VOLUME 3 August. 1988 NUMBER 3

Frisco Photo

TENNESSEE YARD

The Museum is pleased toacknowledge the followingmembership renewals in theFRISCO FOLKS:

PRESIDENT Alan SchmittVICE-PRESIDENT Clarence PearceSECRETARY-TREASURER Saundra SchmittBOARD MEMBERS Charles E. Mahaffey Warren Hall Richard Napper

EDITOR Alan SchmittFMIS EDITOR Richard NapperCONTRIBUTING EDITOR Kenneth WulfertDISTRIBUTION Rachel Schmitt Sarah Schmitt

PRINTER Gregg Porterfield

The ALL ABOARD Newsletter is publishedmonthly for members of the FRISCO FOLKS, asupport organization of The FriscoRailroad Museum Inc. The museum facilityis located at 500 Walker St. in Ash Grove,MO. All correspondence should headdressed to P.O. Box 276, Ash Grove, MO65604. All material in the newsletter iscopyrighted by The Frisco Railroad MuseumInc. and may not be reproduced in anymanner without the expressed writtenconsent of the museum President. TheFrisco Railroad Museum Inc. is notaffiliated with the St. Louis-SanFrancisco Railway Co., the BurlingtonNorthern Railroad Co., or any of itssubsidiaries.

On July 16, 1953, Frisco'sChief Engineer E.L. Andersonreceived a phone call fromPresident Clark Hungerford.He requested the ChiefEngineer to initiate a studywith reference to constructingand locating a retarder yardoutside the city of Memphis toreplace the Yale Yard. Fouryears later, June 24, 1957,Frisco's new electronicTennessee Yard went intooperation. See the TennesseeYard feature on pp. 3 & 4 formore details.

Mr. & Mrs. David SingletonSwitchman - Missouri

Michael Hunter SwitchmanPennsylvania

James Elliott SwitchmanMissouri

Ed & Lillian Heiss SwitchmanMissouri

The museum is pleased towelcome the following newmember to the FRISCO FOLKS:

Karl Underwood SwitchmanMissouri

The 1988 Steam PassengerDirectory is now available forpurchase. The directory lists200 tourist railroad, trolley,and museum operationsthrough-out the U.S. andCanada. A helpful companionfor the vacationing railfan,the Directory's suggestedretail price is $7.00. Whilequantities last, the museum isoffering them for $6.00postage paid.

The EXCESS BAGGAGE is amonthly feature of the ALLABOARD that lists newlyacquired items not on thecurrent EXCESS BAGGAGE listand/or items from the listoffered during the month at adiscounted price. Unlessotherwise noted, discountedprices are only good throughthe month listed.

1. Dietz No. 39 unmarkedswitchman's lantern - mintcondition $25.00

2. 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" glass ashtray - black & white logo and"SYMBOL OF SUPERIOR SERVICE."Circ. passenger train service.Minor chip on underside of oneedge $15.00

3. 1914 circ. color Friscopost card. Shows rear view ofsteam passenger train goingaround curve. Captioned, "TheTexan along the little PineyRiver near Arlington, MO - ONTHE FRISCO." $4.00

AUGUST SPECIALS FROM LIST #6

1979 FRISCO FACTS 2 3/4" x 41/4" 7 page fold-out brochurelisting information aboutfinances, equipment,facilities, operations, etc.during Frisco's last full yearof operation as the Frisco.Also includes system map andhead-on photo of diesel SD-45#912 $ .50

BURLINGTON NORTHERN SPRINGFIELD REGION ALL ABOARD.The last company publicationsto carry the name ALL ABOARD.Only four issues printed:

Volume 1, No. 1 February-MarchVolume 1, No. 2 April-MayVolume 1, No. 3 June-JulyVolume 1, No. 4 August-Sept.

