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14

The fifth and last run of the day was sort of like finally being given a key to the Executive Toilet--we'd arrived. Normally THE MERCHANTS, although one of the top two or three trains on the railroad, carried only a few cars--frequently eight--and she was assigned to one of the older locomotives but one considered completely reliable, for on-time arrival was absolutely sacrosanct. On this occasion, 0360 (1930 GE) had been assigned to handle THE MERCHANTS from New Haven to New York but was tied up to change broken brushes. So they decided to jump off the deep end and give the job to 0362. It's a non-stop run to Grand Central. Leaving New Haven three minutes late and holding between 70 and 75-mph all the way except when speed restrictions prevented, he got into GCT two minutes early. Except for tripping the preventive coil relay twice because of inter-notching the controller, there was no incident and 0362 had done herself proud with one of the New Haven's darlings. 
The next day, May 24th, was noteworthy in having 0361 join the action for the first time. She went to work on the Hell Gate runs between New Haven and Penn Station. At this point, I seem to have begun dividing my time between 0362 and 0361 depending on what looked most interesting and informative in their assigned jobs. I seem to have made two runs on each of them that day. Once more, 0362 had that favorite duo of runs late in the day, hauling #376 to New Haven, twelve cars and Engineer Fay, and because of a 4-minute delay near Stamford when we were blocked by an MU train, Fay just tore into the job and walloped the "bejaybors" out of things trying to get back onto schedule, which he finally did and arrived in New Haven on time. But things got very hot and particularly the operating cabs because we hit a rain storm which made it necessary to shut off some of the cab ventilation. The transformer reached 70° and the cable duct over one of the pigs got so hot you could scarcely touch it. But this was only a preliminay [sic] to what #376 was to do to us the following day. The duo was completed by taking #59 back to GCT handling nine cars, Engineer Larry Dugan, and apparently there was no close proximity to THE MERCHANTS this time. We went in on time with no incidents and then 0362 went to Van Nest to correct the jammed boiler fuel pump and correct also a small oil leak so as to be ready for the weekend rush.

Earlier in the day, I'd ridden 0361 from Penn Station to New Haven handling #182, thirteen cars, Engineer Smith, but dropping seven "bags" at Oak Point. Smith was a fast man too, leaving Penn Station five minutes late and arriving at New Haven three minutes early. And then I rode back to Penn Station on #175, fifteen cars, Engineer Didoe Nickerson, who left six minutes late and arrived on time, kicking out the lin e [sic] twice east of Stamford carrying more than 2,000-amps in the 19th notch. It was pretty evident that Didoe liked the new power and had no hesitation whatever in using it right up to the hilt. But all went well.