May-June / July-August 1994

VOLUME 9 May-June/July-August, 1994 NUMBER 3-4

The Frisco Museum: Holding A Family Together 4Reprinted from the June, 1994 edition of The Ozark Mountaineer magazine, this feature looks at the museum's growth, development, and relocation to Springfield from the perspective of anon-railroader-railfan.

The Southland Steam Excursion Train 6The weekend of June 18-19, 1994 was an exciting time for themuseum as the first passenger train in over twenty-five yearsdeparted Springfield on the old Southern Division. As a partof the Peach Blossom Special to Atlanta, our Southland segmentran from Springfield to West Plains. Our trip book, prepared byFrisco Folk John Sanders, is reprinted in its entirety.

That Was Beautiful! 18Excerpts from a letter by Frisco Folk Jim Quarles captures inwords the excitement of seeing Frisco steam locomotive 1522 inaction, June 18-19, 1994.

Peach Blossom Special 19A photo essay by Frisco Folk Ray Wells captures in pictures theexcitement of seeing Frisco steam locomotive 1522 in action,June 18-19, 1994.

Frisco's Executive Fleet 22This is the eighth in our series of articles profiling the history ofFrisco Business Cars. This installment features the Oklahoma car.

Frisco's Executive Fleet Up-Date 24The No. 4 car that was...that wasn't...that was...??? An up-date toinformation presented in the January-February, 1994, All Aboardedition of the Frisco's Executive Fleet, pp. 3-4.

BOXCAR On the Frisco 25Boxcar Willie Theater's new tour information folder features Friscosteam locomotive #1038 on the cover.

Ellsworth, KS, on the Burrton Sub-Division, Northern Division,is the featured station in this issue.

Frisco Presidents Honored 28On May 14, 1994, the last two surviving presidents of the Friscowere honored at a special reception. Details of the occasion andbiographies of Louis Menk and Richard Grayson are featured.

MAIL CAR Up-Date 29Newly acquired photos Up-Date our November-December, 1993,and January-February, 1994 MAIL CAR features that profiled thevarious paint & lettering schemes of Frisco's fleet of E7-E8 dieselpassenger locomotives

A rare photo of a littleknown Frisco passenger train.The Southeastern Limited,predecessor to the Kansas City-Florida Special, was the Frisco'sfirst through train service fromKansas City to the southeast.Inaugurated in the late 1880's,trains 105-106 were solid vesti-bule trains, carrying Pullmandrawing room sleepers, throughwithout change, from KansasCity to Jacksonville, FL. Re-clining chair cars (seats free) andcafe observation cars (as shownin the below photo) were offeredfrom Kansas City to Atlanta.Connections with the SouthernRailway were made at Birming-ham for service to Jacksonville,and with the Rock Island at Kan-sas City for service to Denver.

On November 26, 1911,the Southeastern Limited wasreplaced with the Kansas City-Florida Special which ran untilSeptember 18, 1965.

New Car Shop 30Frisco Folk Curt Baker provides information on how to Friscoizea Walthers kit into a Pullman PS2-CD Frisco covered hopper,#81347, in HO-Scale.

Frisco's Most Famous Folk Up Date 3On June 28, 1994, Museum President Alan Schmitt was privilegedto meet cowboy singing and movie legend Gene Autry in person,present his Frisco Folks membership plaque to him, andacquire an autograph for display in the museum.

COMPANY SERVICE ROSTER 33This is the third installment in our regular series profilingselected pieces of Frisco company service equipment. This issuefeatures Jordan Spreaders 99101-99102.

Looking Backward 37The 1919 installation of a 100 ft. turntable at Sapulpa, OK, 1944purchase of eleven new diesel locomotives, and a 1969 unit coaltrain are all featured in this edition of Looking Backward.

The Last Run of the High Line 38On October 22, 1993, the last revenue run was made on theremaining southern portion of the Frisco's High Line fromSpringfield to Bolivar, MO. To mark the somber occasion, FriscoFolk Bob Plough followed the train. In this feature he describes theevent and shares some of his boyhood memories of the line.

Frisco Folk Rick McClellan shares with us an assortment ofmodeling tricks, tips, and neat things to do all of which can enhancethe appearance and operation of your model railroad layout. Thisinstallment features how to make Athearn locomotives run better.

ABOUT THE COVERFrisco Folk Ray Wells captures the Peach Blossom Special withFrisco steam locomotive 1522 as motive power, at Stanton, MO,June 18, 1994. See additional photos on pp. 19-21.

The Frisco Museum:Holding a Family Together

By Gerald W. Dupy

It stands at attention at the easternedge of Springfield, Mo.'s Com-mercial Street Historic District–a

sturdy, four-square little brick buildingwhich symbolizes the heart and soul ofthe once-thriving Frisco Railway.

It is the home of the Frisco RailroadMuseum, the brainchild of its founder,Alan Schmitt. Alan is a bewhiskered,bespeckled redhead who can put on arailway agent's cap and appear to bewalking out of another century when sta-tion agents used flags and lanterns torequest train stops.

He speaks passionately of a rail systemwhich has passed into the pages of histo-ry. He should–his grandfather, father-in-law, both of his wife's grandparents andnumerous other family members allworked for the Frisco.

Alan grew up within sight of the Friscoyards in Springfield and within earshot ofrumbling locomotives and the incessantclashing of couplers as hundreds of carswere joined for journeys to all points onthe compass. Those vivid images neverfaded, even though a tour in the militaryand a career in teaching at Ash Grove,Mo. followed Alan's childhood.

By the 1970s, Alan had acquiredenough Frisco memorabilia from familyand friends to create a pretty closeapproximation of a train station–in hisbasement. His hobby was obviously aserious devotion. As he continued tosearch out new additions to his trove, aseries of questions began to burn theirway into his daily thoughts–could therebe a full-fledged museum devoted to theFrisco? Once established, could it sur-vive? If he built it, would they come?

He began visiting museums around thecountry, noting how they operated, howtheir displays were fashioned, their suc-cesses and failures. Meanwhile, he drewtogether a working committee from thecommunity–former railroad employees,model railroaders, collectors and justplain train fans. He infected them with hisown enthusiasm, and this group becamethe board of directors for a dream.

In 1986–five years after BurlingtonNorthern and Frisco merged, essentially

erasing Frisco from the railroadmap–Schmitt brought the Frisco back tolife. In the detached garage next to hishome in Ash Grove, the first and onlymuseum dedicated to the Frisco opened.Alan and his board had created a member-ship organization called Frisco Folks and

a magazine fashioned after the old Friscoemployee magazine, "All Aboard." In itsfirst year, there were but 25 members and,as they say, Alan didn't quit his day job.

