Man at desk before a Locomotive Chart with Texaco lubrication recommendations

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A man sits at a desk in front of a large locomotive chart, the kind of wall reference that railroad shops and offices relied on before lubrication was handled by computer. The chart lists Texaco lubrication recommendations, so the picture documents not just the workplace but the trade ties between oil suppliers and rail operators. Oil companies often printed these charts and distributed them to maintenance departments, which used them to decide which lubricant suited each part of a steam or diesel engine. Notice how the chart fills the background, turning a routine office scene into a record of how mechanical knowledge was shared on paper.

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