Here are some pictures that I took today, 6/8/2010, as she sits at 12120 Belle Meade Road in Des Peres, MO Des Peres is pronounced day pair, French for "The Fathers". The pictures were taken from public property. I used three of the pictures from slightly different angles and my photograph editing software to generate a clean composite of the left side. Here is a link to a Joe Hughes photograph of it 11/11/1969 in Springfield, MO. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=124837
Keith, Thank you for doing the field research! The photographs are great. It is great to have such nice and cooperative friends to help with field research and photography. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Keith, That i a good looking caboose. Cool to find her in such great shape. Wonder who owns her? I wish they would pain the road number and reporting marks back on SLSF 1160 in Fort Smith, AR. Ship it on the Frisco! Murphy Jenkins
More on caboose SLSF 1145. I went back this evening and went to the front door and introduced myself. I was greeted by Edie Fay. She and her husband, Charlie are the current owners. They were very cordial, allowed me to take close photographs and offered a look inside. They stated that the original owner won the caboose in a fund-raising auction by the local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station in 1972. The caboose was moved to its current position at that time, before there were any houses in the immediate area, but on the property where the current house was built in 1973. The Frisco donated the caboose for the fund-raising event. The photographs attached here are provided in honor of the original owner and the Fays especially since both parties have invested time and money in preserving this fine example of a genuine Frisco caboose.
Keith, Great job! A full near original caboose interior. Quite a find! It just keeps getting better. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Keith, The Fay's, and the original owners as well, are to be complimented for keeping caboose SLSF 1145 in good condition. I remember the auction. The local PBS station, KETC, Channel 9, one of the most successful PBS TV stations in the USA, used to run this auction every year as a fund raiser. The caboose is typical of the items that used to be in the auction - typically big, unique items. The auction was telecast on KETC and was always fun to watch. For some reason, they no longer do the auction. We have been KETC members for many years. They have broadcast several PBS railroad oriented shows, and did at least one locally featuring SLSF 1522. Ken
Please see the following link for a photograph of this caboose prior to the system wide caboose renumbering in 1968. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=124834 (6/11/1967) When moved into maintenance of way (MOW) service during the mid 1960s the caboose was renumbered to SLSF 382. The caboose was renumbered again for the 3rd time to become SLSF 1145 (1st) in 1968. Please see the following photograph link. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=124837 (11/11/1969) This 3rd renumbering was the result of the railroad's installation of a new computer tracking system. With this change all system cabooses were moved into the 1000 series. Older local service cabooses were placed in the 1100 series. The car appears to have reentered service for a while before retirement as a local caboose. There are photographs in the collection of Don Wirth of the car in service repainted in caboose red/brown and numbered SLSF 1145 (1st). These photographs show the car with Scotchlite reflectors on the car sides just above the outer journal box above each truck. These are just inside the curved side handrails. http://frisco.org/mainline/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Caboose-1145-date-and-location-unknown.jpg The longer 22' 6" wheel base on this car indicates it was originally from the 41-99 series built in 1942 or the 100-119 series built in 1946. Was this car originally car SLSF 45? Can anyone confirm the original number of this caboose? Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
I thought there was yet another Frisco caboose here close to SLSF 1145 in Des Peres, this one off of north Dielman Road in Olivette. (Recognize the name anybody?) Today I was out running around in the new car and ran up Dielman to check it out. Sure enough, the caboose is still there, and is in good shape, but it is Wabash. It is one of those rebuilt metal Wabash cabs, red and white, with the streamlined cupola. Kind of neat looking. It was too darn hot, 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so I did not stop to take a picture. Ken