Now we all know promoters can talk agood line, but until there is some evidenceof their sincerity, something tangible

Opposite: Alan in front of his Springfield, Mo., Frisco Museum.Below: just a glimpse of the Frisco memorabilia within.(Photos by Gerald W. Dupy)

beyond the hot air and blue sky, one'senthusiasm for loaning a cherishedreminder of bygone days is less than total.Alan had found it so. But once there wasa real museum, however small, doing areal service of keeping the Frisco aliveand well for its many generations ofemployees and die-hard devotees, atti-tudes began to change–drastically.

"Once our doors were opened in AshGrove, there was this sense of aiding insaving the Frisco family," Alan recalls."Information about the Frisco poured in;photos poured in; memorabilia from theFrisco came in from all over the country.In six months, we'd out-grown thegarage.

"The museum had started with 1,500items. In six months, we'd received thou-sands more. Then the Frisco closed its lastshops in Springfield and donated all theirfiles to us-80 filing cabinets full of infor-mation and specifications on anythingfrom locomotive design to depot architec-ture."

It had becometime for Alan and hiswife, Saundra, todecide if Alan couldquit his day job anddevote all his ener-gies to making themuseum and theassociation grow.Saundra, also ateacher at AshGrove, gave full sup-port to a two-yearexperiment to see ifthe dream wouldcontinue to grow.They've neverlooked back.

In 1991, with thegarage museumbulging at the seamsand a second down-town Ash Grovebuilding filled to theceiling with Friscomemorabilia, thesearch was begun fora new, permanenthome for the FriscoMuseum. The boardwas determined tofind an historicallysignificant, easilyaccessible. Frisco-

built structure that they could afford toacquire. It seemed that their criteria wouldmake the search a long one, but such wasnot the case.

"We discovered this building, aban-doned since 1986, and were able to takepossession of it and 30,000 square feet ofland in June of '92 on a long-term leasefrom Burlington Northern, who has beenvery supportive of our efforts," Alan said.

After a very successful fund raiser andwith major donations from the Communi-ty Development Block Grant Program,former Frisco presidents, RichardGrayson and Louis Menk, the CommunityFoundation of Springfield, the KemperFoundation and scores of others, theFrisco's old centralized traffic controlcommand center reopened on Sept. 25 oflast year as the Frisco Museum.

It houses 2,600 items for display (thatmany more are stored for future display)altogether valued at $780,000, and100,000 items are filed in its archives,including diagrams, photos and work ros-

ters. While the number of visitors in AshGrove averaged under 2,000 a year,Schmitt anticipates over 20,000 in 1994.

And if you believe this is the toppingon a sweet story of success, hold ontoyour hat. By spring of next year the muse-um will have broken ground on a new,9,000-square-foot building adjacent to thecurrent museum. It's displays will befashioned after those of the Smithsonian'sMuseum of American History, with 50displays, including life-like dioramas pro-filing every area of operation on theFrisco, including a mock-up of an oldbrick engine house. On its mezzaninelevel, a 2,000-square-foot model railroadlayout will be in operation, and an obser-vation deck will overlook BurlingtonNorthern's tracks just below. The muse-um's current building will be dedicated togeneral offices, the archives, researchspace and offices for the magazine.

Dare anyone suggest that this plan fora small museum's future is a bitgrandiose, a review of it's first eight yearsis in order: the museum's supportingmembership now numbers over 500, rep-resenting 41 states and five foreign coun-tries; the little two-page newsletter, "AllAboard," is now a slick, 20-page maga-zine crammed full of entertaining and fac-tual information about anything Frisco;the museum's research department is gin-ning out well-documented reports onqueries from far and wide and the muse-um is being praised in all quarters for itsprofessionalism and its depth ofresources.

This "little museum that could" maybe the spark in the historic downtownSpringfield community which ignites thepreservation fire up and down the agingand rumpled old thoroughfare which islined with elegant 19th century architec-tural statements too long ignored. Com-mercial Street is a revitalized turn-of-the-century shopping and entertainment expe-rience just waiting to happen.

Meanwhile, no one doubts AlanSchmitt's prediction for the museum andits membership. He's done what he's setout to do–"We're not in the business ofpreserving trains," he says. "We're in thebusiness of preserving the Frisco."

Wait `til the other 25,000 members ofthe Frisco family hear they have a muse-um they can call their own. Could be Mr.Schmitt's parking lot will be a tad toosmall. q

This article reprinted with permission from The Ozark Mountaineer magazine, Vol. 42, No. 3, June, 1994.

Frisco Employee Timetable,May 3, 1942

The Southland ExcursionSpringfield to West Plains

June 19, 1994

The train ride you are taking today has not been available to the generalpublic since December 1967 when the Kansas City to Birmingham train, theSouthland (trains 101 & 102), was discontinued. The steam motive power (1522)is a special treat as we believe this is the first steam powered train to run this linesince 1951. Our portion of the trip will cover most of the Willow Springs sub-division which extended from Springfield to Thayer. Today's trip will end at WestPlains because sufficient room in Thayer to load the return tour buses.

This train is representative of a Frisco passenger train of the late 1940's.The train is hauled by ex-Frisco locomotive 1522 which routinely ran on this linein the 1930's and 1940's. While the streamlined passenger cars are not formerFrisco, they are similar to cars purchased by the Frisco after World War II tomodernize it's passenger fleet.

The Springfield to Memphis line was built during 1882 and 1883 by asubsidiary of the Kansas City, Ft. Scott, & Gulf. The subsidiary, the Kansas City,Springfield, & Memphis Railroad, reached Fordland in May 1882, West Plains onJanuary 22, 1883, and the west bank of the Mississippi River opposite Memphisin July, 1883. Upon completion the line was accepted by the parent company andoperated as a division of the Kansas City, Ft. Scott, & Gulf Railroad. In 1888 therailroad was renamed the Kansas City, Ft. Scott, & Memphis Railroad. In 1901the Frisco leased the line and merged the operations of the two roads together.Although operations were merged into the Frisco, the K.C.F.S. & M. remained awholly held corporate entity until 1928.

Our route to the outskirts of Springfield is different than was used by theregular K.0 to Birmingham trains. From the 1880's until 1967, southbound(trains to Memphis and Birmingham) passenger trains entered Springfield'sterminal trackage at Nichols Junction west of town and proceeded to the downtowndepot (Main Ave. and Mill St.). After a stop at the depot the train continued easton Mill St. ran along the Jordan Creek valley, crossed National Ave., slipped underthe Glenstone viaduct, crossed Trafficway, Cherry St. and on to W.S. (WillowSprings) Junction where the line ducked under Eastgate Ave. and US 65.

