A steam locomotive can burn through a massive amount of fuel in a short time. Wood-burning engines were fine for eastern railroads in heavily forested areas, but not practical on the Great Plains. It made more sense for those trains to burn coal, and burn coal they did. Depending on the size of the engine and its speed, a locomotive could burn as much as 800 pounds of coal per mile. The fireman had to constantly shovel coal into the firebox to keep the train moving.
But a locomotive needed more than wood or coal. Since the engine ran on steam, it also consumed a large amount of water. A reliable water source was crucial to efficient railroad operations. A locomotive pulled a tender holding 20 to 25 thousand gallons of water. Using about 150 gallons per mile, trains required frequent stops to refill. Railroads built depots at carefully planned distances. Besides serving passengers and freight, depots allowed trains to replenish coal and water at just the right intervals. Water tanks were located near the station, next to the tracks. The engineer carefully positioned the engine so a crew member could refill the tender while passengers and freight were picked up or dropped off. Timing was critical to keeping trains on schedule.
On this date in 1916, the Grand Forks Daily Herald reported a serious problem facing railroads. Train traffic on six branch lines between Minot and Grand Forks had ground to a halt. Railroads had strategies for Great Plains winters, including snow-removal equipment. But in the winter of 1916, the problem wasn’t heavy snow, it was frozen water in the tanks. Some trains were stranded, and crews shoveled snow into the boilers to keep pipes from freezing. At stations, crews drained what water they could, then climbed into the tanks to chip out ice by hand. The newspaper assured readers trains would return to schedule as soon as the water problem was solved.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Grand Forks Daily Herald. “Drought New Railway Foe.” Grand Forks ND. 2/3/1916. Page 3.
- American Rails. “The Water Standpipe.” https://www.american-rails.com/standpipe.html.Accessed 1/8/2026.
- Settle Carlisle Conservation Area. “The Importance of Water on Steam-Operated Railways.” https://scrca.foscl.org.uk/importance-water-steam-operated-railwaysAccessed 1/8/2026.