Set of Four $ 6.00

13" x 20" Color print ofFrisco tri-level Auto CarrierTrain (circ. 1961) leavingFenton, MO $8.00

FRISCORESEARCH SERVICE

UPDATE

In a somewhat unexpectedievelopment, the Museum hasbeen given permanent use of anold furniture store buildingin the down town district ofAsh Grove. The Board ofDirectors, meeting July 10,1988, approved the use of thebuilding and authorized themoving of the museum to thenew location when renovationis complete. In addition toproviding the building, theowners have agreed to remodelit, at their cost, for use bythe museum. They will, ofcourse, not refuse anydonations to help defray thecost of renovation! While allthe details are currentlybeing worked out, a targetdate of June 1, 1990, hastentatively been set for thegrand opening of the newfacility.

The building has 9,000 sq.ft. of useable display andstorage space and will allowthe museum to triple itscurrent display area. The new

building will also providespace for offices, dark room,print layout room, archivesresource center, a 60' x 30'model railroad layout room, amedia center, gift shop, snackbar, and storage space. Thereis also room at the rear ofthe building for location ofcaboose #1139, schedule to bemoved to the location inAugust or September. Work hasalready started on thebuilding and VOLUNTEERS AREALWAYS WELCOME AND NEEDED! Ifyou are interested in helping,please call the Museum office.Periodic up-dates on theprogress of the building willappear in future issues of theALL ABOARD.

The Officers and Board ofDirectors would like topublicly acknowledge andexpress their sincereappreciation to all membersand friends of the museum foryour continued support.WIthout our Frisco family, theFrisco Museum would not bepossible!

R. E. Napper Photo

The maiden run of the Frisco"Streamlined Meteor" (ALLABOARD "Passenger TrainConsist" June, 1988) wasapparently short one car.According to an article in THEDAILY OKLAHOMAN, May 16, 1948,"The train (the Meteor) is nowcomplete with the exception ofthe Dining-Observation Car.(#1551 "Oklahoma City")Delivery on this car waspromised two weeks ago, buthad not reached St. Louis intime for the inaugural run. ADiner (#1100 "Sam Houston")from the Texas Special, asimilar Streamliner, was usedon Saturday's schedules."

Thanks and a tip of the Friscohat to Frisco Folk Ron Wagonerfor providing the museum withthis Research Service Up-Date.

The line between Arkansas Cityand Anthony, KS (ALL ABOARD"Mail Car" July, 1988).Although the Frisco took overthis line when separated fromSanta Fe control June 27,1896, the line was sold to theA.T.& S.F. October 25, 1901.The portions between ArkansasCity and Gueda Springs, sixmiles, was abandoned June 22,1936 as a result of a flood in1935 washing out the ArkansasRiver bridge. The remainderof the branch continued inservice until the early1970's. Due to the light railand bridge loading, Santa Feoperated a motor car on it formany years. During the wheatharvest, a 1000 or 1050 class2-6-2 would be substituted inthe steam era and a 1,000 h.p.Baldwin yard switcher duringthe diesel era. No heavierpower was permitted.

Thanks and a tip of the Friscohat to Frisco Friend Lloyd E.Stagner for providing themuseum with this ResearchService Up-Date.

On July 16, 1953, Frisco's belt highway around Memphis in are in the same yard area asChief Engineer E.L. Anderson the future. Also, the Company the classification tracks, thereceived a phone call from agreed to provide sewage cars must be pulled backPresident Clark Hungerford. facilities for two churches around the hump. The humpHe requested the Chief and a public school at engine then reverses directionEngineer to initiate a study Capleville from the yard's and pushes the cars one by onewith reference to constructing sewage disposal plant. to the hump where they rolland locating a retarder yard On June 3, 1955, the Board free when the pin is pulled.outside the city of Memphis to of Directors met and The yard was composed ofreplace the Yale Yard. Four officially appropriated the two main components. One wasyears later, June 24, 1957, funds for construction of the the fifty—track classificationFrisco's new electronic Tennessee Yard and the yard, arranged in five groupsTennessee Yard went into Cherokee Yard, a similar but of ten tracks each, capable ofoperation. smaller facility to be located handling a total of 2,140

