Trains No 1 / No 2, The Oklahoman - 5/13/1967, No 101 / 102, The Southland - 12/8/1967 - Last Runs

Discussion in 'Passenger Operations' started by frisco1522, Jan 18, 2007.

  1. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    I was asked when the last run of the St. Louis-Springfield passenger service was made.

    I have it somewhere, but it's still packed away somewhere.

    Somehow, May of 1967 comes to mind.

    Anyone out there know the date?

    Thanks.
     
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  2. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    May 13 , 1967.

    I wonder if it was a Friday?

    Number 1 was powered by EMD E8A SLSF 2020 and an unknown sister.
     
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  3. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    Thanks Karl,

    I knew someone out here would know.

    I took pictures of it, but most of that stuff is still packed away.
     
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  4. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Karl, Don,

    I assume SLSF 2020 was in Mandarin orange and white dress (ugh!) at that time?

    Ken
     
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  5. qaprr

    qaprr Member Frisco.org Supporter

    See the Louis A Marre and Gregory J. Sommers book Frisco In Color, page 49.
     
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  6. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    On May 13, 1967, SLSF 2020 is still in scheme FR-P4b.

    http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco_PaintShop_Es.htm

    The number boards are black numerals on a white background.

    This poses an interesting question.

    With only 5-6 months of passenger service remaining, why would the Frisco repaint to Mandarin orange and white the 2020?

    My father claims that the Frisco attempted to use the E8As in freight service. He says that several test runs were made, but it was deemed a failure. I don't have any proof to support this claim.

    I'd love to see a photo, if such a thing actually happened. I would have thought that these engines were so poorly suited to freight service that the Frisco would have been nuts to even experiment with such a notion.

    Two normally aspirated prime movers per unit, A1A trucks, and 85 mph gearing just don't make for an ideal freight locomotive.

    Any thoughts or theories?
     
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  7. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Chalk up another moral victory for steam locomotion.

    A 1500-class Mountain looks just at home on the head-end of a long FFF as it does easing a first-class train alongside a platform.

    Alas, my feelings are sentimental and not grounded in anything empirical. I, too, will be eager to see other thoughts on why the E8As were apparently so poorly suited for freight service.

    I know that some of the road freight units sporting number boards with black numbers-on-white were rebuilt by ICG's Paducah Shops. I can't recall if that was also the case with the E-units?
     
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  8. pbender

    pbender Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I think I've seen a photo of SLSF 2020 with those number boards prior to the Mandarin orange and white paint. Now, I'm just trying to remember were.

    SLSF 2017 and 2022 were apparently also painted this way at the same time.

    The other question is why only paint half of the fleet of E-units, which is what the Frisco kept in running order for the last 6 months of passenger service.

    Paul
     
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  9. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    A pre O/W 2020 with blk on white number boards may be seen in the Aug '67 issue of Trains, p. 11.


    Trains No 101 and No 102 required 3 trainsets, which would mean 6 units on the road.

    No doubt back-ups were kept, perhaps in KC, Springfield, Memphis, or Birmingham to protect the train. BTW SLSF 2020 in Mandarin orange and white and SLSF 2006, in the cigar band scheme, did the honor with the last run of No 102.

    I rode SLSF 2019 on No 101 the day after Thanksgiving, 1967, and she was still in a badly faded cat whisker livery. The trailing unit was SLSF 2006.
     
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  10. arkrail

    arkrail Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Can someone provide more information about this citation from this Jan 20, 2007 message?

    I assume that the Western Manuscript collection mentioned is the one at University of Missouri (UofM) - Rolla. I have their "Guide to Historical Records of the Frisco", but it only lists the numerous subsidiary companies whose corporate records are held by UofM.

    Thanks!
     
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  11. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter


    This document has disappeared from this web site.

    I have searched for it on numerous occasions.
     
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  12. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Nuts. I have removed the broken link from my previous post.

    If I can get my act together, I may have saved a copy and burned to disc - I hope.

    If so, I can try to re-post at some point.

    Best Regards,
     
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  13. Kenneth

    Kenneth Member

    The mention of last runs adds to a big question we have in our club.

    We have seen it posted that May 13, 1967 was the last time a passenger train stopped at our depot in Webster Groves (The Oklahoman). The father of one of our former members worked for the Frisco in the maintenance department and was located in our depot. He swears that the last passenger train to stop there was in October 1968.

    Does anyone have confirmed information for either date?

    Maybe the train in 1968 was a special?

    We don't want to keep telling our visitors something if it is not correct.

    Ken Rimmel
    Big Bend Railroad Club, Inc.
     
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  14. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    The last regularly scheduled passenger trains, The Oklahoman, called on Webster Groves on May 13, 1967.

    I can't speak to extras or other special movements that may have occurred after that. By the second week of December 1967, the Frisco was freight only.
     
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  15. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Karl,

    I take it then that The Southland's last run was in the 2nd week of December, 1967.

    I knew it ran several months longer than did The Oklahoman, but was not sure of their final run dates.

    FYI, I have the printer's Mylar color master for the attached advertisement used in the Frisco's October, 1965 public timetable to announce the realignment of passenger service into these two trains. I have it framed on my office wall. It was given to me by Charlie Duckworth of the Missouri Pacific Historical Society (MPHS) years ago.

    The four trains met each day at Springfield around 2:00 pm-3:00 pm, so passengers could interchange between them to travel any legs of the Frisco "X". A passenger from, say, Oklahoma City could switch if need be to the train to go to St. Louis, Kansas City or Memphis if I'm reading the PTT correctly.

    Ken
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 5, 2024
  16. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Trains 101 and 102 left their respective points of origin on Dec 8, 1967.

    See: http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=9871&d=1262308477
     

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