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111

En route to Erie
Saturday, Sept. 5, '42.

I went a long way toward cleaning up my desk pretty well today amid relative peace and quiet with the gang largely away. [[underline]] Had a tough one today [[/underline]], the kind that could get me in trouble. Vulcan has an order for 50 0-6-0's for the Army to finish by April 1st and it will strain [[downward pointing arrow]] them to the limit. But they want approval to build two 70 ton 0-6-0's for Electro-Metallurgical's new plant at Ashtabula; these two will conflict with the Army order. Vulcan has two G.E. 80 ton equipments on hand and no orders for them. "Hap" Huleguard needs work in the first quarter. The logical thing to me is let Hap build two 80 ton diesels for this job using the idle equipment at Vulcan. And yet I might be criticized for trying to get a sale for G.E. equipment through Whitcomb. Erie doesn't need to sell that equipment to anyone else - they can use it to good advantage themselves. But Erie is full if 80 ton business in  the first quarter. I dumped the problem in Charlie's lap this evening before I left. This is one where he can make the decision - [[underline]] I'm too involved. [[/underline]]  

I boarded the 6:55 this evening and went into the diner as usual. Soon [[underline]]  Paul McNutt, [[/underline]] the handsome, came in and sat down across the aisle. Later he came back into #405 where his section was occupied by a young mother with tiny baby in a basket, waiting for her berth to be made up. So Paul graciously retired to the washroom where I later found him apparently asleep by the window. George Adams and Joe Carbonera, a shop man, were in there too, and the three of us chatted while Mr. McNutt slept. George made some remark about the tank drive that I hope McN didn't hear lest he think GE men talk too much. Later he came to and finally left us, not having said a word, got off at Harrisburg to catch a western train.