JULY-AUGUST 1993

Frisco's New Fleet ofFlash Streamliners

Arriving October, 1946

Log Rolling on the Frisco 3A 1903 Frisco System advertising dodger announces a special trainfrom Dixon, MO, to Monte Ne, AR, for the October 7 Woodmen of theWorld Log Rolling contest.

Alan SchmittCharles E. Mahaffey

Saundra SchmittWarren Hall

Richard NapperLouis GriesemerGuy S. Pollard

Arthur LindemanJohn Sanders

This is the second in our series featuring the automobile handlingfacilities that were in service on the Frisco in the early 1960's. In thisissue we visit Tulsa, OK.

Frisco's Executive Fleet 7This is the fourth in our series of articles profiling the history ofFrisco Business Cars. This installment features the Tennesseecar.

Frisco's Duplex Sleepers 9They were proposed in 1945, announced in 1946, and neverdelivered! This feature explores the curious mystery of the Frisco'sDuplex Sleepers, that never were.

In 1906, the Frisco's Office of Engineer Maintenance of Way issueda series of Standard Structure Plans which included an interestingassortment of depot diagrams. Depot No. 1 is presented as ourDown At The Depot feature.

Frisco Folk Ron Wagoner provides us with selections from hiscollection of classic Frisco passenger service stationery.

Rick's Tips 15Frisco Folk Rick McClellan shares with us an assortment ofmodeling tricks, tips, and neat things to do that are relativelysimple, inexpensive, and quick. all of which can enhance theappearance and operation of your model railroad layout. Thisinstallment features building believable homemade coal and gravelloads.

High Line's Last Run 16Newly acquired information about the last passenger run on theFrisco's High Line between Springfield & Kansas City is includedwith a brief historical profile of the line.

Looking Backward 6Mail Car 12

ABOUT THE COVER Our cover for this issue features a 1945 artist rendition of the Frisco'snewly proposed Texas Special streamlined train.

IN 1962, the Frisco had in service five automobile handling facilities located at St. Louis,MO, Tulsa, OK, Birmingham, AL, Irving, TX. and Floydada, TX. This is the second in a seriesof features profiling the automobile facilities with layout diagrams and photos.

Frisco's Tulsa automobile storage yard with trailer loading ramp in center foreground Frisco photo

Frisco's Tulsa automobile ramp. Trailer storage area in right-hand side of photo. Additional automobile storagearea was being created at the left of the ramp tracks. The old passenger main track is shown to the left of the ramptracks. circa. 1962 Frisco photo

Frisco's Tulsa automobile ramp, still in service in 1978. Frisco photo

LOOKING BACKWARD is a regularfeature of the ALL ABOARD thattakes a look back through our filesat the people, equipment, facilities,operations, and events that were apart of the Frisco 25. 50, and 75years ago.

25 YEARS - 1968

On May 14, 1968, the FriscoBoard of Directors authorized thepurchase of ten new Internationalall-steel, wide vision cupola,cabooses, series 1275-1284, at anapproximate cost of $26,500.00each. Frisco photo

50 YEARS - 1943

Frisco motive powerpurchases in 1943 were unique inthat both steam and diesellocomotives were purchased. Ten4-8-4 Mountain class steamlocomotives were delivered, Nos.4515-4524, the last steam powerpurchased by the Frisco. New dieselpower in 1943 included thirteenswitch engines: No. 3, a 44-tonWitcomb unit, Nos. 4-8, 44-ton GE's,and seven Baldwin built VO-1000locomotives, Nos. 207-213.

Frisco photo 75 YEARS - 1918

In 1918. the passenger depot at Tulsa, OK, was enlarged.H.D. Connor collection

FRISCO'S EXECUTIVE FLEET

Right side view, Frisco Business Car #2, West Springfield Coach Shops,March 24, 1948. Frisco photo

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fourthin our series on the Frisco's Ex-ecutive Fleet of Business Cars.

