Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – a great show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harback for their 1933 musical Roberta.   It still is popular song, having been performed by numerous performers, but the most famous version was recorded in 1958 by The Platters.  

Not so wonderful, however, for engine crews racing across America’s landscape.  The  configuration of steam motive power dictated that the smoke stack be up front ahead of the boiler.  Besides, that exhaust is what created the draft keeping the firebox ablaze.

Most railroads ignored the problem, but the Union Pacific and a few others solved the problem to a degree with “elephant ears,”  as they were nick-named.   The ears extended in front of the smokebox, and the forward movement, at speed, created an updraft.   At slow speeds,  tough luck, and hope for a good side wind.    The Southern Pacific solved the smoke problem particularly in their many tunnels by buying Cab-forward steam locomotives.

I can remember vividly parked along the Chilkat River in Alaska in 1958, drinking terrible home brew, watching the Northern Lights, and listening to the Platters new hit; “Smoke Gets in your Eyes,”  static and all.     (It does get better than that…)

Credits:   Classic Trains – Winter 2010,    Photos:    top Stan Kistler collection,   bottom Allen W. Madison