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14

Roy Baker was a stickler for perfection on the air brake layout. However, I'll never forget the way Meissner handled the usually sticky matter of changes demanded by the customer. After the road test, which was successful, Ed requested a list of the changes wanted by the B & M. Ed personally studied the list without comment although I was virtually certain that at least a few of Ernie's requests were, at best, somewhat unreasonable. Ed then assembled a small group of workmen--a welder, pipefitter, wireman, painter, mechanic, and one or two others--and told Ernie to take this group around to the various spots where he wanted the changes made and simply tell them what to do. That was it. No argument, no talk of extra charges, no fuss or feathers. In two hours, all the changes had been made, Ernie was happy, and what is sometimes a real ordeal, had been turned into a plus value for the Car Co. I thought right then, Ed, you're a smart guy in more ways than one.

And so 1140 was shipped to Boston and put to work on a run hauling several trailers up into the White Mountains. I went over in time to participate in the inauguration of the service career of 1140 and spent a few days making sure all was well with our equipment. However, my stay was cut short by engine trouble. One of the I-R engines broke a valve pulling out of White River Junction one morning and the car was promptly sidelined until repairs were made. So I returned to Erie on August 31st and I don't think I returned to Boston on the car job because all went well with us up there and I was soon up to my neck in the details of the Illinois Central locomotives. However, I do have a photo of 1140 taken in North Station which I'm including below, having lifted the picture from an article on Ingelsoll-Rand in the December 1970 TRAINS Magazine. Regarding the ultimate fate of 1140, the article says, "Disposition unknown."

[[Image - black & white photograph of a locomotive, labeled Boston and Maine]]
[[caption]] ONE of a pair of not-identical twins, B&M No. 1140 used two 400 h.p. IR's; sister 1141 carried a 950 h.p. WEMCo V-12. The A1A-B baggage-RPO combines had St. Louis-built carbodies.[[/caption]]

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