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the diesel-electric locomotive business for the Class I railroads except small switchers, and as a result, the electrical equipments, mostly to Alco, were the big item in this category. Today, however, with us in the domestic freight locomotive business with no holds barred, and with Alco out of business, the emphasis has shifted to the complete locomotives and the equipments are minor (if at all). Of the men listed, Sam Dodd died many years ago, Rudy Krape died only a few months ago, Doc Gillilian died many years ago as I've previously noted, and this week, Frank Sahlmann and I talked some of this over sitting in the relative cool of his basement trying to avoid the stifling heat and humidity. "Sahl" seems well although he must be close to eighty--says they don't want him to climb ladders anymore.

[[underlined]] TRANSIT EQUIPMENTS [[/underlined]]: This group handled equipments for trolley cars, trolley coaches, gas and diesel-electric buses, subway cars and rapid transit cars. But the business was fading off under the impetus of the private automobile and the gas and diesel buses. This fade-off was to cover a good many years but today the business is almost entirely equipments for subway and rapid transit cars PLUS complete cars although the "shells" are bought outside. This complete car business is in trouble, however, with everybody and his brother out to get onto the rapid transit gravy train. It was out of this group the Whitey Wilson emerged to take over the business when Andrews finally let go to go to Bridgeport. Of these men, Burleson, Beers, Thirwall and Packer are dead. Roy Sjoberg's vicissitudes are covered previously. Whitey is living in retirement here in Erie. There is a great deal about Whitey in my diaries and he was more responsible than anyone else for my moving up the way I did.

[[underlined]] RENEWAL PARTS [[/underlined]]: This, of course, is a business which goes on virtually forever if you are careful, and so it has been with us until today I believe it amounts to well over one-hundred million a year and still growing. I'd guess that in 1930 it was less than a million. Dixie Walker, the boss, is long gone, as is Charlie Ennis and George Kotz. Willard Douds left the Company to go with Speer Carbon; I belive, and I've lost track of him. Don Carr is living in retirement in Erie and I see him at Elfun functions and he seems fine.

[[underlined]] LINE MATERIAL [[/underlined]]: I knew little about this business. The boss, Hixon, retired just before the Erie move, but Bob Wade and Heine Waslowski came out. Heine soon disappeared somewhere but Bob, who was aging, stayed on to retirement and took on other assignments as the business evaporated to Nuttall, Ohio Brass and others. bob helped me on the Scranton Grade pusher study about 1936, retired soon afterward and retired to California where he died at a ripe old age. I enjoyed him as much as most men my own age. He was a lot of fun.