The pressure needle on the main boiler gauge of Hauler Zero-One swept with steady, unrushed driving force past one hundred and sixty pounds. It crossed two hundred and settled squarely at two hundred and twenty pounds of pressure.
A thin, razor-sharp plume of dry steam hissed from the twin bronze pop safety valves atop the steam dome.
Inside the oak-lined cab, the heat had reached ninety degrees. The air was rich with the scent of burning hard coal, boiling river water, and hot metal tube oil dripping into the motion links.
Giles Croft stood at the right-hand control bench, his boots set wide upon the oak floorboards.
His left hand rested on the brass independent air brake handle. His right fingers curled around the polished steel latch of the throttle lever. Beside him, Toby Karr gripped the cab handrail with both hands, his gaze shifting nervously between the water glass and the brass pressure dials.
“Boiler pressure stable at two-twenty,” Giles announced in his dry, measured tone. “Lubricator sight feeds dropping eight drops per minute.
Tender water tank full. Blower valve closed.”
Master Borin poked his head up through the cab deck hatch, holding a check wrench. “Grate bars are clear, Lord Giles.
