THE LOOP — What was the best way to separate metal within old CTA rail cars?

In the 1950s, it was fire.

Old fim footage recently posted by the CTA shows a yard of retired wooden rail cars getting doused with accelerants and then lit afire. The film was shot between 1955 and 1958, according to the CTA.

The CTA said the big blaze was the best way to separate salvageable metals from the cars.