4-8-2 SLSF 4305 Postcard view of 4-8-2 SLSF 4305. In 1936 eleven 4300 class mountain types were built in the Springfield Shops utilizing a portion of the boilers of existing idle 2-10-2s. A notable feature of these machines was the 70 inch Scullin Drivers, which was a new design at the time and later copied by other roads. A beautiful machine!
4-8-2 SLSF 4305 Rebuilt 4-8-2 SLSF 4305 at Southeastern Junction, headed toward Springfield, 1942. Photograph by William Barham from the Don Wirth collection Thanks for the positive ID, Don! I purchased this frame photograph when Lee Chronister's collection of Frisco memorabila was auctioned over 2 days in April, 1996. He was a Frisco employee who, in retirement, acquired a collection of items that included a small, rebuilt frame depot, and the neon Frisco sign that apparently stood outside of the Joplin depot. I believe he was either Assistant Superintendent or Superintendent of the River Division. Where the rebuilt depot came from I am not sure. Edit 4/4/2024: The neon sign came from the former Frisco freight house and "new" depot in Joplin, MO. This was at least the fourth Frisco depot in Joplin, MO. The former Frisco depot and office tower still stands at 601 South Main Street. The freight house and "new" depot was located 10 1015 South Main Street, but has been torn down. The late combination passenger depot opened in September 1, 1955 and saw its last passenger service on October 16, 1960. The depots can bee seen in the following posts. The fourth and last depot with the referenced sigh is covered in this thread from the Depots and Stations section. https://www.frisco.org/shipit/index...-galena-branch-tuckahoe-branch-mp-331-5.6488/ The earlier depots in the downtown central business core are covered in the following thread from the same section. https://www.frisco.org/shipit/index...h-galena-branch-tuckahoe-branch-mp-331-5.579/ Joplin was certainly an interesting railroad town with a great deal of action in its day. MKD
4-8-2 SLSF 4305 Here are a couple more shots from the Barham negatives, both of the 4-8-2 SLSF 4305 on different days and trains Both photographs were taken at Southeastern Jct. in 1942. Edit 4/4/2024: In the first photograph the interlocking tower is to the left of the locomotive. The train is westbound on the Rolla Subdivision. The track diverging on the right is the St. Louis Subdivision. In the second photograph, the interlocking tower can be seem above the third and fourth tank car in the train. MKD
Don or other steam folk, Note the second picture of 4-8-2 SLSF 4305 with the MTYs headed back for the oil fields. Is the "dust" under the cab from heavy sanding for the grade out of Lindenwood Yard, or is this from the Franklin trailing truck booster? Best Regards,
Looks like a couple of different things going on. 1) It looks like the rail washer is going. That washes the sand off the rails that the sanders are putting on. This reduces friction with the rest of the train. 2) Could be the booster idling with the booster engine cylinder cocks exhausting, and 3) She may have the automatic blowdown running. Sometimes if you have the water too high, start upgrade and are working the engine hard, the foam meter will automatically kick on. Maybe all three.
Don, thanks for the information. Another device for me to investigate so that I can first figure out if it is visible when being modeled, and then how the whole shebang worked. The photograph is great visual evidence of 4-8-2 SLSF 4305 in action. Best Regards,
The original photograph here is a piece of rail photographer's art if there ever was one. Looks like she is just fueled up and ready to go for the first run after painting and shopping. Or maybe its rebuilding? The photograph was posted years ago by "Art" ?? Tom
I always thought the 4-8-2 4300s were a bit more graceful looking than their sibling 4-8-2 4400s. Ken
I would concur, Ken. Based on the history outlined in Frisco Power, that would go along with each class' ancestry. The 4300s were practically new locomotives, being "recycled" in a technical sense only by reusing the old 2-10-2 steam dome with stamped boiler number. West Springfield produced some really beautiful machines. Alternatively, the 4400s reused the boiler, cab and nearly every possible reusable piece of the old 2-10-2s. I have always liked the 2-10-2s that the Frisco rostered, but they do look rather oafish. The photographs in Frisco Power of the steel plate being drilled for rivet openings, and the work-in-progress in the old erecting hall are perhaps some of my favorite in the book. Best Regards,
