Hermann Lemp born: Heinrich Joseph Hermann Lemp (August 8, 1862 – March 31, 1954) was a Swiss-American electrical engineer; he is credited as the inventor of the modern system of diesel electric traction co-ordination and control.
Born and educated in Switzerland, he emigrated to America aged 19, hoping to work with T. A. Edison.
Lemp, with his colleagues, persuaded GE that diesel traction had a future, but that a non-mechanical transmission system was required.
The proposed transmission was electrical, using the diesel engine to power a generator that supplied current to the traction motors.
However, GE's later, successful locomotives used Lemp's improved system, patented after World War I.