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I've already covered my AIEE paper presentation in New York in January. On that same trip, we became involved in a few miscellaneous problems that I'm mentioning here to give an idea of the variety of things you became entangled with even during a period of low business activity. On the one hand, we had work looking to the future like the resistor development program, and on the other, straightening out complaints and problems arising on existing equipment. The morning Brehob and I arrived in New York, L.T. Carter, who was head of our transportation service engineering in the New York District, came up to my room in the Commodore and spent an hour giving us hell about every difficulty they were having with the New York Central three-powers (DEs-3) and the West Side freights (R-2), his beefs covering the gamut from immersion heaters to differential relays and RMG-117's. The heaters were electric units inserted into the engine cooling systems of the DEs-3's to keep the water from freezing during layups, taking the place of anti-freeze. The relays were for wheel-slip control and the RMG's were small motor-generator sets for supplying 32-volts on the R-2's. L.T. Carter, also a Syracuse alumnus, was a tall, white-maned, aging man with distinguished bearing, looking more like a U.S. senator than a service engineering expert, and when he got on a rampage, he could really make the sparks fly. He was always referred to as "L.T." and well known in GE service circles. To "L.T." the customer was king in no uncertain terms. Two days later, we went to 72nd Street at "L.T.'s" behest to look at the immersion heater tests the railroad was running. Then we went up to Harmon Shops, which were at the northern terminus of the electrification some 32 miles up the river, and inspected R-2 No. 1232, which had burned up again due to being left with brakes set and the controller on the third point. This could not be laid at our door but such incidents put more pressure than ever on such studies as fireproof cable insulation. If my memory serves me correctly, we were accompanied to Harmon by Tex Weinberg, one of Bill Hamilton's men, whom we were to know in various capacities over the years and quite a character. He was a Texan in fact as well as nickname as I recall and finally left the NYC to become Baldwin's service manager when they embarked unsuccessfully into the diesel business, winding up with Alco eventually. On this cold January day, or one just like it, as we were crossing the tracks on a bridge at Harmon, I can remember Tex, who always used pungent language, shivering and saying fervently, "My God, it's cold as a witch's tit today!" This was a typical Weinbergian comment. In spite of this, however, Tex was a very smooth guy and he and his wife traveled in the most acceptable social circles in Schenectady. I always liked and enjoyed him.
One feature of my job that I enjoyed thoroughly was the opportunity it afforded to ride locomotives now and then -- in fact, it was like a dream of my youth come true. The ride from Grand