A Southern Railway locomotive inspector used this kerosene torch to inspect parts of a steam locomotive when natural light was inadequate. The a wick was stuffed into the spout that led into the kerosene-filled well of the vessel. A hollow handle allowed the torch to be carried.
Part of a small array of hand tools displayed in "America On The Move" - such tools were used in the inspection and repair of steam locomotives. Light repairs on steam locomotives were usually done in roundhouses at the many small locomotive terminals throughout a railroad's system; heavy repairs were done in a large, centralized repair shop serving the whole system (often referred to as the "Back Shop"). Most of these tools date from the early- to the mid-20th century, roughly 1900-1955.
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