Ken, Congratulations on the new car. There is a Frisco caboose at the Museum of Transport at 3015 Barrett Station Road, Kirkwood, MO. Its number has yet to be identified. Last I saw the caboose, it was shoved into a restricted area near the old Missouri Pacific (MP) Railroad tunnel on the southwest corner of the property. It was in sad shape around 10 years ago. Any chance you could get by and verify its current condition, plans for restoration and road number? Also in west county, near the Barrett Station car, there is another Frisco caboose SLSF 398. It is in a city park at 20 Beckett Memorial Dr., Valley Park, MO. This is located at the corner of Beckett and Marshall Streets, adjacent to the Rolla Subdivision main line and the beginning of the railroad's 2 main tracks into St Louis. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Mark, If and when it ever cools down around here, I will get back out to the National Museum of Transportation (NMOT) and have a look. It has been a while since I had a view of their Frisco caboose as well. It was 101 degrees Fahrenheit here today. Yikes! According to the NMOT collection roster, the SLSF caboose is still there, but is not identified by number. They describe it as: "SLSF Caboose, wood body, re-covered with plywood on steel frame, carries cable for switching". My main area of attention, though, will be SLSF 3695, the Frisco 0-6-0 that wound up at Scullin Steel. It has been a year or so since I have talked to them about 0-6-0 SLSF 3695. After sitting out in the weeds also close to the MP west Barrett tunnel for decades, it is now in a prime location for display. But, it needs quite a bit of cosmetic restoration. Why it does not receive more attention is beyond me. Well, really no, it is a matter of dollars and priority. They like big engines. It is an 0-6-0, NMOT does not have many of this type, it is a nice looking example, it is from a renowned St Louis fallen-flag railroad, Frisco, and it served a renowned St Louis fallen-flag railroad industry supplier, Scullin Steel. Makes too much sense I guess. Beyond all the Frisco stuff at NMOT, SLSF 1522, 1621, 3695, 3000, 251, etc.; however, are my two very most favorite items in the collection, B&O 50 and EMC 103. These two of the very most influential locomotives that started and proved the diesel era - the "diesels that did it". FTA EMC 103, one of the original FT ABBA demo units, may be the most famous and influential railroad locomotive in any collection, anywhere. It demonstrated on the Frisco. Ken
When taking pictures of the Frisco caboose at the NMOT a few years ago, I noticed an FTB unit on an adjacent track. It is shown in 2 of the 3 pictures in the following post. http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/query.2252/ It was in the same Southern paint scheme that the FTA was in prior to its demonstration reenactment run for EMD. As I recall, the "A" unit was lent to EMD and cosmetically restored to its original demonstrator scheme around 1989 as part of a celebration marking 50 years of being the leading maker of diesel freight locomotives. Was this "B" unit part of the original set of FT's? If it was, why was it not given a cosmetic restoration like the "A" unit, and allowed to participate in the demonstration run? Rich
Rich, Good question! If that FTB was part of the original EMC FT ABBA demo set, no reason why it also would not have received the restoration by EMD. I suspect it was a later unit. I wonder if it is still back there? We will have to ask NMOT about it. Trouble is, nobody out there will know. The Frisco caboose looks like it is in "firewood" status. Too bad. Good to see the Barretts weeds were alive and well when you took the photographs! Frisco 0-6-0 SLSF 3695 used to sit in them as well. Ken
Those photos depict a fantastic-looking survivor. My model is of the later, ex AT&SF, caboose that received the same number. That close-up photo of the platform whistle is a first. The Hallmark caboose models had a casting for a different style whistle - more like a miniature steam locomotive single-tone type. This whistle is unique. Doug
Regarding the picture of the combined caboose whistle and air dump valve; every Frisco caboose that I have personally inspected has had the same design item installed at both ends of the caboose. The whistles in question were made by the Sherburne Company of Boston, Mass. A conductor or brakeman could sound the whistle at a crossing for a backing move and could apply brakes to slow or stop. The hex end threads on a vertical pipe that tees off of the trainline air brake pipe. The button at top is the valve for the whistle. The whistle body has a lever by which the conductor on the caboose could control the train brakes. The lever that is seen in the horizontal position on the whistle body is the control lever for the air brakes. When the lever is moved toward the horizontal position, air is released, thereby causing a drop in pressure in the trainline, resulting in train brake application. The rectangular hole is the vent for the brake valve. Here is a video.
