What is a railway stoker?

Question

My great great grandfather was one

Answer 1

Hello Leanne, have a look at this site, I love this one, it doesn't give the definition of a railway stoker, just a stoker,

http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/s.html

Stockinger  Knitter, weaver or seller of stockings  

Stock Turner Turned the wooden stocks used in guns

Stoker  Tended and fed coal to boilers in mills and aboard ship

Stoker - Refuse Destructor Fed refuse to an incinerator

hope this helps.

Answer 2

when the original trains were built they ran on steam. to keep the train moving that to keep creating steam in a fire. to keep it going they had to "stoke" or feed the fire. so your great great grandfather sholved coal into the fire to keep the train going. my grandfather was also a stoker!

gamejock829

Answer 3

The correct term is/was fireman.

Duties included maintaining full head of steam in the boiler,maintaining water level in the boiler via the injectors,steam heat apparatus (winter only) Cylinder lubrication etc.

The list is,of course longer but space does not permit.

The fireman was also tested as to his knowledge of signalling rules and engine working.

Answer 4

A stoker was someone who tended to the fire in a steam engine, checking it was burning hot enough to create enough steam and putting more coal in if not.

Answer 5

He maintained the fire on a steam engine

Answer 6

A fireman on a steam locomotive, loading coal into the boiler and assisting the driver/engineer with other duties as required.

Answer 7

Sounds to me like a dude that shovelled coal.

Answer 8

In the old days with the R/R a Stoker was the second man in the train engine compartment that shoveled the coal in to the fire box from the coal tender hooked on the back of the engine, I use engine here as being a locomotive. A coal fired,water steam.boiler, steam driven, power unit that pulls a train.