What should the Frisco have purchased next?

Discussion in 'Diesel General' started by Iantha_Branch, Jun 15, 2010.

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What do you think the Frisco should have purchased next?

  1. SD50

    10 vote(s)
    12.0%
  2. C30-7

    6 vote(s)
    7.2%
  3. GP39-2

    5 vote(s)
    6.0%
  4. More SD40-2's

    26 vote(s)
    31.3%
  5. More GP50's

    9 vote(s)
    10.8%
  6. More GP15-1's

    8 vote(s)
    9.6%
  7. The whole BN System

    19 vote(s)
    22.9%
  1. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    The GP-15-1's were normally aspirated. The C&O and Apalachicola Northern had GP15TAC's, which were turbo-charged
     
  2. gbmott

    gbmott Member

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    What I was trying to say was that the GP15's and GP38's would have been used as built plus the GP35's would have also worked in local service but most likely would have been derated and/or had their turbos removed. This could have eventually happened to the GP50's as well, but I think they would have continued to run as-built for a while.

    Gordon
     
  3. FriscoGeorge

    FriscoGeorge Frisco Employee

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    No, they should have purchased South African gold bars! :D
     
  4. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    I remember that Katy started getting former Conrail GP38-2s and GP40s, as well as former ICG GP38s. Granted, they were picking up this power for increased traffic as well as running the OKT, but what's to say Frisco may not have gone that route as well? Even KCS picked up ex-ICG GP40s for local and dodger service.

    The U25Bs and GP35s would be ready to retire, so this scenario could have resulted in this move.

    As for six-axle power, I saw a lot of Santa Fe six-motors racing thru Afton on runthru freights. Even given the limited trackage for six-motors, perhaps more SD40s would be purchased for pool power., especially with Santa Fe and SCL/CSX. With certain unit coal trains running even then (the WFEC coalies come to mind), the SD40-2s could even see service there. Also, with UP connections in Kansas City, one could also see them there.

    I don't know what the mechanical and operating departments felt about the GE diesels, so I have no idea what they would have done outside of retiring the older GEs.

    With the large number of GP38AC/GP38-2s on the roster by November 1980, I would not be surprised to see more of the same, either new or secondhand (again, ex-Conrail, but also ex-Rock Island as well).

    More GP50s? Well, the Bad News bought a bunch of then as well, so I could see Frisco using them at first on fast freights, should they consider getting 'em.
     
  5. friscoWyatt

    friscoWyatt Member

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???



    oh how I miss the frisco . I dont understand all the indepth stuff.

    to be honest I wished the Frisco could have bought out the kcs and then buy some sd 50's and some sd70's I love the frisco disels but my favorite locomotives were the HIGHNOSE U25B'S .
     
  6. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    Why? The Frisco had tracks that were very close to the KCS tracks, well in the northern part of the KCS line, I don't know farther south than Joplin.
     
  7. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    The "what if's" (Various diesels etc.) don't particluarly interest me, but KCS has the Port Of New Orleans access. That would be the main selling point for any such transaction.

    Tom
     
  8. meteor910

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

    The KCS was/is one of the few true north/south railroads in the USA. The IC was another - that's why the CN gobbled them up.

    Ken

    PS: Plus, KCS now has the Panama Railroad, which is a gold mine if run properly.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 15, 2010
  9. Brad Slone

    Brad Slone Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The thoughts of the Frisco reaching the western gulf ports is interesting. I have always wondered about the what if the Frisco had been able to aquire some of the non redundant portions of the Rock Island. Particularly the Chicago to New Mexico route getting it closer to the Pacific (San Fransico) or the north western lines getting it closer to Powder River coal. Just some thoughts I had when I've been setting at a grade crossing waiting for the green machines to pass!

    Brad
     
  10. trainchaser007 (Brandon Adams RIP 9/22/2017)

    trainchaser007 (Brandon Adams RIP 9/22/2017) Passed away September 22, 2017

    Back in June I made the following statement:
    "Well if steam polution is out of the question...how about a diesel that looks like a steam loco but is actually a diesel?..."
    In July I actually saw this done on a narrow guage passenger train...well, sort of.
    I went to Six Flags over Georgia...again:rolleyes:. They have a narrow guage passenger train that shuttles people around the theme park (or you can just ride it 4 or 5 times around the park without getting off like my girls wanted to do:D). It looks like a 4-4-0 but actually, the tender is a diesel engine :eek:(the first time, my girls and I made the mistake of sitting in the first seat behind the tender...talk about diesel exhaust...yuck!:mad:) It was then that I realized that my comment from June about a steam-looking diesel wasn't so far fetched. In fact, it had already been done...only on a narrow guage theme park train. Here's a video someone made and posted on youtube from the first seat on the first coach directly behind the tender: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scs0a-b6x-E
    Wouldn't it be cool to see some BNSF "Mallet-looking" units with a load of Powder River Basin coal? Six flags has proven it can be done!
     
  11. JohnFoster

    JohnFoster Member

    SD 40-2 or gp 50s would be great .Use the 38s for locals . Get ride os the worn out 35s, ub 23 .
     
  12. renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013)

    renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013) Passed away March 8, 2013

    John, sorry to say Frisco did not have any u23's they were U25B's.
    Richard
     
  13. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Actually, the U25 doesn't look much like the U23, John was probably thinking of the U30 and the B30-7 (There is any easy to spot difference between the two)
     
  14. wpmoreland719

    wpmoreland719 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    None of the above. Soldier on with the GP40's and wait until the GP60's come out in '88.
     
  15. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    2-10-4s
     
  16. meteor910

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

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    Would th eFrisco have bee able to benefit from the advantages of a 2-8-4 for heavy, fast freight?

    Ken
     
  17. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    Where is the like button on this site? ;)
     
  18. Bruce Adams

    Bruce Adams Member

    Tough call ... my vote is swayed by how a locomotive looks. So, I went for the SD40-2 because of those great front and back porches!
     
  19. myopiceagle

    myopiceagle Member

    Re: What should the Frisco have purchased next???

    What SHOULD Frisco have purchased? That's a matter of opinion, the best answer is of course, the whole BN system. Keep the coonskin emblem alive.

    But I think the better question is, had the Frisco remained in operation, what WOULD they have purchased next? I think it would have been the SD50's. EMD marketed them well in the early 1980's to counter the sluggish economy and competition from GE. The Frisco, without a doubt, would have bought a few of them at least. After the problems with the SD50's began to surface, they would have gone back to GE. Then when the micro-processor locomotives (SD60 and SD70) came out, they would have switched to EMD again.

    There have been other thread's that have discussed this next point, but I feel like I should throw it out there for discussion again. What would those 1980's locomotives looked like when delivered? Red and White? I think they would have been. The time for image refinement and improvement didn't really take place on modern RR's until the mid-90's or so.
     
  20. meteor910

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

    I dunno. How long did it take for the ten Frisco-ordered GP50's (SLSF 790-799, i.e., 3100-3109) to start showing their GP35-like troubles? The Frisco ordered these units early in the EMD 50-series life. If they had recognized the troubles early on in the GP50's service life, they may not have gone for the SD50 and gone to GE sooner.

    The GP35 showed the EMD 567 was stressed to its limits - just as the GP50 showed the EMD 645 was approaching its limits. All this time, the GE FDL kept getting better and better.

    Ken
     

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