This route is impossible to take today. The passenger main was severed inthe mid-1970's because it was no longer needed as a passenger route, nor as afreight route. From the late 1940's to the late 1950's southbound freight trainsdeparted the west yards, or the old north yards, eastbound, turned south on themiddle belt at Eastern Junction and then turned east onto the passenger mainnear M.K. Junction. Due to unfavorable grades, curves, and street crossings on themiddle belt Frisco built a new route in the late 1950's parallel to the present routeof US 65. In addition to providing a much better route for freight, the new belt alsoopened up new industrial park areas to rail service. With the end of passenger

service and a better freight route available by way of Teed Junction, the passengermain was removed from Cherry St. to W.S. Junction. We are following the routethat Memphis bound freights have taken since the late 1950's. As a bonus to therare mileage collectors, this is possibly the first passenger train to run over thenew belt.

Along our route you will see numerals on posts, signal line poles, and signalboxes. These are mileage markers which identify locations from a fixed point.South of Teed Junction the markers are measured from Kansas City. Our startingpoint (North Yards) to Teed Junction was part of the St. Louis - Oklahomamainline and so the posts show the distance from St. Louis. Our speed can be foundby using the enclosed table (p. 9). Measure the time elapsed between the one-mileintervals and look at the table to find the average speed traveled in that mile.

The following is a brief description of the towns and landmarks along ourroute, including photos of some of the depots that served the respective commu-nities.

Teed Junction MP 203Our train takes the route to the right which is the beginning of the new belt linebuilt in the late 1950's. The track to the left is the route to St. Louis.

James River Bridge MP 210.5The railroad crosses the largest river in the area on a combination through plategirder and I-beam span bridge. The James River valley crossing is also the lowestelevation, about 1183 ft., this side of Cabool.

Turners (Turner, Frisco spelling) MP 211.7The location of Turners Station Mercantile, a general store & post office. Turnerswas at one time the location of a water tank (for steam locomotives), livingquarters and tool house for section men, and until the late 1950's, a depot.

Rogersville MP 219.0Near the top of the long grade out of the James River Valley. The train will climbapproximately 250 ft. from the James River bridge to Rogersville. US 60 becomesvisible on the right side of the train and parallels the track just east of town.

Fordland MP 226.5US 60 crosses over the track east of town. Visible on the left side of the train arebroadcasting towers of Springfield television stations.

Diggins MP 231.5A long passing siding is a frequent meeting point for current day freight trains.The four lane expansion of US 60 demolished a parallel row of houses that backedup to the tracks. Some of the houses had impressive back yard livestock collectionsvisible from the train.

Seymour M1 236.6The area between Diggins and Seymour has been settled by the Amish in recentyears. Their farms are worked by manual labor and animal power. The farms arecharacterized by gray two story houses and operating windmills. Horse drawnbuddies traveling along the shoulder of US 60 are a common sight.

Cedar Gap MP 243.2This point is the highest elevation on our trip today with the track reaching anelevation of 1689 ft. Approximately one mile beyond Cedar Gap, on the left sideof the train, is a peak known as Lead Hill. Lead Hill has an elevation of 1744 whichis the second highest point in Missouri, second only to Taum Sauk Mountain ineastern Missouri (elevation 1772 ft.). Cedar Gap had a water tank for thelocomotives which was fed by Cedar Gap Lake northwest of town. This lake wasfilled-in in the early 1980's. At the south end of Cedar Gap the train will enter thenorthern edge of the Bryant Creek valley. Visible some ten miles to the south arelandmarks such as Pilot Knob and the water tower and some buildings near Ava.

Mansfield MP 248.9Mansfield was the northern end of a short line railroad known as the Kansas City,Ozark, & Southern. First conceived as a electric interurban (an inter-city trolleyline) to Ava 15 miles to the south, construction started in Mansfield in 1908 andreached Ava in February 1910. The intention was to electrify the road by buildinga power house on the Bryant Creek 18 miles southeast of Ava and an order for twoelectric passenger cars was placed with the St. Louis Car Co. Apparently financialtrouble prevented electrification and the line limped along using a variety of steamlocomotives and gasoline rail buses. Reorganized as the Ozark Southern in 1919the railroad suffered from competition from cars and trucks and was abandonedin 1935.

Norwood MP 260.2The beginning of the most severe grade on our route. Before larger steamlocomotives were bought in the 1920's, freight trains from Springfield were splitinto two parts at Norwood and run as two separate trains to Thayer. Heavypassenger trains required two locomotives (1050 & 1060 class Pacifies) the entiredistance from Springfield to Thayer. Delivery of the second and third lot of 1500's(1522 is a member of the third batch) allowed them to be used on the line and asingle 1500 could handle most trains of that era alone. A "Y" for turninglocomotives was located here until at least 1928.

Whetstone Creek Bridge MP 264.7Whetstone Creek is a tributary of the Gasconade River. The bridge is at the baseof the hardest grade on today's trip. The 1522 will be working hard all the way toMountain Grove.

Mountain Grove MP 269.5Located at the top of Whetstone Creek grade. A water tank was here in the daysof steam locomotives. Mountain Grove's depot survived until the mid-1980's.

Cabool MP 279.1The railroad passes under US 60 on the west end of town. A Mid-AmericaDairymen's plant will appear on the right side of the train as we pass throughCabool's business district. On the east end of town the railroad passes under US63. Cabool was the southern end of a projected railroad that would have passedthrough Houston and connected with the Frisco at Salem. Some work was done onthe roadbed and a depot was completed at Houston. Financial problems stoppedthe project before any rail was laid.

Willow Springs MP 293.3At Willow Springs the Current River Branch joined the mainline. This branchconnected with logging and mining railroads early in the century, but lack ofbusiness lead to abandonment in the late 1970's. Willow Springs had water andcoaling facilities for steam locomotives and a turntable for the branch linelocomotives. The railroad passes under US 63 at the south end of town and passesthe site of the "Y" that connected with the Current River Branch.

Burnham MP 298.2A logging railroad once extended west from Burnham into what is now the MarkTwain National Forest.

Pomona MP 303.4The railroad crosses over US 63 at Pomona.

West Plains MP 314.4The train will stop here and transfer the Frisco Museum's passengers to busses forthe return trip to Springfield. The West Plains depot was dismantled a few yearsago and moved to a city park in the north part of town. The depot now serves asa community building for the city.

Compiled byJohn Sanders, Director of Resource Development

The Frisco Railroad Museum Inc.Photos courtesy of H.D. Connor & Allen Johnson

"That Was Beautiful!"Excerpts from a letter by Frisco Folk Jim Quarles

Monday, June 20, 1994

I think I just experienced one of the most enjoyable weekends I can remember! My wife's sister livesnear Fordland in a beautiful rural area. We had made arrangements to spend the afternoon there. We learnedthat 1522 was a couple of hours late out of Rolla, so we cooked some hot dogs outside and watched the 6:00news. I was amazed at the coverage of 1522 and the museum. Steve Grant and KY-3 did a really fine job. Theyeven reported that there was quite a crowd at the museum, and that slowed me down about trying to comein to see what was going on. Then we got word that the train was running better than we expected. A callto the museum office confirmed our news! Forget the dogs... we had a train to see! We all jumped in a vanand took off to Northview. We had intentions of getting down near the grade out of the river bottom but whenwe got to North view we saw all the people lined up. We went west along the tracks about 200 yards and goton the outside of the curve and made ourselves comfortable.

