Ken, Is the Midwest RR "book" scannable? Might be a way to preserve it. I'll have to admit, I've not seen this one. I have the roster they published years ago, but no pictures are in it.
Don - I'd have to tear it apart to scan it, plus it is over 50 pages. There are only about six to ten pages of pictures, most of which you have already seen I'm sure, if not all. The rest of the book is made up of tables of roster information in various formats. Plus there is, of course, a copyright issue. Ken
I checked for the book at Amazon, Alibris and ABEBooks (My usual haunts for out of print books) and no copies were there either. Tom
All, I've got a copy that could be scanned although on a few pages the engine numbers are very close to the binder edge making it hard to read. If I remember correctly I got my copy from the "For Sale-Books" section in the back of Trains in late 1982. Although I'm not a big steam fan I found the predecessor company info priceless!!! The problem is I have no idea how to turn it into a PDF, I would be willing to scan a few pages at a time & email them to someone who would know how to put it together. However, could we be getting into some copyright issues by doing this? Roger R. Taylor KCMO
Well, it seems I've stirred something up here and good. When you look at the scan of the cover of my copy it looks scuffed and "well used". However, I'm very anal with my books and that is actually the shape it was in when I ordered it new back in 1982. Somebody's hometown printer on cheapy paper and low quality inks. In fact I've never "cracked the back" so it's about mint. As to copyrights. Well, far stretch to find anyone who would even care. A Google search for Hallmark Books in Shelby, OH produces a few titles - most older than this and none newer suggesting this may have been it for them. This seems to be the source for all this great information: The steam locomotive roster was published by Bob Lorenz, 1939 Whittaker Drive, Fremont, OH 43420 many years ago as taken from the 1903 and 1917 ICC rosters. I'd like to volunteer to assemble a reproduction of this little gem. I have all the software. Buck Dean Jacksonville, FL
sorry to be bumping such a old thread, but does anyone know what whistle's were on the 4200s? Did they use steamboat longbells or something else.
Speaking of the 4200 2-8-2's, has anyone ever entertained the idea of kit-bashing one from a 2-8-4? I think they're to chunky to try to use a USRA mike for the starter. Then of course, you'd have to redo the tender besides. I have a junker plastic 2-8-4 (An MRC if I remember) I've thought about doing something with, but I'd never try it with brass. And I've only re-detailed some steam engines, never scratched or kit-bashed one. Any thoughts? Good idea?? Or too much trouble?? Thanks, Tom
I've been offline for a few days, but I'm surprised that I didn't seen any new photos yesterday from Don Wirth's archives.
Not in much of a mood for April Fool stuff this year. Maybe next year. The 4200s had the same whistle on them that the 1500s had.
Too bad none of the 4200's were saved. They must have been impressive machines based on how they looked in their pics. Ken
I remember as a youngster watching the 4200s start heavy freights. The exhaust of the 4200s was louder than the 4400s, the surrounding ground would tremble and the close-by store windows would rattle. The exhaust was like an explosion! I never heard a 4500 start a heavy train, but the 4200s beat anything I ever heard.
I had somebody tell me the same thing about the 4200s when they started a train out of Ft. Scott. An old retired T&NO engineer told me the same thing about the 1500s they leased whenever they left Denison, TX. Said the whole town shook from the noise. He loved it. So do I.
I believe that a case can be made for the 4200's being the best or most well-suited, main line freight locomotive on the Frisco.
Karl - No argument here, though the 4300's, 4400's and 4500's were also pretty impressive. I'd be interested in hearing the points you base your conclusion on. Why didn't the 4200's see more service system-wide? Didn't they spend most of their time between KC and Alabama? Ken
Buck, thanks for the offer, but your work would be redundant. I used Lorenz' and other sources for the Excel steam roster file I posted to this site many years ago. Doug Hughes, FMIG founder
Well, always available for some project or another. I've tried for years to get the ACL & SAL HS to publish all type record tables on ACL and Seaboard (Plant System, FC&P, AB&C, etc) steam including corrections to Prince's work, but to no avail. Buck
