Trials & Errors #70 (12/18/2025): General Electric and the Alexanderson Kidnapping

This is the forum discussion for the latest T&E column, this one about Ernst Alexanderson of General Electric R&D. Whether you have a comment about young Verner's kidnapping or the many inventions of his father, please consider jumping in below. The article can be found at this link. Thanks! Dave, W7DGJ

 

The first Amber Alert!

Local notes: Ogdensburg, on the Saint Lawrence River, is 150 miles northwest of Schenectady. I wonder how much power WGY used in those days. But if WGY was the only station on the dial, no QRM!

Now, WGY transmits 50kw day and night to a single half-wave (617-foot) vertical antenna on 810 kHz. You can find the tower on Google Earth next to the off-ramp from I-90 westbound to I-88 westbound.

The GE Realty plot where Alexanderson lived, now a historic district, is an upscale residential development of fine single-family homes occupied by executives, engineers, college professors, and local bigwigs. The homes were built on land that GE bought from Union College, subdivided, and resold with restrictive covenants. The GE plot abuts the east side of the college, on the opposite side of the city from the GE works.

 

David, you come up with the best articles! Thanks!

 

Thanks for the clarity, Tom. And the "Amber Alert" angle is how I should have titled it. Good thoughts! Dave, W7DGJ

 

THANK YOU Richard! Dave

 

My Dad worked at GE in Cleveland, at a site called Nela Park. Maybe Tom you could tell us if anything remains of the General Electric company R&D that took place in Schenectady? Dave

 

It seems like the kidnaping of famous kids was all the rage
At least it had a good ending!

Dave, I found this link you may find interesting:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/779220482206901/posts/3323898961072361/

 

GE R&D built a separate research facility away from the main plant, in the suburbs on a ridge overlooking the Mohawk River in the town of Niskayuna (Post Office 'Schenectady' 12309). Near that, they built a high-security nuclear research facility, the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL, pronounced "capple").

The American Locomotive Division works (ALCO), further west along the Mohawk River inside the city, was razed not too long ago, and a casino and hotel were built on the site.

The main plant is still building turbines. There was (and probably still is) a GE museum in Building 33 by the main gate. I've never visited there, but I've seen some old photos from the collection. As business has slowed, several buildings at the main plant were turned into lawns to save on property taxes.

Trivia: the USPS Zip Code for the mail room at the main plant is 12345.

The Mobile Radio Division was originally in Syracuse NY. Radio manufacturing was moved to a building that is now part of Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. For a time, there was a second manufacturing facility in Florence, SC. Mobile Radio was sold as GE concentrated on its core businesses. Mobile Radio became Ericsson-GE, then in a split Ericsson concentrated on cellular, and Mobile Radio went to Com-Net Critical Systems. Later, after being part of M/A Com for a while, Mobile Radio was sold again to Harris.

There were other GE plants nearby, in Saratoga and Albany counties. There were multiple business and manufacturers' service radio systems (under the 'old' Part 90) that the GE Service Shop that I worked for had maintained.

 

Thanks Tom, super interesting!