In less than five minutes we first heard the whistle. Then we could hear the beautiful exhaust cadenceof the engine working up the grade. It was so quiet you could hear nearly every bird singing in Northview,mixed with the panting of the engine approaching. We then heard the low moan of the whistle greeting somefans. It go nearer and suddenly the train appeared as it whistled for the only crossing in Northview. Witha rush and blast it was by us, on its way towards the sun, Strafford, and Springfield. I got the shakes so badI couldn't talk and then tears filled my eyes. Talk about something having an effect on you! During this timeI was looking off in the opposite direction from the rest of the group and one of them said, "I'm all covered withgoose bumps. That was beautiful!" That pretty well summed up everyone's feeling. Some of the othersadmitted to it causing them to clear their throat, have goose bumps, etc. I can not for the life of me see whywe were all affected so powerfully, but what ever it was it was quite an experience!

We immediately jumped in the van and took of towards Interstate 44 with good intentions of catchingthe 1522 and it's train. Surprise, Surprise, everyone in Southwest Missouri had the same idea. We did getto see a bit of smoke wafting down the tracks along with 10,000 cars on the outer road and 1-44. My brother-in-law is a little prone to being interested in his own things to the exclusion of others. I really hesitated toimpose on him to ask him to go see the train with us, but he became as excited as the rest of us. On the wayback, we all were quite animated as we chattered abut the train, like a bunch of magpies. This was a goodplace for me to mention 1522 was going to come through the area on the way to Memphis the next morning.Immediately the group started making plans for sleeping arrangements, when to get up, etc.

"Crew call" the next morning was six a.m. We ate breakfast, loaded up to check out the viewing spotsin Rogersville, found one, and settled in. A railroad security guy came by and hassled everyone about beingon private property, etc., but he was only puffing up his own ego because if he tried to have everyone hauledin that was on "private property" in Rogersville, the Springfield jail wouldn't have held us all! Where do theydig up those thugs for that job? They sure could use a class in human relations! At any rate we learned thetrain was late leaving, as I had thought it might be, then we heard a CBer report that the train was crossing125 highway. Someone else said that's about four or five miles away. We heard the whistle very faintly inthe distance. Soon there was the faint puffing cadence off down the line, next a smudge on the horizon, andthen the 'eye' came into view. We climbed up on a gravel pile (off the "private property") near the tracks andput the camera in gear to get it all. I had let my son have the 35mm with a short telephoto lens. Meanwhile,I was trying to coach him when to shoot while I was composing the picture, wishing that darned airplane flyinglow overhead would turn off his loud engine because it was going to ruin my sound track of locomotive,zooming, etc. It was quite a hectic pass. Everybody waved. Everybody grinned. Everybody just loved it.

I have no idea what it is that causes people to love those old iron dinosaurs so, but I'm certain therearen't many things that will get that kind of crowd out. It was as if the whole of the hills of Webster Countyand most of Springfield were strung up and down the tracks Sunday morning. The best part was they wereall grinning and happy even though the train was about an hour late. The darnedest thing is that it only lastsa few seconds before it is gone! Can you beat that! There had been some discussion as to how many cars wereon the train. We hadn't counted them on the tape, so I asked my Brother-in-law if he counted them. His answerwas, "NO, I was too busy absorbing it all to count!"

Peach Blossom SpecialJune 18, 1994A Photo Essay by

Ray Wells

Stanton, MO

East of St. Clair, MO

Rolla, MO

West of Crocker, MO

Near Swedeborg, MO

Crossing old Highway 66 at Phillipsburg, MO. The figure standing in the cab doorwayis museum President Alan Schmitt, who experienced his first ride on the Frisco in the cab

of 1522

North view, MO

1522 & train, awaiting departure on June 19, 1994, at TheFrisco Railroad Museum Inc., Springfield, MO.

FRISCO'S EXECUTIVE FLEET

Frisco Business Car Oklahoma, Springfield, MO, July 8, 1962.Mike Condren photo

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the eighthin our series profiling the Frisco's fleetof Business Cars.

OklahomaThe Oklahoma Business Car

was originally built by the PullmanCar Co. in April, 1912, as car #1702,a series of four (1701-1704) Buffet-Coach cars, Lot No. 3956. It was an82' all steel unit with a seatingcapacity of 30 in the Coach sectionand 12 in the Buffet or Loungecompartment. These cars weresometimes referred to as Sun-Loungecars.

In 1924, No. 1702 enteredthe Springfield, MO West CoachShops and emerged as Business CarNo. 1924, following the example ofFrisco President J.M. Kurn's privatecar No. 1920, rebuilt in 1920. Thenewly re-built car was patternedafter its predecessors being equippedwith a kitchen & crew quarters,dining room, two state rooms,secretary's quarters, and observationroom. Its interior was painted astandard Ivory color. The exteriorwas Pullman Green, with black roofand gold leaf lettering.

In May, 1947, No. 1924 wasre-numbered car No. 3, and inDecember, 1949, changed to No. 6.The new number allowed the number3 to be assigned to the newlyconverted diner No. 644, whichentered the executive fleet in

January, 1950. In June, 1954, thenumber 6 was replaced with thename Oklahoma. In January, 1963,the car was once again assigned anumber, this time No. 4. Thus, in1963, the No. 1 car was the formerMissouri, the No. 2 car the former

St. Louis, the No. 3 car the formerSpringfield, and the new No. 4 wasthe former Oklahoma.

On November 22, 1963, thefollowing memo was sent from Mr.J.P. Knox, Chief Mechanical Officer,to Mr. W.C. Reddick, Superintendentof the Car Department:

"After Business Car No. 2's repairs arecompleted, the No. 3 (former Springfield)will be removed from service and storedin the old Coach Shop. At that time,change the number on the No. 4 (formerOklahoma) to No. 3, and in lieu of No. 3'sdesignation, show former name of car."

Thus, what started out in1947 as Business Car No. 3ultimately returned to thatdesignation sixteen years later. Thenew No. 3 car retained that identityuntil March, 1974, when it was soldto a private individual.

Frisco Business Car #6, Springfield, MO, August 31, 1950. Frisco photo

Frisco Business Car #6, Springfield, MO, August 31, 1950. Frisco photo

According to exi sting records ,executive assignments for the carwere as follows: As the original No.3, it was assigned to J.E. Payne,Vice-President of Traffic. As CarNo. 6 and the Oklahoma, it servedAssistant General Managers E.P.Olsen, L.W. Menk, H.H. DeBerry,and Chief Engineer B.H. Crossland.

