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Central to Harmon was always interesting and I made it several times while on the New York Central work. I enjoyed this experience from the moment we'd walk into Grand Central until we alighted in Harmon and even a few minutes beyond that. It was particularly exciting to me to be in the "grand concourse" of Grand Central late in the afternoon when the "great steel fleet" gathered for its take-off on the many fast overnight runs. It was thrilling to walk the length of the concourse and read the signs on the gates. The most moving to me was the one which read:
Track 15
20th Century limited
4 p.m.
Elkhart
Englewood
Chicago
Pullman Cars Only
This was the fastest and most famous train in the world, making its close-to-1,000-mile run in the fabulous time of 16 1/2 hours. Also I got a great kick out of the fact it made only three stops to discharge passengers and besides that, "Elkhart, Englewood, Chicago" had a sound that was most appealing to my imagination besides being extremely euphonious. The final exquisite touch of exclusivity was the "PULLMAN CARS ONLY" But there were many other great trains in this line-up such as:
SOUTHERN LIMITED
DETROITER
WOLVERINE
MONTREAL LIMITED
OHIO STATE LIMITED
COMMODORE VANDERBILT
CLEVELAND LIMITED
LAKE SHORE LIMITED
A ride to Harmon. 32 miles up the Hudson, on the locomotive of any of these trains was about the same. We'd get an "engine permit" through Bill Hamilton's office which would pass us through the gate.  We'd walk down the long underground platform, passing car after car that were about as fine as any railroad passenger equipment it was possible to get.  The trains were coming to life. The club cars would be filling rapidly for the pre—dinner drinking during the fast, smooth cruise up the river. After having passed some fifteen or so Pullmans that made up this palatial rolling overnight hotel, we'd arrive at the locomotive, a sleek, shiny black cab mounted on a long, sinuous, high—speed running gear. I'm including a photo of a New York Central T—3 passenger locomotive being tested at Erie in 1926; these were the newest and most powerful and were used on the best trains.