A question for the group. I have just been looking through my copy of the Birmingham Rails book again, and note that the authors refer to the Frisco E7As (EA7s) and E8As as "Redbirds". I have always called them "Race Horses", even though several of the horse names were not race horses. Others I have talked with around St. Louis also refer to these locomotives as "Race Horses". What is the most common nickname of the two for the Frisco E7As (EA7s) and E8As? Was "Redbird" used down on the southeast of the SLSF system around Birmingham? What do you use? Should we take a poll? Either name, they were pretty neat locomotives. Sure wish we could see them flash by again. I was at Big Bend and Geyer here in St. Louis recently and watched a BNSF freight come through. Made me think back to the many times I saw the Frisco E units go by there, or rode through there, on Nos 3 and 4, or Nos 9 and 10. Ken
Re: Race Horses? Redbirds! Within my presence, my father, grandfather, and those Frisco folks with whom they worked, always called them Redbirds. I cannot say that I have heard them called anything else.
Do not know about "Racehorses" or "Redbirds", but back in the day, I heard Frisco people call the first black and yellow freight diesels "cutworms!" Tom
There has been a discussion on the Frisco Yahoo group over the past day or so regarding the road numbers, names, and horse histories as used on the SLSF E7A (EA7) and E8A "Racehorse" passenger units. I just posted a clarification on the Frisco Yahoo group regarding the name histories and wanted to put it out on frisco.org as well so all will have it. My Yahoo posting was as follows: FYI, as additional background, the listing of the Frisco E7A (EA7) and E8A passenger diesel "Racehorse" names and the name histories for each was first pulled together by Doug Hughes of the Frisco Modelers Information Group (FMIG), and then later updated by me and used by Lou Marre in his book, by Mike Condren on his webpage, and several others. But, we have a mistake in the listing - or at best a confusing reference - regarding Frisco's E8A SLSF 2013, "Sea Biscuit". The correct name background for SLSF 2013 should read: "Racehorse, 1937 $ champion, defeated "War Admiral" in a high profile race". "War Admiral" was sired by "Man-O-War". "Sea Biscuit" was not related to "Man-O-War" or to "War Admiral". We did not realize the error in the listing until viewing the recent movie "Sea Biscuit" a few years ago! Ken Wulfert St. Louis Moderator Edit: Incorrect, Sea Biscuit was sired by Hard Tack, son of Man-O-War. War Admiral was Sea Biscuit's uncle.
Sorry Ken, Sea Biscuit was related to Man-O'-War. Sea Biscuit was sired by Hard Tac who was sired by Man-O'-War. The human analogy would be that Man-O'-War was Sea Biscuit's grandfather and War Admiral was his uncle. Rich
Hmmm, shows you what I know about horses! I need to get a different horse expert. Well, at least we corrected the original mistake in the Frisco E-unit listing that "Sea Biscuit" was sired by "Man-O-War". I am going back to commenting only about locomotives and freight cars! Thanks for the correction. Ken
Attached is a compilation of the numbers and names of the Frisco locomotives that were named after famous horses.
The description for E8A SLSF 2013 is not correct. Sea Biscuit was not the son of Man-o-War. In a very famous stakes race, Sea Biscuit defeated War Admiral, who was the son of Man-o-War. I created that misconception some time ago by claiming Sea Biscuit was sired by Man-o-War on my E-unit summary sheet posted on frisco.org. I corrected the Sea Biscuit listing a couple of years ago after I saw the movie! Ken
In my comments for Sea Biscuit, I indicated that Sea Biscuit was sired by Hard Tack, son of Man o' War. Sired means fathered in equine terminology, thus Sea Biscuit was Man o' War's grandson. Sorry for the confusion, I thought the punctuation and terminology made it clear.
Keith, No, my fault. When I saw the listing, I jumped to the conclusion that it was still my old, incorrect name history form 2013. Not so, you had it correct. Ken
I can imagine that anyone that worked for the Frisco and was a St. Louis Cardinals fan would have called them Redbirds.
Interesting wrinkle about the name of E9A SLSF 2022. http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index....1950s-diagrams-1-emd-e-units.2939/#post-71305
CNW "Crandall cabs" were ex UP E9Bs rebuilt as A units by and for the CNW They were utilized as CNW commuter train locomotives. Crandall was notation to the name of the CNW motive power official that designed the unit. Its model designation has been referred to as an E9BA by some. Not sure if that was official designation by CNW or just what some referred to it as for clarification since was not built as a true A unit but converted from B units. As rebuilt the units had an odd looking cab end with an almost flat front low nose. They featured the typical CNW favored gong type bell mounted on nose above the CNW logo, headlights were located above the cab windows. The newly built nose bears no resemblance and looks nothing like the standard rounded contours of the original bulldog nose of a factory built E9A unit.
