(1957)

"Ontario's Pipeline on Wheels"

PART FOUR, ---It was getting on in the summer and the nights were getting cooler, the 12 to 14 hour trip to Cochran was making the load cool off a lot faster. When unloading we would use a steam hose for about an hour, trying to get the discharge valve at the rear of the trailer to thaw out. Asphalt gets totally solid when cold.

I was getting pretty fed up with this slow procedure, when I got a sudden brainstorm. There is one thing that is hotter and faster than this deal. It was about 3:00 am in the morning and I was the only one around. In the winter when it's, way, way below zero, we used to get a rag, soak it in diesel fuel, wrap it around a 2 X 4, light it and put it under the truck or bulldozer oil pan. The heat generated would have the oil flowing in a few minutes. This should be able to work on this valve, RIGHT? --- WRONG!

I siphoned some fuel from my tanks and soaked an old rag. I wrapped it around the discharge valve, and set it on fire. Well this shouldn't take more than a couple minutes. The flames came on fast and furious. The wind coming across the open gravel pit just fanned the fire even more. The flames started to climb up the back of the trailer, and I started to panic. I couldn't get the rag off of the valve. I had no stick even to work with. I jumped into the cab, fired up the engine and headed up to the bunk house to look for help. It was about a 1/4 mile. I guess that it looked like a blazing comet coming in from the sky. The cook was just heading for the cookhouse to get his own fires going. I guess that I scared the hell out of him, with these huge flames chasing after me, in the dark.

He was really on the ball and wide awake by the time I pulled up. He ran into the kitchen and grabbed a chemical fire extinguisher. By the time I got stopped and around to the back of the trailer, he had all under control. The trailer was all black in colour anyway, so it didn't turn out to badly. But I must say, now that the hot valve opens easy, I rushed back down to the storage tank and got the load flowing before the valve had a chance to cool off again.

The cook never let on to anyone that there was a stupidity fire, and whipped me up a big order of pancakes and steak. It took me the rest of the morning to get myself cooled off, and settled down from the action.

END, PART FOUR, ---

      -------------------- William (Diesel Gypsy) Weatherstone.               RETURN TO STORY MENU