Fortunately, the car surviveda scrappers torch and is currentlyin the Smoky Hill Railway collectionand is undergoing restoration attheir Belton, MO facility.

Frisco Business Car No. 3, Springfield, MO, September 23, 1967.Mike Condren photo

Observation Room. of Car asNo. 6, looking toward A-end,August 31, 1950, Springfield,MO. Frisco photo

Observation Room of Car asNo. 6, looking toward B-end,August 31, 1950, Springfield,MO. Frisco photo

Dining Room of Car as No. 6,looking toward B-end, Au gust31, 1950, Springfield, MO.

Frisco photo

FRISCO'S EXECUTIVE FLEET

The No. 4 car that was... that wasn't... that was...???

Frisco Business Car No. 4 (ex-#100, ex-#2, future #14, future Texas, Springfield, MO, April 17, 1948. A. Johnson photo

Without doubt, one of themost difficult tasks in researchingthe history of the Frisco's fleet ofBusiness Cars is keeping straightall the various re-numberings theywent through. Although themuseum's Re search Service attempt sto accurately accomplish such amonumental tasks, we sometimesoverlook the obvious. Such was thecase in our January-February, 1994,installment of FRISCO'S EX-ECUTIVE FLEET, pp. 3-4.

On page 3, the above photowas shown as being Frisco BusinessCar No. 4, rebuilt from soldier dinerNo. 648 in March, 1948. However,when compared with the floor planand photo of the Springfield car,shown on page 4, it is obvious thatthere are some notable discrepancies,as follows:L There is a much different windowarrangement between the two pho-tos which is unlikely to have occurred

when the car received sealed win-dows.

2. The car's windows do not matchup to the floor plan.

3. The observation platform railingdesign is different.

4. The car pictured on page 3 wasoriginally a wood unit or a woodcomposite car, as noted by the truss-rods underneath the car. The carpictured on page 4 is an all steelcar.

What's the answer? The carpictured on page 3 was The No. 4car that was... that wasn't... thatwas??? A review of our files hasrevealed that the car pictured onpage 3 was originally built by Pull-man in 1902 as Business Car No.100, a wood composite car. On April3, 1947, the number 100 was changedto No. 2, and on February 28, 1948,

it was again re-numbered No. 4, toallow rebuilt diner No. 645 (theTennessee) to enter the executivefleet as Business Car No. 2. Oneyear later, February 8, 1949, it wasonce again re-numbered, this timeto No. 14. This third and finalnumber change made available theNo. 4 slot for rebuilt diner No. 648(the Springfield), placed in servicein February of the same year. OnJune 25, 1954, the car was assignedthe name Texas, which it carrieduntil 1958 when it was sold to aprivate individual!

Consequently, the car pic-tured in the January-February is-sue was car No. 4 when the picturewas taken, but it was not the No. 4car featured in the article.

Thanks! and a tip of theFrisco hat to Frisco Folks KevinJohnson & Alan Wayne Hagler forbringing this discrepancy to ourattention.

DOWN AT THE DEPOT

under the company's first mortgage,A.L. Wolff was appointed receiver.On July 25, 1900, the company'sfranchises and property were soldat public auction to Alfred R. Pick

As a result, The KansasMidland Railroad Company wasorganized by the purchasers. Theforeclosed franchises and propertywere conveyed to that company on

On February 8, 1886, theKansas Midland Railway Co. wasincorporated. It was initially con-trolled by the Kansas Construction& Improvement Co., a New Jerseycorporation, but on March 7, 1887,before construction of its propertywas commenced, control passed tothe St. Louis and San FranciscoRailway Co.

In 1893, the company de-faulted payment of interest on itsfirst mortgage bonds, and on July 1,1896, as the result of foreclosureproceedings instituted by the Mer-cantile Trust Company, trustee,

and Harry Bronner, who were therepresentatives of the holders ofthe company's first mortgage bonds.This sale was confirmed by a jointdeed, executed August 9, 1900, byJay F. Shearman, special master,the company, and the MercantileTrust Co., Trustee.

On August 6, 1900, anagreement was made between thepurchasers of the company's fran-chises and property, and the St.Louis and San Francisco RailroadCo., providing for the sale of suchfranchises & property to the latter.

October 1, 1900, and by it to the St.Louis and San Francisco RailroadCo. on the same date.

On October 1, 1900, theproperty of the company consistedof about 106 miles of standard gauge,single track railroad, located en-tirely in Kansas, extending fromWichita to Ellsworth.

The property of the companywas constructed for it during theperiod between April, 1887, andJanuary, 1888. The line of rail-road, as a whole, was placed in op-eration on January 24, 1888.

The farthest point on theMidland line and the farthest pointWest in Kansas on the Frisco, wasEllsworth, KS, Station F608 on theBurrton Sub-Division, Northern(originally Kansas) Division.

According to our records, in1910, a 56'4" x 20'3" wood framecombination station was built atEllsworth. The exterior was fin-ished with 1/2" x 4" lap siding witha 1/3 pitch shingled hip roof. The250 ft. platform was brick with aconcrete curb.

The interior was divided intoa waiting room on the northeastend, large freight & baggage roomon the southeast, divided in themiddle by the ticket office. The floorwas 2 1/4" maple hardwood, the wallswere covered with 3/4" x 3 1/4" M &B, and the ceiling height was 12'.Lighting was electric and sanitaryfacilities, when originally built, wereoutside toilets. As indicated by thephotos on this page, the depot wasdestroyed by fire sometime in theearly 1960's.

In addition to the depot, theEllsworth facility included a twostory section house, retired in 1934,an 8' x 12' x 7' shed type depot coalhouse, a 14' x 22' x 10' pump houseand a 50,000 gals. 16' x 24' watertank, built in 1907. There was alsoa 39' x 78' two-stall wood enginehouse (no turntable) with a flat roof.An interesting feature of theEllsworth facility was that threerecycled box car bodies were used asthe section car house, engine houseforeman's office, and a kindling &shaving house. Southeast of thedepot were four 28' x 32' stock penswith an eight car capacity.

From 1902 to the late 1950's,the Ellsworth community had somesort of daily passenger service. In1902, trains 305-306 ran daily; In1910, service from Columbus toEllsworth was daily on trains 7 & 8,and by 1920, motor car service wasbeing provided on trains 310-311.As passenger traffic began to de-cline, motor car service was replacedby mixed train accommodations in1935, trains 349-350. All passengerservice to Ellsworth was discontin-ued in 1958.