The first task of the at Tulsa, OK. The Cherokee cars, big enough to classify aproject was to find a suitable Yard went into operation in freight train eighteen mileslocation. Three possible March, 1960. long! The second component of

sites were considered. One In January 1955, a scale the yard was the receiving andwas the existing Yale Yard model of the entire Tennessee departure (R&D) yard,location outside Memphis, one Yard layout and operation was consisting of eight trackswas the old Harvard Yard site started on by Frisco engineers with a total capacity of 1,280across the Arkansas River, and in Springfield. Completed in cars. Here inbound trainsthe third possibility was a March, it was the first time were received and outbound333 acre site south of Memphis any railroad had used such a trains made up without delayat Capleville, TN. The Yale completely detailed yard or interference in thesite was not large enough and model. classification process.the Harvard location was The Tennessee Yard wasjudged unacceptable for designed to be a "pullback" EDITOR'S NOTE: Next month,operational reasons. Thus, type of yard; that is, the Part 2 of our feature on thethe Capelville location was receiving and departure tracks Tennessee Yard will includechosen. are parallel to the information on how the "hump"

In January, 1954, the classification tracks instead classification operated andfirst cost estimate was of end to end. When the photos of various facilitiessubmitted for approximately receiving and departure tracks within the yard complex.$9.5 million. The finalconstruction figure was closerto $10 million. In July,1954, Frisco officials reachedan agreement on development ofthe site with the planningboards of Memphis and ShelbyCounty. In return for zoningrights to the site, theCompany agreed to constructHungerford Road as a link formotorists from Highway 78 atthe yard's north end toCapleville—White Haven Road atthe south end. The four—laneunderpass at the latter roadwas also built by Frisco toprovide for a proposed outer

QUESTION: Did the Frisco everhave any orange and whitediesel road engines with a redFrisco logo on the nose?

ANSWER: A qualified no. Afterlooking at hundreds of photos,we can find only four orangeand white engines with thelogo anywhere. One is a colorphoto of GP38-2 #460 crossingthe Trace Creek alongside ColdSprings south of Thayer, MO,that was featured on the 1980Frisco wall calendar. A redlogo is located on the nose ofthe engine. However, the samephoto appears in black & whiteon the cover of the June-July,1977, ALL ABOARD Magazine,without logo. In addition, acompany photo of the sameengine farther along on thesame bridge, at the same time,also shows #460 without logo.A similar logo placement isfound on a photo of SD45 #912used on a series ofinformational "FRISCO FACTS"brochures printed between 1976and 1979. Our engine servicesources tell us that the logosappeared on these engines forpromotional purposes only.A similar promotional use ofthe Frisco logo is found on amerger photo of BN SD 40-2#7260 coupled nose to nosewith Frisco SD 40-2 #956. Inthis photo a red outline logois located under the cabwindow in place of the enginenumber.The only orange and whiteengines that carried the"coonskin" as a part of theirstandard livery were the fewF-3A, F-7A, and FP-7A enginesthat survived after the 1965repainting and subsequentrenumbering. The logo with"FRISCO" inside was located onthe nose of the engines eitheralong the top edge of thebottom orange band or justbelow the bottom edge of thetop orange band.

The MAIL CAR is a regularfeature of the ModelersInformation Pages in which weattempt to answer some of themany questions that are mailedto our RESEARCH SERVICE. Ifyou have a question about theequipment, facilities, oroperation of the Frisco,please send them to theRESEARCH SERVICE. All requestare answered individually andselected questions will appearin the MAIL CAR feature.

Dennis E. Conniff, Jr. Photo Dennis E. Conniff, Jr. Photo

Doodlebugging On The Frisco

Otto Perry Photo, Denver Public Library Collection

two sections to accommodatesouthern "Jim Crow" laws.