TennesseeThe Tennessee Business Car

was originally built in March, 1912,by the American Car & Foundry Co.as a 79 all steel coach, No. 1084,one of a series of fifteen such units.Nos. 1074-1088, built under lot#6335. In 1942, No. 1084 wasrebuilt in the Springfield, MO WestCoach Shops as dining car No. 645,the second in a series of five (644-648) Zephyr Blue & White SoldierDiners. (See All Aboard, April-May,1992, pp. 18-20)

It is interesting to note thatall five of the original soldier dinerswere eventually rebuilt as businesscars. No. 644 became the Missouri,No. 645 the Tennessee, No. 646 theSt. Louis, No. 647 the Alabama, andNo. 648 became the Springfield car.It is also noteworthy that the dinerswere all converted from the sameseries of passenger coaches. No.1082 became diner 644, No. 1084became No. 645, No. 1086 to No.646, No. 1088 to No. 647, and coachNo. 1089 became No. 648.

In April, 1948, No. 645 onceagain entered the West Coach Shop,this time to emerge as Business Car

No. 2. The new executive coach was82 ft. long, weighed 219,200 lbs.,and included a full service kitchenand crew quarters, a dining room,two large state rooms with individualbaths, a secretary's quarters, andthe standard observation room onthe platform or A end of the car. Theinterior finish was mahoganypaneling with ivory colored steelaccessories. The exterior finish wasa standard Pullman Green withblack roof, and gold lettering &details.

When completed, car No. 2was assigned to the office of Vice-President of Operations. In that

capacity, it served F.H. Shaffer, S.J.Frazier, and R.J. Stone, the lastcompany executive to use the car.

In June. 1954. the numerical

designation of No. 2 was replacedwith the name Tennessee; and threeyears later the car was removedfrom service and placed in storage

at Springfield. In August, 1965, itwas sold to a private individual.

B end of Tennessee Business Car, Springfield Coach A end of Tennessee Business Car, Springfield CoachShops, March 3, 1948. Frisco photo Shops, March 3, 1948. Frisco photo

Dining Room looking toward B end of car, Springfield Observation Room looking toward A end of car, Spring-Coach Shops, March 3, 1948. Frisco photo field Coach Shops, March 3, 1948. Frisco photo

One of the outstanding fea-tures of the new diesel-poweredtrains expected to appear in Octoberis the adoption of all private roomaccommodations. The open sectionwith its upper and lower berth hasgiven way to the drawing room, bed-room, and roomette. Gone will bethe communal washroom, aislescrowed by berth-making porters, anddaytime backward riding on the partof upper berth occupants.

All this has been made pos-sible by invention of a new type ofaccommodations known as the"duplex roomette." Developed by

from the inside to insure completeprivacy. Each room also isindividually air-conditioned and canbe regulated by the passenger tosuit himself

Jerry Ketchum, passengerrepresentative at Tulsa, andMargaret King, St. Louis, recentlyvisited the Pullman Standard plantin Chicago. Pictures show themdemonstrating some of the featuresfound in the mock-ups of the duplexroomette which will provide bargainprice, sleeping accommodations onFrisco's new diesel -powered FLASHstreamliners.

Frisco's Duplex Sleepers?On June 23, 1945, Pullman-

Standard Car Manufacturing Co.presented the Frisco with a pro-posal for a fleet of new streamlinepassenger cars that included floorplans, photographs, drawings, andspecifications for thirteen cars, fourof which were for a new innovationin sleeping cars called the DuplexRoomette.

In the March 1, 1946, issueof the Frisco First magazine, un-der the heading Streamline Pre-view, the following article appeared:

The upper berth, least popu-lar of sleeping car accommodationssince 1859, when it was conceivedby George Pullman, will be a thing ofthe past when Frisco Lines inaugu-rates its new streamline Flash trainsfor the Meteor and Texas Special.

Pullman-Standard, the duplexroomette car can be identified by itsstaggered windows. To date onlyone such car has been built.Constructed just before the war, itimmediately proved to be mostpopular of the bargain-price sleepingcar accommodations. Each roomette- costing only 45 cents more than thelower berth rate between Tulsa andSt. Louis - constitutes a sitting roomby day and bedroom by night.Washroom and toilet facilities areprovided in each roomette. The bed,completely made-up, beforepassengers board the train,disappears into the wall. When thepassenger wants to go to bed or liedown during the day, all he has todo is touch a lever - and there it is.The roomette, like other rooms, hasa sliding door which can be locked

Passenger Representative MargaretKing shows the roomette ready for nightoccupancy. Taken through the carwindow picture shows how bed slidesout from wall at right. During day, bedis pushed back and hidden by curtain.Frisco First photo, March 1, 1946

The Pullman-Standard's Color & Design Studio produced this artist rendition of the newly proposed FriscoDuplex Roomette cars. Photo circa. 1945

Between January and June,1948, the Frisco purchased seven-teen streamline Pullman sleepers,series 1450-1466, seven of whichwere lettered for service on the TexasSpecial. What is interesting to noteis that while the delivered sleeperswere similar to the 14-4 (fourteenroomettes, four bedrooms) design ofthe original proposed plans, for somereason the Frisco choose not toadopt the staggered window duplexdesign... reasons that are currentlyunknown!