Ellsworth, KS, looking east, April 30, 1960. Lee Clerico photo

Ellsworth, KS, looking north, April 30, 1960. Lee Clerico photo

Ellsworth, KS, after fire, May, 1964. Lee Clerico photo

Frisco Presidents Honored

Louis W. MenkLouis W. Menk began his

railroading career in 1939 as atelegrapher for the Union Pa-cific Railroad, In February,1940, he became a telegrapherfor the Frisco at Tulsa, OK.Over the next twenty-four yearshis rise to the top position onthe Frisco would take himthrough the ranks of TrainDispatcher, AssistantTrainmaster, Train master,Assistant Superintendent,Terminal Trainmaster, Super-intendent, Assistant GeneralSuperintendent Transporta-tion, Assistant General Man-ager, General Manager, VicePresident & General Manager,and Vice President of Opera-tions. On October 5, 1962, hewas elected President of theFrisco. In 1964, he was electedto the additional position ofChairman of the Board. In 1965,Mr. Menk assumed the posi-tion of President of the Chicago,Burlington, & Quincy Railroad,and for the next five years di-rected the ultimate creation ofthe Burlington Northern Rail-road in 1970.

Museum President Alan Schmitt(center) with Mr. Menk & Mr.Grayson atMay14,1994reception.

On May 14, 1994, thelast two surviving presidentsof the Frisco were honored at aspecial reception held on themuseum grounds. Richard C.Grayson and Louis W. Menkwere honored for their serviceon the Frisco and their supportof the Museum's new Springfieldfacility. Both were presentedwith certificates designating thenaming of our administrativeand display buildings in theirhonor.

Our current facility, theold Eastern Division C.T.C.building is to be named theLouis W. Menk Building. Whenour new display facility iscomplete, the current structurewill house our archives,Research Service, publishingdepartment, photo lab, andadministrative offices.

Our new memorabiliadisplay facility will be namedthe Richard C. GraysonBuilding. Construction on itwill hopefully begin in 1995.

Richard C. Grayson

Richard C. Grayson be-gan his railroading career in1941 as a Brakeman and Con-ductor on the Frisco. Over thenext thirty-one years his riseto the top position on the Friscowould take him through theranks of Train Dispatcher,Trainmaster, Assistant Super-intendent, Superintendent,Assistant General Manager,Vice President & GeneralManager Frisco TransportationCompany, General Sales Man-ager, and Vice-President ofOperations. On January 1,1969, he was elected Presidentof the Frisco. In November,1969, he was designated as ChiefExecutive Officer and on De-cember 1, 1973, he was electedto the additional position ofChairman of the Board. Whenthe Frisco and the BurlingtonNorthern Railroad merged in1980, Mr. Grayson assumed theposition of President of the BN.

In our November-December, 1993 and January-February, 1994editions of the All Aboard, our Mail Car feature profiled the variouspaint and lettering schemes of the Frisco's fleet of E7 and E8 passengerlocomotives.

On page 18 of the November-December 1993 issue, reference ismade to early EMD drawings for the four Meteor E Ts showing the trainname - The Meteor Flash - which was never applied to the locomotives.Since publication of the article the museum has acquired the above printof the EMD drawing.

E7 / E8 Rebuilds 1946 Time Magazine advertisement.Submitted by Frisco Folk L.A. Reed

May, 1950 Frisco Photo May, 1950 Frisco Photo

On page 6 of the January-February 1994 issue, reference is made to the original E7 units 2000-2005being cosmetically rebuilt to match the new fleet of E8's, and on page 9, two photos show E 7/E8 rebuild 2005fresh from the paint shop. Since publication of the article the museum has acquired the above photos showingthe rebuilding of 2001 and the repainting of 2004, Dan Patch.

If you are a model railroader,and you model the Frisco, you areindeed a lucky soul. After manyyears of waiting for suitable modelsof Frisco freight equipment thedrought has ended! Quite a numberof currently produced models areaccurate, although not factorypainted and lettered for Friscoprototypes.

Always a service orientedrailroad, the Frisco recognized theadvantage of covered hoppers overbox cars for transporting grain andfeed. Several sizes and styles ofcovered hoppers can be found onthe Frisco car roster, including fiveseparate number series of 4427 cu.ft. cars. These include:

model, as I discovered whenresearching this project.

During production, a car'sdesign features can and do change.This is done to accommodate acustomers needs or to standardizedesign. The 4427 cu. ft. hoppersare no exception to this rule, as theFrisco purchased these cars over a

ten year period, several designchanges did occur. For an illu strationof the differences, compare the photoof #81347 (an early production PS2-CD) with #79418 (a late productionPS2-CD). The #79418 is constructedof standardized components akinto the more common 4750 cu. ft.design.

31051-31211-31211 (149 leased carsbuilt in 1967)7900-79499 (500 cars built between1967 & 1971)81201-81424 (223 cars built between1964 & 1965)131000-131050 (50 leased cars withpneumatic unloading devices builtin 1967)USLF 1212-1289 (78 leased cars builtin 1967)

While many of these carswere built by Pullman Standard,they are not all identical. A photo isyour best friend when building any

The model 4427 cu. ft. PS2-CD offered by Walthers is correctfor the early production cars builtby Pullman. This model is also a"dead ringer" for Frisco series 81201-81424 which were the first series ofthis type purchased by the Frisco.To begin this project you will needone of the Walthers kits, HeraldKing decal set #11-463, black paint,suitable grey paint, and your hobbytools. If you do not know what colorof grey paint to use, do not panic. Itreally does not matter as long as itlooks right to you. The only timethat real freight cars are an "exact"color is the day they roll out of thepaint shop door. After that mothernature will have her way and throughfading, oxidizing, and weathering,the "exact" color of the freight carwill disappear. For verification,look at the photo of our prototype,#81347, on page 30. Now that weare inspired, let's get started!

I could not find anundecorated kit at my local hobbydealer, so the first step was to removethe factory lettering. Rubbingalcohol and a rubber eraser willwork or you can use a commercialhobby paint stripper. I chose thelatter. After the lettering has beenremoved, wash the model thoroughlywith warm water and dish soap.This will give the paint a cleansurface to stick to and result in abetter overall finish. According tothe painting and lettering diagramprovided by the Frisco Museum'sResearch Service, the underframe,trucks, and brake rigging below thecenter sill should be painted black.The rest of the car body, slope sheets,and brake rigging above the centersill should be painted grey. Anymodifications to the kit should bedone prior to painting. If you chooseto add wire detail, stirrup steps, orbody damage, now is the time to doit.

In the prototype photo, youwill notice the ladder on the rightend has had some of its rungsremoved and appears to have beenstressed inward, possibly by a carpuller. If you choose to replace thehandrails with wire remember oneimportant rule: The more material

that you remove, the more fragilethe ends become. Work carefullyand take your time! This is not asmuch work as it sounds like andcan turn a nice model into a reallygood one.

I chose to replace the moldedplastic grabs with Detail Associates1" wire and the plastic stirrup stepswith A-Line brass models. I alsoopted to replace the brake wheelwith one by Precision Scale and Iadded Detail Associates wire couplercut levers. These small details arenot difficult to install and add agreat deal to the completed model.

