Office of the Superintendent
High Plains Division
The Panhandle & Santa Fe Railway Co.
Amarillo, Texas
July 21, 1952
Mr. Barry Broskowitz
Lake Forest, Florida
via The O Gauge Railroading Forum
Dear Mr. Broskowitz,
I am pleased to inform you that The DCS Companion, of which you are the author, has been instrumental to the High Plains Division in allowing us to avoid the expense of using a road locomotive to perform yard switching.
On the morning of July 20, engine 502 was assigned to daylight yard job 101 at Caprock Yard. During the switching activities of the day, the engine was derailed at an improperly lined switch. The engine was promptly re-railed by the Car Department, but could not be re-started. Our Master Mechanic, Hot Water (on whom we depend daily for his expertise in the maintenance of steam and diesel locomotives of all types), was fishing in New Mexico on his weekend off, and our Car Foreman, Little Britches -- who had the weekend duty in the absence of Mr. Water -- was not familiar with the electronic system of the MTH Fairbanks-Morse H-10-44. A call was made to Amarillo, asking for an Area Supervisor of Diesel Engines, and it was agreed that ASDE Salvini would be sent, but, since the westward passenger trains had already departed Amarillo, it would be the following day before he could arrive.
I had been in Abilene for a family wedding, and, on my way back to Amarillo, stopped at Caprock to briefly inspect the facilities and visit with employees. I noticed that Atlas Alco-GE RSD4 2107 was in use in the yard. Naturally, I inquired as to why we were using a 1600 horsepower locomotive on an assignment that only required 1000 horsepower. This is a business, after all, and the fuel cost per hour for the RSD-4 $4.90 versus $2.05 for the H-10-44. At $0.16 per gallon, we must avoid wasteful practices. Mr. Britches briefed me on the situation, and I was glad I had decided to keep copies of The DCS Companion in my automobile as well as in my office.
The book had an answer for the exact problem we had encountered, and, by following the instructions therein, we were soon able to put engine 502 back on its yard assignment.
I am truly grateful to you for the many hours that you spent in creating the book, as well as for your willingness to share your expertise and for the skillful writing that made it possible to find the answer to our dilemma. The High Plains Division owes you a debt of gratitude, and I would like to add my personal thanks.
Very truly yours,
J. T. Campbell
Superintendent