Got any ideas? Want tospeculate why? If so, send yourthoughts to the museum office.

Additional photos on pp. 18-19

FRISCO LINES

DEPOT NO. 1FOR COLD CLIMATE.

Plans, Elevations and Seetions.

The MAIL CAR is afeature of the ALLABOARD in which weattempt to answersome of the manyquestions that aresubmitted to ourFRISCO RESEARCHSERVICE.

If you have a question aboutthe equipment, facilities, or opera-tion of the Frisco, please send themto the RESEARCH SERVICE. Allrequest are answered individuallyand selected questions will appearin the MAIL CAR feature.

Frisco main line along the Meramec River at Mincke, MO, circa. 1910.Ron Wagoner collection

QUESTION: I recently acquired aDecember, 1954, Frisco publictimetable that shows a redpassenger train passing along a riveron one side and a rock bluff on theother. Was this a picture of anactual location on the Frisco or justan artist rendition?

ANSWER: According to a 1910 erapost card photo submitted by FriscoFolk Ron Wagoner, the picture onthe 1954 - 1965 Frisco publictimetables was of the Frisco mainline passing along the MeramecRiver at Mincke, MO, station 23 onthe Rolla Sub-Division, EasternDivision.

The passenger train in thetimetable print was apparentlyadded to the scene by an artist whofailed to do his homework! If youlook closely, you will notice that themotive power for the train is an A-Bunit consist, a combination thatthe Frisco never owned and / oroperated!

In our May-June issue ofthe All Aboard, we requestedinformation concerning the nameorigin of the Baden passengercoach. While many of our Frisco Frisco public timetable, December, 1954.

Folks responded, all with the correctinformation, Cordell Webbsubmitted the most completeanswer, as follows:

The name Baden comesfrom a neighborhood community inNorth St. Louis. Baden became apart of the city of St. Louis in 1876by an act of the State Legislature. Itwas located on the St. Louis, Kansas

City, and Northwestern Railroad(later the Wabash). Fredrick Kraft,a pioneer settler in 1852, was bornin Baden-Baden, Germany. Kraft,operator of a saloon, submittedBaden as the name for the first PostOffice in 1860 and it was officiallyadopted when he became thepostmaster. It is still called Badentoday. Broadway is the principalbusiness street.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Baden, No.1252, was an 82' streamlined coachbuilt by Pullman in November, 1947,as one of a series of three fifty-sixpassenger units assigned to serviceon the Texas Special. The seriesincluded 1250, the Olivette, 1251,the Pasadena Hills, and 1252, theBaden. In December, 1967, theBaden was sold to the Penn CentralRailroad and renumbered #2161.

No. 1252, Baden, Pullman-Standard Car Mfg. Co., Chicago, IL, November 22, 1947.

In December, 1924, Frisco steamlocomotives Nos. 4118 & 4119carried a star above their headlightsas special recognition foraccomplishments made inSeptember of that year. Be the firstto tell us what these starsrepresented and receive a 10%discount on your next Frisco Folksmembership renewal. Please sendyour answer to the museum officeat 543 E. Commercial St.,Springfield, MO, 65803.

Writing on the FriscoFrisco FolkRon Wagoner provides us with selections from his collection of classic Frisco passenger service stationery

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

Believable HomemadeCoal & Gravel Loads

I really like open cars thatshow their loads such as openhoppers. The thing I don't like is theidentical coal loads on the market,nor do I like their price. As a resultof my desire for a variety of loadshapes and my cheap nature, I nowmake my own loads and find thatthere easy, unique, and cheap!

