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10

[[underlined]] MY GE WORK [[/underlined]]

I handled two major jobs during the first half of 1937, the New Haven switcher tests and the proposition and subsequent order from Ford Motor Company for two 125-ton 1,000-hp switchers for River Rouge. In order to maintain the continuity of this GE story as well as possible, I'll recount first the story of the New Haven tests although I'm not sure just what month or months they occurred in. I would say offhand that it was in the early spring. I seem to recall vaguely some pretty crummy weather at the time.

In spite of the various difficulties I've related putting the 0901 to 0910 into service in 1936, I think the New Haven was quite pleased with their switching performance. Because of this, the idea was conceived that for conditions on the New Haven, at least, it could well be possible that a diesel-electric switcher of around 100-tons and considerably less than 1,000-hp, could do successfully the work then being handled by 8-wheel steam switchers--or at least could do it on many assignments. So, a series of steam-diesel tests were arranged to be carried out in New Haven, Hartford, Providence and Boston to determine whether or not this concept was at all sound. One of the new Cooper-Bessemer 660-hp switchers was chosen for the diesel because they had the largest engine, and the power was stepped up to 750-hp for the tests. An 8-wheeler assignment would be selected and detailed data of the work involved would be taken with the steamer and later with the diesel doing the job. The data would then be analyzed and the relative performances of the two types of power compared. We had done quite a bit of this on the 1934 tests concerning which I wrote at length although I don't think we did much steam-locomotive riding on that series. On this series, however, we did do some riding of the 8-wheelers or, where it was practicable, observed their performance from positions on the ground. Between the two series of tests, we found out a great deal about the nature of switching work. Largely based upon these findings, I wrote a paper for presentation before a meeting of the Association of Iron & Steel Engineers at Buffalo, N. Y. on April 29, 1937 and this was later reprinted in the July 1937 issue of the General Electric Review. After I've told the story of these 1937 tests, I'll review briefly just what our findings were because they were interesting and enlightening, particularly the characteristics of a diesel which make it possible for a diesel of half the horsepower of a steam locomotive to do as much work in a given length of time.

The New Haven people with whom I worked on these tests were pretty much the same crowd we'd collaborated with on the 1934 series. I think Don Neiswanger was still steering the project from his office in the Yellow Building. Phil Hatch was active in making the arrangements and the do-it guys were Bill Libby, Jim Barngrove and Jack Weller, all promising young sprouts

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