In 1921, an extension wasbuilt on the right side of themotor man cab to increasevisibility and in 1926 thecoach section was remodeledand the partition movedforward. In April, 1929, theoriginal upper gothic windowsash and oval windows oneither side of the vestibuledoors were removed. In 1934,#2100 was one of two gaselectrics removed from theroster and in March, 1934,this pioneer Frisco doddlebugwas dismantled and sold forscrap.

The Frisco's originalorder of ten motor carsstarted with #2100. The allsteel Baggage CoachCombination was assembled in1910 and first placed inservice on the 83-mile Friscocontrolled Gulf Coast Line'sSt. Louis, Brownsville, andMexico Railway Co. betweenBrownsville, Harlingen, andSam Fordyce, TX. According torailroad historian, JohnBaskin Harper, #2100 arrivedat Brownsville under its ownpower at 5:30 p.m., July 11,1911, painted deep brown withgold trim. It was on displayuntil July 26, 1911, when itmade its first revenue run.

The car, model #CRE 70B8 &serial #3711, was 70'2" long,10' wide, and weighed 112,800lbs. The all steel body and

frame were built by the WasonManufacturing Co., trucks byALCO, and the 175 h.p.GM-16-A1 engine and 205 Dtraction motors were built byGE. The interior finish ofthe car was mahogany with ayellow pine floor and it hadtwenty-four seats. It isinteresting to note thatcompany reports usually listedseating capacities based onthree to a seat.

The front baggage sectionwas separated from the rearcoach compartment by a centervestibule which was used asthe primary entrance. The carwas originally built with anopen rear observation-typeplatform that was laterenclosed during a 1929remodeling. The coachcompartment was divided into

LOOKING BACKWARD is a monthlyfeature of the ALL ABOARD thattakes a look back through ourfiles at the people and eventsthat were a part of the Frisco25, 50, and 100 years ago.

25 years - 1963

In an effort to provide bettermeal service for passengers ontrains 3 and 4, "The WillRogers," traveling between St.Louis and Springfield, aBuffet-Coach was added to theconsist effective August 1,1963. The car, #1602, wasequipped with a 10-stool snackbar and seating capacity forthirty-six in the coachsection.

50 years - 1938

A one hundred ton concretecoaling station was built atJonesboro, AR, replacing anold wooden incline chute. Thebrick island platforms werereplaced with concrete andextended at the passengerstation at Springfield, MO.The company purchased andinstalled sixteen coalhoisting buckets at Pier No.2, Pensacola, FL.

100 years - 1888

In 1888, the company purchasedthe following new equipment:20 locomotives, 2 passenger &mail cars, 2 passenger main &baggage cars, 4 chair cars, 3Pullman sleepers, 15 cabooses,and 30 ballast cars.

Down At The Depot

TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI

The Kansas City, Memphis,and Birmingham Railroad Co.was formed under the laws ofMississippi and Tennessee bythe consolidation of theMemphis and SoutheasternRailroad Co., a Tennesseecorporation, and the KansasCity, Memphis, and BirminghamRailroad Co., a Mississippicorporation on July 7, 1886 inMississippi and July 26, 1886in Tennessee. Theconsolidated company wascontrolled by the Kansas City,Springfield, and MemphisRailroad Co., all of whichbecame a part of the Frisco onSeptember 1, 1928. On thedate of consolidation, theKansas City, Memphis, andBirmingham line owned about103 miles of completedstandard gauge railroad fromMemphis, TN to Tupelo, MS.

In 1850, a CongressionalLand Grant created the Mobileand Ohio Railroad Co. In the1890's, the M. & O. built aline from Mobile, AL north toCorinth, MS. The Mobile &Ohio Co. became a part of theGulf, Mobile, and Ohio

Railroad on August 1, 1940.The tracks of the M. & O.crossed the tracks of theK.C.M. & B. at Tupelo, MS, andit was at that junction pointthat station 588 on the TupeloSubdivision, SouthernDivision, of the Frisco was

W. Thurman Collection

situated. While existingrecords do not clearlyindicate who built what firstand where, it is known thatthe Tupelo depot, built in theearly 1900's, was jointlyowned and operated by both theFrisco and M. & O. (later G.M.& 0.).

