Use of Gasoline as a Solvent in Shops

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

I've been tearing down and rebuilding some really old air brake equipment.  The grease had dried into glue.

Some of the valves I had to take to the locomotive shop at work and place in the BIG vise on a steel work bench bolted to the floor, and use a 4 foot piece of pipe as a wrench "extender handle."  Our Signals Engineer, Bill, helped me with the heavy work.  He's a mechanical engineer by training and a certified P.E. (Professional Engineer) who has been rebuilding a full-size 0-6-0... including pulling the boiler off the frame and straightening the frame !

Bill told me that in the old days, before good solvents were available, railroad shops used gasoline as the solvent for soaking and cleaning air brake parts.  Holey Moley !   Around a shop???

Anyone else heard this story?

-- abram burnett
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