ASHPITS.

V

CHAPTER IX.

ASHPITS.

ASHPITS or clinker-pits are required along the main line of a railroad and at terminaland division yards, shop and roundhouse systems, to allow ashes and clinkers collecting in thefireboxes of engines to be dumped, and also, although to a more limited extent, to facilitatethe examination and oiling of the engine machinery from below at points where stops aremade. It is customary to prohibit the dumping of ashes on the track along the line of theroad, and the cleaning of the fireboxes at special ashpits is made compulsory. The generaldesign of ashpits is very similar to that of an engine-house pit, excepting that the paving andside walls must be protected in some manner from the deteriorating influence of hot ashes,and proper provision should be made for the economical and quick disposal of the ashes asthey accumulate.

The location of ashpits varies according to whether they are in the main track, or onprincipal sidings along the line, or at division yards, shop or roundhouse systems. Whenplaced in a main track the pits are usually short and located near stations, water tanks, orcoaling platforms, in such a manner that the ashes can be quickly dumped while the enginestops for other purposes, and thus avoid extra delays. At large coaling systems for coalingengines preparatory to starting out on the road, at water stations, or at yard or shop systems,ashpits are placed so as to be readily accessible at all times from some open track. Thesepits are made much longer than those placed in main tracks, in order to enable a number ofengines to use the pit at the same time. Where an ashpit is located in a main track it isabsolutely essential to have a siding alongside for use as an ash-car track, to allow ashes to beloaded on cars without causing detentions to main-line trains.

The length of an ashpit varies according to its location, as outlined above, and accordingto the relative objections that may exist to requiring engines to wait their turn to use the ash-pit. The quality of coal has also an important bearing on the question, as inferior grades ofcoal produce a much larger percentage of ash and clinkers, and hence larger pits are required.Where a large number of engines are liable to require the use of an ashpit at the same time,as, for instance, at the close of a day’s business, or preparatory to starting out a number oftrains in close succession, due provision should be made to give quick dispatch to the engines.

The width of the pit is governed by the gauge of the track, the style of the coping onthe side walls, and the method of fastening the rails to the coping. As a rule, however, thewidth of the pit is from 4 ft. to 4 ft. 3 in. in the clear, being narrower on main tracks than on