The coal load in McKean(now Con-Cor) Frisco hopper #87679began as a piece of .040" styrene. Itwas cut out to lay in the hopper onthe corners of the ends of the car.Some were a tight fit and requiredsome sanding to fit properly. To aidin removing the loads, a notch wascarved into the ends of the styreneto allow a small screwdriver or ahobby knife to slip in and lift theload out. Once the floor for the loadwas finished, it was laid on a pieceof wax paper and Woodland ScenicsFine Cinders were sprinkled on.The cinders were glued to the styreneusing diluted matte medium andwere allowed to dry over night. Theedges of the load were airbrushedFloquil Black to hide any of thestyrene that did not have cinderscovering it. Each load also carriesits car number as I have found thatthe McKean cars do not have thesame inside measurements. Theload also enabled me to add weightto an otherwise difficult car to hideweight in. Two 3 / 8" flat washerswere glued to the bottom of the load

Coal load for Frisco #87679, showing notch location and washer placement.

Frisco #87679, loaded and ready for shipment.

Limestone load for Frisco #91736 showing notch location and profile view

Frisco #91736, loaded with Griesemer stone and ready for shipment.

Passenger Service Ends Today on Storied Route

High Line's Last Run

to give the car some needed weight,even if only for the time it wasloaded.

Gravel loads such as theone for Frisco hopper #91736 canbe made in the same way as the coalloads mentioned previously. Themain difference in making a load forthe Athearn 34' offset hopper is thatthe notches will have to be cut ineach side of the styrene, in themiddle, to clear a support panel onthe inside of the car. I used HighballCrushed Limestone to simulate thelimestone rock used throughoutCoonskin territory to make concreteand spread for driveways andparking lots. Of course all thelimestone was purchased fromFrisco Folk Louis Griesemer,Griesemer Stone Co., Springfield,MO!

It doesn't take a lot ofcinders, ballast, or rock to cover thestyrene and make a believable load.A bag of rock will make numerousloads as will a sheet of styrene.

Obviously these loads willfit into the cars of foreign railroads,but not as nice as a Frisco hopper.Now all those concrete plants, coalmines, and power plants on yourlayouts will be served with hoppersthat have easy. unique, andaffordable loads.

Good luck and always...

With three gallant blastsof the whistle at the crossing,the big red diesel with its baggagecar and passenger coach pulledaway from the Springfieldstation at 10:35 today.

And that was the lastpassenger train scheduled toleave here over the High Linethrough Clinton for Kansas City.Around Flemington it would meetits sister train from Kansas City,also making last run, and due toarrive in Springfield at 2:00 p.m.

So stated the report in theMay 2, 1954, edition of theSpringfield (MO) News & Leadernewspaper as it marked the HighLine's Last Run.

The High Line, or the BlairLine, or the Bolivar Branch, wasindeed, as the paper stated, a storiedroute that began in August, 1871,when the first of four companieswas incorporated that wouldeventually build the line betweenSpringfield and Kansas City, MO.

Chapter One: On August23. 1871, the Kansas City,Memphis, & Mobile Railroad Co.was incorporated by variousresidents of Missouri with the goalof building a line between KansasCity and Clinton, MO, a distance ofapproximately eighty-six miles.Between 1871 and 1876 thecompany acquired rights of waysand completed some gradingbetween Clinton and Kansas City.However, no track was laid. OnFebruary 13, 1876, the companywas judged to be bankrupt and onApril 11, 1877, it was sold to JohnD. Bancroft of Kansas City.

Chapter 2: On June 10,1880, the Kansas City & SouthernRailway Co. was incorporated,organized by Joseph E. Young ofChicago, IL. The purpose fororganizing the company was toacquire the rights and property ofthe Kansas City, Memphis, & Mobile

Railroad Co. which, on December15, 1880, was accomplished. ByMay, 1885, the Kansas City &Southern had completed a line fromthe north bank of the Osage River,opposite Osceola, MO, to East Lynn,a distance of sixty-one miles. Fouryears later, the line was completedfrom East Lynn to Kansas City,making in all about 112 miles ofrailroad.

It is interesting to note thatabout the same time, a rivalcompany was also building a parallelline. Under the direction of GeorgeNettleton, President of the KansasCity, Ft. Scott, & Memphis Railroad,a line was being constructed fromOlathe, KS, to the Osage River bythe Kansas City, Clinton, &Springfield Railroad, better knownas The Leaky Roof The Kansas City& Southern made it to the river firstand stopped there, ferrying itspassengers and freight across. TheKCC&S however, built a bridgeacross the Osage and enteredOsceola first. Eventually, theKCC&S extended its line south toAsh Grove, MO, where it joined itsparent company's main line intoSpringfield. The two rival linesoperated until 1934 when the LeakyRoof, acquired by the Frisco in 1928,was abandoned.