Painting comes next and Ichose Accu-Flex S.P. Lettering Greyfor the carbody. Accu-Flex coversin one coat, is incredibly thin, andprovides an excellent surface fordecal application.

Herald King decal set H-463 is the best choice for the letteringand dimensional data. You willnotice that car #81347 has the late1970's "Block" style reporting marks.The lack of an ACI label on #81347is another indication that the car

was repainted sometime in the late1970's. You could choose to use drytransfer lettering to duplicate theblock style lettering or you coulduse the Roman style provided in theHerald King set. Either way youchoose to go would be as accurate,as the Frisco paint and letteringdiagram shows the Roman style.The lettering diagram included inthe decal set is not accurate for the4427 cu. ft. car, so consult a photoor order a full size copy of the originalpaint and lettering diagram fromthe museum's Research Service, asI did.

Once the decals have had achance to dry, overspray the carwith clear flat sealer and set it asideto dry. That's it! You now have anaccurate model of a common Friscocovered hopper car.

If you decide to build a modelof a Frisco freight car and you needa photo or just some advice, Irecommend that you contact themuseum's Research Service. Theirresources are the best you can fmdanywhere and the museum staf f isalways there to help.

Frisco Covered Hopper #81347 in HO-Scale, fresh from the paint shop andready for revenue service. Photo by author

In the August-September,1992 edition of the All Aboardit was proudly announced thatcowboy singing and movie legendGene Autry was the newestmember of our museum's FriscoFolks family. Mr. Autry workedas a telegrapher on the Frisco inOklahoma from 1925 to 1932,when he left to begin his singingcareer.

On June 28, 1994, at thegrand opening of the GlennCampbell Theater in Branson,MO, museum President AlanSchmitt was privileged to meetMr. Autry in person, present hisFrisco Folks membership plaqueto him, and acquire an autographfor display in a new Gene Autrymuseum display.

Gene Autry, Frisco'sMost Famous Folk! Museum President Alan Schmitt greets Mr. Autry, backstage at the

Glenn Campbell Theater. June 28. 1994.

Museum President Alan Schmitt presents Mr. Autry Mr. Autry signs autograph for museum displaywith his Frisco Folks membership plaque.

This is the third in ourCompany Service Roster featurein which we are profiling someof the most interesting, unique,and often underrated facets ofFrisco equipment and operations:the Company Service Depart-ment... those men and machinesthat maintained the track, road-bed, right-of-way, bridges, struc-

tures, etc., all of which was essen-tial to the successful operation ofthe railroad.

SLSFJordan Spreaders

99101-99102

They were the latest in1930's technology, were in service

for over fifty years, and were byfar the most curious lookingcreatures in the Frisco's CompanyService fleet. Officially knownas a Jordan Type "A"Composite Spreader-Ditcherwith Fixed Ditching Section,on the Frisco they were CompanyService Nos. 99101 & 99102.

Frisco Jordan Spreader-Ditcher #99101, builder's photo from O.F. Jordan Co., circa. August, 1930.

JORDAN Type "A"VARIABLE WING SPREAD

Until the advent of the JORDAN Type "A" Spreader-Ditcher the scope of operations of the locomotive pushed type ofSpreader-Ditcher was limited to such conditions as could behandled with a FIXED WING SPREAD.

Recognizing the limitations of such a machine and the demandsof the railroads for a Spreader-Ditcher which would meet alloperating requirements, the 0. F. Jordan Company developedtheir Type "A" Variable Wing Spread Machine.

On this machine the wings can be operated at any desiredangle within the limits of 25° and 45 ° from the center line ofcar and are opened or closed by means of air cylinders under thedirect control of the operator.

The wings are held at the desired position by means of tele-scopic steel column braces. These braces are rigidly locked by thesimple operation of throwing an air-cock handle—the whole pro-cedure being a matter of a few seconds.

The secret of the success of the JORDAN Type "A" is inthese rugged, telescopic column braces, which automatically adjustthemselves for any wing angle. With their individual capacityof sustaining a load of 75 tons each, they are capable of with-standing the heaviest loads that can be put upon them.

The two telescoping members of the wing braces are lockedtogether by means of a specially constructed hydraulically operatedcast steel locking device.

All braces on each wing are simultaneously locked from theoperator's cab by throwing an air-cock handle and once lockedthey are one rigid column.

JORDAN Type "A"AS A DITCHER FOR VARIOUS ROAD-BED SECTIONSJORDAN

Type "A" Composite Spreader-Ditchers with airoperated Sliding Ditch Sections and cast steel wing frames aremanufactured in two different wing lengths. Both have adjustableballast sections and adjustable bank slopers. They are also bothprovided with ballast carry wings which prevent ballast fouling.

By the use of the Variable Wing Spread feature of all Type"A" machines and the desired shape of ditch shoes, practicallyany desired roadbed section can be obtained.

JORDAN Type "A" with cast steel frame wing No. 1, com-posite Spreader-Ditcher will cut any roadbed section within themaximum and minimum limits as shown in Fig. 6 by simplysetting the wing at various angles. This is a very valuable featureand allows of very narrow cuts being properly ditched.

Frisco Jordan Spreader-Ditcher #99101, builder's photo from O.F. Jordan Co., circa. August, 1930.

Frisco Jordan Spreader-Ditcher #99101, Denison, TX, Frisco Jordan Spreader-Ditcher #99102, Sherman, TX,October, 1982. E. Stoll photo April, 1974. E. Stoll photo

50 YEARS - 1944

In 1944, the Frisco purchased elevennew diesel switching locomotives,eight of which were VO-1000 series214-222.

25 YEARS - 1969

In 1969, the Frisco beganunit coal train operations fromOklahoma to Sibley, MO. Five trainsa week were in service, three fromCatale and two from Chelsea, OK.

75 YEARS - 1919

In 1919, the 64.3 ft. iron King turn-table at Sapulpa, OK, was replacedwith a 100 ft. King unit.

VO-1000 219 (222 in background), Springfield, MO, February 7, 1946.A. Johnson photo

Frisco unit coal train, en route from Catale, OS to.Sibley, MO, 1969.

In the March-April AllAboard, Looking Backwardfeature, page 3, the photo cap-tion for the 1969 Train Han-dling Indicator has a namemisspelled. It should read RayTyler, rather that Ray Rtler. Pullman Reclining Chair Car advertisement, Frisco public timetable, 1897.

The Last Run of the High Lineby

Bob Plough

EDITOR'S NOTE: On October 22,1993, the last revenue run was madeon the remaining southern portion ofthe original Frisco's High Line route,from Springfield to Bolivar, MO. Therails have since been abandoned, re-moved, and a new"Fri scoHighLi ne"Rails-to-Trails project is now under-way.See the following related articles:Farewell To the Blair Line: AllAboard, November 1989, pp. 2-3.Highline's Last Run: All Aboard,July-August, 1993, pp. 16-17.

