SLSF (Frisco) 4-8-4 No. 4500

[J3a-614]

Linked from Railway Preservation News; cosmetic restoration of a 1940s vintage Baldwin 4-8-4.  Three engines in the order, including this one,  were intended for passenger service, and were delivered in this different paint scheme:

http://server.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29387

Other photos:

http://www.pbase.com/sammy1974/frisco_4500

General appearance is typical of modern Baldwin power, including the cab, dome shapes, air compressor shields, lacey valve gear (looking a lot like something from a PRR K4s or a B&O P-7 from almost 20 years earlier), and trailing truck design.  This engine is also rolling on Baldwin's own design for a disc driver; don't confuse this with anything like a Box Pok (pronounced "box spoke") driver, this design of driver really is a pair of discs with holes in them; the discs touch only at rim and hub, all the space in between is just air.  This was an attempt to produce a lighter drive wheel with improved counterballancing.  Similar looking engines included 4-8-4s on the RF&P, fatter versions ran on the ACL, D&RGW (both numbered in the 1800 series), and MP.  The MP engines were copies of the D&RG engines with some detail changes that made them better looking than the originals, the principle one being a traditional cab that was open at the rear, as opposed to the vestibule cab D&RGW ordered.

Enjoy--but this thing is so bright, I almost need sunglasses to look at it!

[J3a-614]

Bachmann Industries ought to hire me as a research librarian :-)!

Old Timer replied to the copy of this thread in the General Interest section; he was intrigued by a streamlined 4-6-2 that was dressed up for a train called the "Firefly."  That got me sniffing around like a hound, and look what turned up:

http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco%20Steam/Frisco_1000_Steam_Loco_Pixs.htm

This is the photo Old Timer found; let's see where it came from:

http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/frisco/friscoline/images/photos/p01362.jpg

Working back on the page takes us to a general link to the library:

http://thelibrary.org/

A jackpot!

http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/frisco/frisco.cfm

http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/frisco/friscoline/rolling.cfm

Steam locomotives!

http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/frisco/friscoline/steam01.cfm

I don't have the time to look at it now, but it looks like a place to explore.  I wonder if there is other rail material there, including trolley lines in the area.

Have fun exploring, and let us know if you find anything in a line (i.e., USRA engines or something similar, and of course 2-10-0s) that could be a candidate for production by somebody.

[J3a-614]

A little more looking, and here is a writer in the Washington area with a regular column on railroads.  Cool!  I wish I had his job!

http://image.examiner.com/x-41880-Railroad-Examiner~y2010m5d4-Video-BNSF-helps-move-Frisco-steam-locomotive-to-new-home-in-Tulsa

Looks like stuff is available on a lot of roads.

http://image.examiner.com/x-41880-Railroad-Examiner

http://image.examiner.com/x-41880-Railroad-Examiner~y2010m3d22-St-Louis--San-Francisco-Railway--The-Frisco-in-the-hearts-of-her-fans

http://www.frisco.org/cmps_index.php

Enjoy.

[RAM]

If you do a search on youtube for frisco 4500 you will find some good video of the moving of 4500 taken about 2 weeks ago.  It looks nice.

[RAM]

A little information on Frisco steam locomotives.  All passenger locomotive the letters and numbers were done in gold while the freight locomotives were white.  I think they also used a gold design on the tender.  The 1000 were duel service locomotives.  Most of the freight locomotives also had dog houses.  My first trip to the Oklahoma City roundhouse I found a 4-4-0, a 4-6-0 and the firefly 4-6-2 all in the dead line.  In the roundhouse were everything from a 0-6-0 to a 4-8-4.  Every time after that when I visited it there was less and less steam.  The last steam I saw was a sick looking 2-8-0 ready to make it last trip to the scrap yard. 

[J3a-614]

Did a little more looking around and found these:

http://condrenrails.com/railroad-pages.html

http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco%20Steam/Frisco_Steam_Loco_Pixs.htm

http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco%20Diesels/Frisco_Diesel_Loco_Pixs.html

The 4500 in service:

http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco%20Steam/Frisco_4500_Steam_Loco_Pixs.htm

One of the 2-8-0s used to run at Gettysburg, Pa., and is now in Canada:

http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco%20Steam/Frisco_JLC&E_Steam_Loco_Pixs.html

Frisco 1522 was quite famous in recent years as an operational locomotive.  Sadly, insurance costs have sidelined her.  She looks like a railfan's engine; black paint, classic USRA proportions with Frisco touches (somewhat higher cab, air tanks on top of the boiler, the short yet good-looking 12-wheel tank, the tasteful gold striping that vaguely recalls the 19th century, and so on)--who needs streamlining?

http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco%20Steam/Frisco_1500_Steam_Loco_Pixs.htm

I'm not too famliar with the Frisco, but it had some classic locomotives in steam.

Something in the heart of America died with steam railroading. . .some of us have never gotten over it. . .