the KCS kept engine 85.

There was no coal tower or any other mechanical means to fill 85's tender with coal, except by hand, as Mr. Washburn put it, "the Armstrong method". The engine servicing facilities were just north of where South D Street crossed the KCS tracks, south of the OK Feed Mill, the roads prime customer in Ft. Smith. They consisted of an old wooden boxcar off the trucks and onto the ground. This was used for the office and supply room, also, a sand house and a combination blacksmith and oil storage building. The watchman shanty was divided into two parts, the south end for the office and the north end for a supply room. It had no water, no gas and no sanitary accommodations, just electricity. Restrooms were at the Union Depot on Rogers Ave., several blocks away. It was heated with an old pot bellied stove that turned cherry red when in use during cold weather.

I can still remember Mr. Washburn coming on duty in the winter at around 4 P.M. and filling the stove with lumps of coal, pouring coal oil over them and lighting with a match to get it going. It wasn't long before the whole office was warm. That was the first order of business. The second was to fill the tender with coal and water.

Coal was brought to Ft. Smith in a 40' open coal car that had wooden sides about 5' high and a smooth wooden floor. It was spotted on an elevated track next to the engine, the difference in height was approximately 18 to 28 inches and both tracks so close that to walk between the engine and the coal car, you had to walk sideways to get through.

Most of the coal burned was nothing more than "slack" coal with a few lumps thrown in. It did not burn well at all; the fire was always uneven with holes and clinkers from front to back and side to side. The fumes given off would sear your lungs with acid like fumes. The fireman had the blower running constantly which the train crew disliked immensely. Engineer Jack Foster did not like the coal because he rarely had enough steam to work with. I can remember many times switching would have to cease in order for the fireman to "blow up steam". Mr. Washburn did not like it because of the clinkers it made and the difficulty in cleaning the fire. The section crew did not like the coal because they had to keep the ash pit clean of ashes and clinkers and try to get rid of them somewhere in the yards. In short, the type coal the KCS sent to Ft. Smith for 85 to burn was pure misery for everyone.

One day a carload of lump coal showed up, no slack coal at all, just lumps and it was very good coal too. The size ranged from a half brick to a whole brick. The problem facing Mr. Washburn was that he could not put a shovel into the top of it. Naturally I was around when it came time to start using from it. He had been eyeing it when it first appeared and had been trying to figure out how to get started on it when the time came. The first thought was to have the section crew to fill 85's tender but this idea was scratched when they would have been on overtime to do the job. It was up to Mr. Washburn. The only way to do it was to throw the lumps, one by one, by hand into 85's tender. Of course, I had to help him and I can remember to this day, both of us sitting on top of the coal, pitching them over in the tender. I thought it was great fun but he was muttering all the time about the person what was responsible for sending this coal to Ft. Smith!

Most everybody was happy for awhile until the car was used up which usually took about 18-24 days. The fireman was happy he finally had some coal he could make steam with less work. Mr. Foster was happy that he had a full head of steam to work with. The train crew was happy the blower noise had abated . The section crew was happy because all they had to shovel now was ashes, not clinkers. I was happy to help coal 85 but to Charlie Washburn, until the bottom of the car showed up, it was nothing but an abomination to him.

Re:Coal-KCS