Chapter 3: On May 3, 1884,the Springfield & Northern RailwayCo. was incorporated as a whollyowned subsidiary of the Frisco. ByNovember of that same year, thirty-eight miles of track were completedfrom Springfield to Bolivar. OnDecember 29, 1885, a deed wasexecuted officially conveying thisline to its parent company.

Chapter 4: On April 22,1891, the Kansas City, Osceola, &Southern Railway Co. wasincorporated by John I. Blair ofBlairstown, NJ. The purpose fororganizing the company was toacquire the bankrupt property andfranchises of the Kansas City &Southern Railway Co. On April 21,1891, Blair purchased the line atpublic auction, on June 10, 1891,he took possession, and on June16, 1891, he conveyed it to thenewly formed company. Thus, whatwould later become known as theBlair Line was born.

Six years later, November 4,1897, Blair and the Frisco enteredinto the following agreement:

• 1. Blair would extend his line to aconnection with the Frisco atBolivar.• 2. The Frisco would lease thecompleted Blair Line from Bolivarto Kansas City.• 3. The Frisco was given the optionto purchase the entire line withinfive years.

On March 19, 1900, theFrisco exercised its option and onJune 1, 1900, took possession ofthe line, thus completing its firstrail link between Springfield andKansas City. Because of its highelevation roadbed which made itless susceptible to the floodingproblems experienced by otherroads into the Kansas City area, theHigh Line provided service to thesixty-two stations along its routefor over seventy-eight years.

On May 2, 1954, the lastpassenger trains made their runbetween Springfield and KansasCity, as #20 northbound and #21southbound. The last Springfielddeparture consisted of one baggagecar, one coach, and E-8 No. 2015,

Twenty Grand, as motive power.Although May 2, 1954, was

the last run of a Frisco passengertrain on the line, patrons could stilltravel between Clinton and KansasCity on mixed freights #58northbound and #59 southbound,as the following timetable notationdescribes:

Trains 58 and 59 will operate daily fromFeb. 15 to July 15, and daily, exceptSunday, for- balance of year. Passengerswill be carried in caboose betweenClinton and Centropolis andintermediate points only.

Mixed train service on thatportion of the line continued through1967, the last year of any type ofpassenger service on the Frisco.

On October 14, 1978, aportion of the line between EastLynne and Bolivar was abandoned,between mile posts 72.4 and 115.7,as the result of condemnation bythe U.S. Corps of Engineers inconnection with the Truman Dam& reservoir project. Since thenadditional portions of the line havebeen abandoned.

May 27, 1954, Springfield News-Leader photo showing crew and some of the passengers on thelast Frisco passenger train to depart from Springfield on the High Line. The crew consisted ofC.A. Rutherford, Conductor, /1. W Liffee, Engineer, WE Groves, Fireman, and M. L. Stone &E.A. Williams, Brakemen.

Original Pullman-Standard 14-4 Duplex Roomette design, June 23, 1945.

Frisco 14-4 Roomette design, January 1, 1948

Frisco Texas Special Sleeper # 1455, George G. Vest, Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago. IL. June 4. 1948.

Frisco Sleeper # 1455, Bedroom D, in day make-up.Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago, IL, June 4, 1948.

Frisco Sleeper # 1455, Bedroom D, in night make-up.Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago, IL, June 4, 1948.

Frisco Sleeper # 1455, Bedroom C, in day make-up. Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago, IL, March4, 1948.

Frisco Sleeper # 1455, Bedroom C, in night make-up. Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago, IL, March4, 1948.

Frisco Sleeper # 1455, Porter's quarters in daymake-up. Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago, IL,March 4. 1948.

Frisco Sleeper # 1455, Porter's quarters in nightmake-up. Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago, IL,March 4, 1948.

Frisco Sleeper # 1455, roomette #2 interior, facing Frisco Sleeper # 1455, aisle in roomette section,A end of car. Pullman-Standard Car Co., Chicago, facing A end of car. Pullman-Standard Car Co.,IL, March 4, 1948. Chicago, IL, March 4, 1948.

The Frisco Aristocrats would be an appropriate title for the above advertisement, reprinted fromthe back cover of the Frisco Employes' Magazine, May 1932 edition.