Community / Occupation / Fireman
1920 – 1950
Clinker is a hard deposit that forms on the firebars from coal with a high sulphur content, or from a firebox working at a lower-than-normal temperature to sustain steam. Clinkers cause the fire to become dirty, grow thick, burn unevenly, and smoke, making it hard to maintain steam pressure. A fireman removes clinker by breaking it up or by raising it to the surface of the fire and removing it.
Iron. H 12.5, W 14.5, L 225 cm
Steamtown National Historic Site, STEA 2217