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Erie, Pa.,
Saturday, June 8, 1941
Corrine Donovan met us at South Station at 8:30 AM and we went to the B&M where we met Roy, all upset over a bad turn in the Boston Elevated PCC car job. We cooled our heels in the ante-room until about 11 AM and then went into J.W. Smith's office, hoping to have him tell us something good about a decision on this job. But we were in for another of the classical disappointments "J.W." has handed out from time to time. "I'm sorry, Roy," he said, "but I can't tell you anything today. We've just received a letter from Whitcomb in which they have increased the horsepower of the Hercules engine so it gives more than the Caterpillar. As we have three different statements of horsepower from them, we have called a conference with them next Thursday to have them clarify themselves. Until then, I can't tell you a thing." We walked out immediately cursing Whitcomb as the slipperiest bunch of ----- who ever came down the pike and wondering why the B&M would put up with such damn foolishness.

Roy left us then to go to New Hampshire to try and enlist Ed Dana's aid on the PCC job, and Neil, John and I took Fred Buchpitt, Ernie Bloss and Roy Baker to the Manger for lunch, after which we went into session in Fred's office on the questionnaire. Nothing serious arose except their insistence they [[underlined]] need [[/underlined]] 6 to 1 brake lever ratio to assure low maintenance, and their desire for more compressor capacity to make possible the use of these locomotives in passenger