An Early Mobile Photographic StudioThe station, built in theshape of a "T," was 141'4"long, 73'2" wide on the northeast end and 36'2" on theopposite end. It included a"Negro Waiting Room," office,and "White Women's WaitingRoom," on the T-end. Thelengthwise portion of thebuilding was divided into ageneral waiting room, baggageroom, and express room. Asecond floor, over the office,was what appears to be anopen-air observation tower.The walls were 13" doublebrick, interior finish wasbrick and plaster, and thebuilding had a red tile roof.

During its sixty-plusyears of operation, the Tupelodepot was served by a numberof local passenger trains,motor car service, and fourFrisco named trains. TheSoutheastern Limited, 105 and106 daily, provided service tothe community until 1912 whenit was renamed the KansasCity-Florida Special.Beginning in July, 1915,additional service wasprovided by the Sunnyland, 107and 108 daily. On December 9,1967, 1:30 p.m., passengerservice to Tupelo ended whenSouthland 101 pulled out ofthe depot for the last time.

In May, 1968, the date ofthe above photo, the depot hadalready taken on theappearance of abandonment anddeterioration. Unfortunately,it ultimately met the samefate of many depots along theFrisco line and is no longerin existence.

"The invention ofphotography provided thousandsof individuals with theopportunity to operate theirown business. After thisindustry had developed beyondthe daguerreotypes andtintypes photographers fannedout across the landphotographing anything thatwould make them a dollar.Photographing people was avery lucrative business.Before the turn of the centuryphotographic studios werecompeting for businesseverywhere. Few studios wereas ingenious in literallygoing out after business aswas Messr. Parsons and Duncan.Their studio was mobile in theform of a converted railroadparlor car.

"After an extensiveadvertising campaign throughlocal newspapers, posters, andword of mouth, Parson's PalaceCar Studio would be droppedoff at a convenient railsiding where its doors wouldsoon open for business. Whenbusiness slackened in oneplace, Parson's Parlor CarStudio would be coupled to atrain going to its nextlocation.

"Once, in the mid-1890's,Parson's Parlor Car Studio wasuncoupled and dropped off atthe McCracken siding of theChadwick spur of the St. Louisand San Francisco (Frisco)rail line. At that timeMcCracken, in central

Christian County, was athriving community with dailyrail service, a generalmercantile store, a blacksmithshop and several otherbusiness establishments...A sign painted on the outsideof Parson's Parlor Car Studioadvertises cabinets at $3.00per dozen. Cabinets are verysmall portraits usuallymounted on a much largercardboard or mat."*

*Reprinted with permissionfrom the "Christian CountyHistorian," Volume 1, Number1, Spring, 1988.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Springfieldto Chadwick line wasoriginally built as the WhiteRiver Branch by theSpringfield and SouthernRailway Co. It was a Friscoowned company incorporatedJune 10, 1882. During thefall of 1882, the companybuilt 19 miles of track fromSpringfield to Ozark, MO. Inthe Spring of 1883, the linewas extended an additional15.5 miles to Chadwick, MO.On December 29, 1885, theSpringfield and Southern Co.executed a deed officiallyconveying its property andfranchises to the St. Louisand San Francisco Railway Co.

The Chadwick branch wasserved by daily passengertrains and motor car service.The last passenger service toChadwick, trains 1258 and 1259daily, were discontinuedbetween October, 1931, andDecember, 1933. In 1934 theline from Ozark to Chadwickwas abandoned. The line fromSpringfield to Ozark wasabandoned after the Frisco-BNmerger in 1980.

Stops along the lineincluded Langston, Sequiota,Galloway, Kissick, Cassidy,Ozark, McCracken, Sparta,Oldfield, and Chadwick.