I know the diesel SP contracted for was junk. (not bunker "C" from the steam days) They would sign contracts a year in advance. Working an outside job, they would have to get a local jobber to fill the tanks. What a difference. Real difference on power & speed They filled it with No.2 and off you went. The Shellac contents were so bad, the glass house figured it was worth the money and drop in a new motor rather than pay the higher fuel price. Thats when you started seeing rubber gloves at the fuel racks.

There was one Hostler at Bayshore. He borrowed his brother-in-laws Benz. His reason was they spilled more fuel than they would ever miss.

Later that night I was on my way back to San Jose and I saw this guy parked in the breakdown lane. Sure enough it was the Benz. A few days later I saw him at work at 7th St. in the City. I asked him how the fuel worked out for him. He grumbled something about the repair cost and walked away. Some old heads may remember him as "Silver Balls". His Dad was an SP hoghead on the NWP. That was the last steamer run down to Tiburon.

Oh, back then, SP had 5 different fuel handles that the jobbers needed to carry in order to get fuel into the engines tank. I am sure there are a few heads on here that can tell "How" they filled some of these tanks.



Nudge