I was born and raised northof Frisco's Springfield Yard and haveenjoyed many hours oftrain watchingalong the High Line main. As achild, I was a regular hand-aroundat the old Benwood Yard, near thepresent Kerr-McGee tie treatingplant in West Springfield. As aresult, some of my most treasuredrailroad memories are associatedwith the High Line. The highlightof many an afternoon was the passingof the afternoon freight to Clinton,MO, behind a brace of Frisco's ALCORS1's. Numbers 101, 104, 107, and109 were used quite regularly onthis job in the late fifties and earlysixties. GP7's in the 500 and 600series were also in service. Cabunits were not generally used dueto the amount of switching. However,I do recall seeing an ALCO FA inservice on the line many years ago.

When my family moved fromSpringfield in 1964, I was still closeto my beloved High Line for we hadrelocated a few miles north of WalnutGrove, MO. Our once a week tripsto town netted me many views ofFrisco wayfreights trundling alongthe pastoral countryside. Over theyears I've also observed thedowngrading of the line. Mostnoticeable was the abandonment ofthe line north of Bolivar, and ofcourse, the arrival of the CascadeGreen with the BN merger. Duringthe past several years, trains haveoperated on an as-needed basis

with traffic being heaviest duringthe spring and fall of the year whenthe demand for fertilizer was at it'speak.

Fast forward to October 22,1993. After months of speculation,anxiety, and the hope that somethingwould somehow delay the inevitable,the long awaited last run was finallyunderway.

Feeling a bit melancholy asI followed the line toward Bolivar, Ipurposely travelled ahead of thetrain for a ways stopping as selectedspots just to hear the lonesomewhistle in the distance. As I paused,I entertained thoughts of yesteryearwhen I viewed 35-40 car trains ledby black & yellow hood units, followedby the obligatory caboose on thissame stretch of track. In realitythough, I knew that this unremarkedevent was no more a light enginemove by BN GP38X 2156 to retrieveone CSXT covered hopper #256030and return to Springfield, period!

I took the first of many photosthat day at the Highway 215 crossingnear Wishart and followed the trainclosely on to Bolivar. Strangelyenough, I encountered no otherrailfan but did meet an area farmerwith a camera who explained thathe had seen me at trackside earlierand, "purty well figured somethin'special was a goin' on."

Arrival in Bolivar was anupbeat affair thanks to EngineerDan Wolf. Engineer Wolf, a Bolivarresident, had by virtue ofhis standingon the extra board, been called towork the trip and put out the wordprior to reporting for duty. As aresult, a small crowd of people,mostly friends and relatives, wereon hand to witness the last run. Itwas an experience in itself to observeand listen to all these people millabout and talk of when the railroadstill ran passenger trains and tellother railroad related stories. Allgood things must end however, andafter a brief photo session, the crewcoupled up to the hopper, got an airtest, and amidst the smiles, waves,and even a few tears, slowlyproceeded out of town.

I followed the train closelyon it's return trip so I could obtainas many photos as possible.Unfortunately, the sun was slowlyfading in the west. I managed tofire off one last shot at the site ofthe old Morrisville depot as the trainrolled slowly toward the setting sun.The old depot has long since beenrazed, however, the platformconstructed of Phenix Marble stillremains.

I finally met another railfanon the return trip. Fellow FriscoFolk Joe Brice was waiting at theHighway 215 crossing, Althoughtoo dark for photography, Joe and Iboth decided to savor the lastHighline moment for we knew therewould be no more. Retracing myearlier steps, we bounced from onelocation to another listening to thelonesome whistle and watching thetrain roll slowly past in the night.The sights and sounds of that nightwill remain in my memory for always.

Although now abandonedfrom Willard to Bolivar, the linelast remanent of the line willcontinue to serve the Conco Quarryat the east edge of Willard. Cananyone guess where I will be thenext time the BN runs a rock train?

Top pole connector clip is replaced with stranded wire soldered to each truck's metal barand the copper pole on the top of the motor.

Frisco Folk Rick McClellanshares with us an assortment ofmodeling tricks, tips, and neatthings to do that are relativelysimple, inexpensive, and quick,all of which can enhance the ap-pearance and operation of yourlayout.

Making AthearnLocomotives Run Better

Nothing enhances our en-joyment of model railroading morethan the smooth performance of alocomotive as it makes its run overthe mainline or 'switches cars at lo-cal industries. One of the mostpopular and affordable locomotiveson the market is made by Athearn.These rugged and reliable locomo-tives are the main reason many ofus are in the hobby today and withjust a little help we can make themperform even better, but first somefacts about Athearn engines.

Athearn engines pick upelectricity from the rails throughmetal wheels. The wheels transferpower to metal plates just insidethe wheels and then on to theunderframe and the metal bar abovethe truck gearbox. The underframeserves as a conductor of power tothe bottom pole of the motor whilethe top pole is served by a connec-tor clip (part #34026). The connec-tor clip clamps on to the top pole ofthe motor and meets the metal barabove both truck gearboxes.

I recommend that a piece of 18 or20 gauge stranded wire be solderedto each truck's metal bar and thecopper pole on the top of the motor.Solid wire can also be used but Isuggest that a longer length of wirebe used with the excess being coiledin between the motor and each truckto allow free movement of the truck.Another benefit of this improvementis the fact that copper wire is a bet-ter conductor than the pot metalconnector clip.

• Another improvement that willenhance the operation is continu-ously keeping the wheels clean. Thiswill remove dirt and grit that insu-lates the wheels from the rail andgreatly improve the electrical pickupability of the wheels. The easiestmethod of cleaning locomotive wheelsis to run an engine, one truck at atime, over a paper towel dampenedwith mineral spirits. This is not

only easy, but very quick which canbe especially helpful if a large num-ber of engines need servicing. Don'tforget to keep your track clean!Clean wheels will not be able to pickup much electricity from oxidizedrail. As abrasive cleaner and elbowgrease is usually the best answer.

• A final method for improvingelectrical pick up would be to applya small amount of light oil to thewheels and rails. Many modelersuse Labelle 108 which can be foundat your local hobby store, while oth-ers use a light hair clipper oil. Ei-ther will work fine as long as theyare used sparingly. Too much oilwill attract dirt and dust and de-feat the purpose.As always, don't forget to...

• The first improvement that needsto be made is to discard the connec-tor clip mounted on the motor's toppole. The electrical connection madeby this bar is not reliable as ittouches the metal bars above thetruck gear boxes only with springtension. When the clip loses con-tact with the power from the truck(s)the motor will not operate.

Frisco public timetable cover, Summer, 1897