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The University of Tennessee misspelled the word Tennesee on a t-shirt as well as a catalog about 10 years ago. On the other hand many businesses misspell words as an attention grabber, maybe that's what Harry was going after. In any case its nice to see someone building and posting their workmanship. Too bad we can't just enjoy their workmanship rather than criticizing, could be why many don't post anymore. Maybe the critics can show what they built for our enjoyment.

Way back when on the Pennsylvania RR just prior to the ill fated merger, I was working second trick at the Meadows ( S Kearney ) as a machinist welder in the old L-5 shop that became the diesel shop.  During this pre merger kick off period there were various inspections of both properties by officials of each roads. Unbeknow to most of these officials this was the setting sun on their positions with their respective roads.    One of these inspection trains was covering the PRR Truck Train Facility ( piggyback yard ) that was a big operation there, two E units powered the train, one unit had a crankcase explosion, rendering it inoperative.  During this time the officials were being bused to other local points of interest, being put up in Hotels in the city for the nights.

A relief E unit was pulled from the pool of New Jersey & Longbranch commuter service. A old E-7 , who had seen better days, during that day her sides & nose were repainted Tuscan and a solid stripe was added,this being done by the Carmen on the big RipTrack at Meadows in the old  erection  shop.  At this time the Greenville yard car shop was closed, all the shop personal either retiried or transferred or to meadows.

 Our gang was to stencile and paint Pennsylvania on her sides , the painter was also the pipe fitter of sorts , like I was a machinist/ welder.   His name I can remember but will not post ,he was a  immigrant from Poland I’d say in his fifty’s a very hard worker, our gang Forman gave him a helper , a laborer another immigrant from another the same area or that general area, as they spoke close to the same language.   I was doing a 30 day inspection on a ALCO RS-1 along with a Air Brake  machinist named Johansson, We were not paying any  attention to what the other guys were doing as we were involved with our own issues with the RS-1.  After taking the RS-1 out to load her up (test) towards the sanding & fuel area, under blue flag protection , we returned to the L-5 shop leaving the RS-1 idling, outside the shop, For the Hostler to pick her up.   There was a small group of workers over by the E unit as the pipe fitter and his helper was finishing up removing the stencils and masking tape.  

They did a excellent job, the road hostlers came in to take the E unit over to the Ramps, ( piggyback terminal)  and the inspection train to have everything ready for a early am departure,for points west. As with all railroaders there was several decisions about the upcoming merger , rumors and more rumors.   Just as the we fired up the unit to pull her out of the shop, Blue Flag area, for the Hostlers to take her ,  someone said how do you spell Pennsylvania????   Everybody started laughing, then myself and  Johansson  The air brake  machinist  Said almost at the same time , there are not 4 Ns in Pennsylvania, Dead  silence  Only a passing Erie Lackawanna MU train passing by the shop was heard.   OK a scramble of extreme language exchanges, a whole lot of extreme  cursing in broken English, admist a awful lot of laughter.   There was no time left in our shift to do any correction as it would be a disaster at best.   The only thing we could do and was agreed by all to protect the pipe fitter and his helper, and our gang Forman.  Who was at the GM plant in Linden with others from our Gang working on a Alco S-1 switcher that quit blocking spot cars for the next shift on the assembly line. All we could do was walk away.  Was this spelling mistake ever caught ??? As big as a E-7 is ??? on both sides ?? No one ever said , or no one cared as the Pennsylvania Railroad was on a fast track to a becoming a fallen flag in a vert short time.   

 About a week or so later while we all were having our dinner the pipefitter mentioned he almost question why he was sent four N stencils ??? for each side.

My point is we are all human and no one is perfect, in the heat of the moment  things will happen ,some go unnoticed , others stand out , so there is a word misspelled. The importance of this is like the importance of the county line, know one can pin point it and does anyone really give a damm ????

I for one see this as a unplanned way of bringing to bear the excellent workmanship and planning ,a true labor of love Harry put into this masterpiece 

well done 

Harry / Pipefitter????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonson posted:

Interesting to read, Hank Todaro, interesting , indeed.

FrankM, Layout Refinements

 

Reminded me of an article in the Sunday newspaper magazine many years ago about a painter at Pullman who deliberately skipped a box car number just before he was leaving and the resulting accusations he stole it.

Again, very nice piece of workmanship! 

Marty Milner posted:

The University of Tennessee misspelled the word Tennesee on a t-shirt as well as a catalog about 10 years ago. On the other hand many businesses misspell words as an attention grabber, maybe that's what Harry was going after. In any case its nice to see someone building and posting their workmanship. Too bad we can't just enjoy their workmanship rather than criticizing, could be why many don't post anymore. Maybe the critics can show what they built for our enjoyment.

Marty, WELL PUT..

Although the misspell was not intentional, Highlighting the error certainly made everyone take a second look and go deeper into the building and notice all the details. Harry appreciates the input and hopes you stop by his York Orange Hall booth where this building will be on display until his customer picks it up on Saturday.

See you all at York...

Marty Milner posted:

The University of Tennessee misspelled the word Tennesee on a t-shirt as well as a catalog about 10 years ago. On the other hand many businesses misspell words as an attention grabber, maybe that's what Harry was going after. In any case its nice to see someone building and posting their workmanship. Too bad we can't just enjoy their workmanship rather than criticizing, could be why many don't post anymore. Maybe the critics can show what they built for our enjoyment.

Just to set the record straight, I was neither criticizing nor being critical of the misspelling. Maybe if you had bothered to read the entire post, you would have read that I started the post by indicating that it was an "outstanding piece".

In addition, the only reason I even mentioned it in the first place was that a prior poster had noted that Harry had placed on the sidewalk an "ice cream cart vendor" that had run over a pedestrian - a rather whimsical addition to the piece - and I was simply wondering whether the misspelling of the word "deserts" was also done intentionally or not - not as being critical.

Talk about someone being overly critical …... maybe that's why some don't post anymore.

I am actually the lucky owner of another one of Harry's true masterpieces.  There are few left in our hobby that I have met that are true master craftsmen like harry.  My wife and I were lucky enough to meet them at York in 2014 and now count harry and vicki as good friends.  And just to end the debate, my grandparents were Pennsylvania Dutch, spoke very little English, and that is how they spelled desert, who am I to correct my grandparents.  Again as I said today harry, thank you, thank you thank you, for your true artistry and knowledge you bring to our hobby.  Remember, subway each store besides Katz is a tribute to a family member past and present and harry incorporated them all in this module 

Last edited by JEFF THOMPSON 071218

I was blessed to be at York last week and shared tables with Harry and his young wife Vicky,  we had a great time, the people who looked at his work were  Mezmorised by the details, I too have many of Harry’s masterpieces including the large  brewery he displayed several times at York.  I first met Harry and Vicky at a Night to Remember at the New Jersey High Railers in Paterson. We’ve been family ever since. Harry has the Unique Ability to capture the Industrial Age architecture by bringing it to life thru his art form.  He never fails to  amaze us all with his  unique one of a kind structures or life like  renderings .   God Bless you both for your contributions to our Hobby. 

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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