The Government -- Westinghouse vs GE equipment

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

Kenneth and Tracie Josephson wrote:

> I would like to learn how the Feds managed to force private concerns such as St.
> Louis Car, Pullman-Standard and their customers into these GE/WH equipment
> splits on orders prior to 1942 and after 1945. Did they threaten to show a
> conspiracy between, say,  the Railways and Westinghouse? Did they threaten to
> pull or not award defense contracts to GE or WH if they didn't split orders?

	First of all, we don't *know* that the Feds ever forced this.

	Second, since it is very difficult to come by good *verifiable*
information concerning PCCs themselves and / or the properties that
purchased them, it is probably going to be much more difficult to find
information concerning the  *-*alleged*-*  Fed intervention which
required a split between WH / GE.

	The only such information that we have concerning Fed directives about
electrical equipment on PCCs is from Herb and his supervisor in the
1970s.  But that information is very suspect  --  let me give a couple
personal examples to illustrate:::::::
	I was told by someone at pat in the early 1970s that the  **Feds** 
required that 100-all-electric PCCs be overhauled  --  or else.  Pat
didn't have 100 so they overhauled 16s and renumbered them as 17s.  I
mentally placed a  *white-flag*  by that information, accepting it 
B-U-T  wanting more information to verify.  But after almost 30 years
and no further information, I came to believe and accept this.  When I
placed that information on this list, John Swindler shot a hole in it
with good information he provided.
	Also, a mechanic here in SF, well known by people even on this list,
had told me in the past that when a PCC dewires, it loses its dynamics. 
This is  ABSOLUTELY  false  --  no element of truth.  But it comes from
a repairman so it must be valid, right.   W-R-O-N-G.  Admittedly,
something else could be wrong with the car so dynamics would be lost
when it dewired, but this is a defect and not the norm.  I hope that
mechanic has since learned this!
	THUS:::::::   The information from the pat supervisor of the 1970s that
claims that the Feds required a split between WH / GE is 
*-*Non-Verified-Information-at-this-time*-*   I personally want a quote
from a periodical - paper - newspaper etc. etc. etc. that I can
personally verify by going to the library before I even  b-e-g-i-n  to
believe such a claim.

	B-u-t,  the quote above seems to state this as  FACT  and  TRUTH  -- 
that is dangerous.


	If we were to define the word  *TRUTH*  

		 *-->As-it-is-practiced-or-experienced<--*

	we might define it as  

		*-->What--a--person--CHOOSES--to--believe<--*

	Examples:::::::   Creation vs Evolution;   God vs atheists.  Each
adherent believes his understanding is  TRUTH.
	Now apply this to Feds requiring a split between WH / GE electrical
equipment  --  or to the  *-*FACT*-* (Ultra--VBG ::>>)))  that NCL
killed trolleycars  --  and we have a real mess on our hands!  Each
person believes that his own personal idea concerning this is 
*-*FACT*-*  and / or  *-*TRUTH*-*

	And a perfect example of this is the new trolleys-which-way mail list
at egroups.  The list owner is a gentle, kind, easy to know person but
has stated he believes NCL responsible for killing trolleys  --  but
discuss it on the list and any and all ideas are welcome!!   That is all
the list is  --  any idea anyone wants to state as   *-*TRUTH*-*!!!!! 
	We  DO  have to be careful with our quotes as well.  Many of the quotes
on lists are  *-*summations*-*  of other papers  --  people who have
examined a number of documents and come to a conclusion as to cause and
effect.  So the summations are interpretations and can be tainted - I
want to examine the original documents myself to see what is stated.
	One person on this trolleys-which-way list (very well known by a couple
here) is extremely viscious in his posts and sends personal replies so
viscious as to be extremely inflammatory and intimidating.  He openly
states on the list that others are trying to bully their idea  --  a
perfect example of Romans-2.1,2!!  And this man is an educator in our
university system  --  I pity his students.  I believe he might have
been kicked off several other trolley related lists and if he hasn't, he
may be one of the few left on the list with a little time!

	Of the four PCC books  --
		1)--PCC The Car That Fought Back
		2)--PCC From Coast to Coast
		3)--St. Louis Car Company - Young
		4)--St. Louis Car Company - Lind  --
the only information regarding Fed intervention in the PCC field is
during the war when they allocated how many cars could be built because
the materials  --  copper, steel, chrome, rubber, etc., etc., etc.  -- 
to build the cars were needed to build war-time machinery  --  but this
was true of other mfgr. as well  --  the govt placed limits on
production in many fields (possibly automotive and bus mfgr as well) to
ensure material for the war.  There is no information in these books
concerning a mandatory split edict from the Fed between WH / GE
electrical equipment  --  please correct me if I am wrong.  A letter in
the archives from the Feds to St. Louis Car concerning electrical
equipment splits on orders would be very credible information.  This
letter would then be in govt archives and could be used for
verification.
	Tom Parkinson provided excellent information concerning this split in
electrical equipment and it had nothing to do with the Feds.  He spoke
as one in the field; Tom's information is more valid and supercedes that
of the 1970s pat supervisor  --  the latter getting his information as a
hand-me-down  --  and we know how info gets distorted as it spreads!
	Ed Lybarger loves a good challenge  --  his providing the
mohair--leather seating allotments is evidence of such.  This question
of Fed involvement in electrical splits btwn mfgrs. will be in the back
of his mind as he sifts thru PRCo archive material and maybe something
there will stand out to shed more light on this topic.  I don't state
this to place an extra burden on Ed - just as an observation on how he
works from the way he has provided information on this list!

	MORAL:::::	PLEASE  --  before this thread takes off into unrealistic
territory, let's see if some documents turn up which would substantiate
or refute such a claim.  Personal *opinions* are to be avoided - the
more opinions are stated the more they become believable.

	SUB--MORAL:::::::	PLEASE  --  be ultra--super--careful  with 
*INFORMATION**  received on the net regardless of the subject  -- 
religion  --  medicine  --  trolleycars.  It is  NOTHING  MORE  THAN 
INFORMATION  until it can be independently verified.   This  *FACT*  has
been repeated in the news multiple times, especially regarding medicine 
--  mucho information on the net concerning medicine can be completely
bogus  --  PLEASE  --  be very careful!

James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1940  --  1950
    To e-mail privately, please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/