I've been doing some catching up on my reading - in particular with Diesel Era (my favorite rail fan mag by far) where I fell over a year behind keeping up in 2016 because of all the work we were doing selling/buying/selling Florida condos and our St Louis house, and making the two moves to a permanent place in Naples, Florida. Today I finished reading the issue Vol 27,#3, May/June 2016. Inside I came across pics of two old Frisco friends still toiling away: - Great Northern GN 3444 (yes, GN), a SW1500 formerly SLSF 359, then BN 64, then BNSF 3444, then GN 3444. The BNSF did some renumbering into GN ownership numbers to make room for purchases of new GE Tier 4 mainline locomotive power. - Toledo, Peoria & Western TP&W 5010, a GP50 formerly (was to be) SLSF 791, but became BN 3100, then went through a bunch of ownership changes (6) before finding a home with TP&W. Under their current colors (black, yellow, orange, green, etc) I'm sure there are patches or at least specs of red/orange & white remaining , still leading the way. Ken
A couple years ago the A&M leased a KCS GP40-2, #2959. It was pretty much "my" engine to use on Job 2. I had been running it for a week or more when it was pointed out to me that the unit was former Frisco #759. Over the course of the lease, it proved to be a stout mule. Sure didn't take long to re-acclimate to the better ergonomics of EMD control stands!
There was also the irony of the fact that while I had it, the #2959, nee #759, was once again working on its home rails on which it began its railroading career: Frisco rails. Gotta' admit, it was also nice to hear an EMD working again. It had been a long time for me since running EMD's. Time to head off to work. Later gator.
