I found some old notes and sketches that I made ages ago, and put them together in these diagrams. Take a look and see how good my notes are. After CTC was installed on the Old East Belt, and before the New East Belt was built during 1960, the area depicted in these diagrams saw Lebanon Subdivision, Clinton Subdivision, and Willow Springs Subdivision passenger traffic and Willow Springs and Ozark Branch freight traffic. The area is full of industries, and local switching moves occurred around the clock. The Clinton Subdivision passenger trains were the first to disappear, and after the Willow Springs Subdivision freights were routed over the New East Belt, only the mainline passenger trains, Ozark Branch traffic, and the local switching remained. With the demise of the Oklahoman and the Southland, only the local traffic and Ozark Branch trains remained. In spite of the much lower traffic levels, the Frisco did not alter the signaling or track arrangement until about 1975. During this time, it removed the signals, the MK Jct. passing track, and the Missouri Pacific crossing. Around 1978 or 1979, the Frisco severed the line between Cherry Street and WS Junction.
Attached is a photograph from about September 1974 of MK Junction before they had removed the CTC equipment. I will rescan this and other slides from this area, when I can locate them. John Sanders Springfield, MO
I have always found this a very fascinating corner of the Frisco, one that would not require a huge area to model fitting a linear foot print and full of operating. I thought Pat Hiatte's article in Trains several years ago was full of information, I still read through it from time to time. If I ever decided to model a different area of the railroad, this Pine Street and Mill Street area would definitely make the short list. Brad Slone
Brad, You were about 21 minutes ahead of me on this thought. I had never realized what kind of modeling potential existed here. Karl's notes and John's photograph are a great starting point for constructing a nice, achievable "layout design element". Best Regards,
Karl, For a long time, I have had a dream of building a layout based on the Ozark Branch, starting at Glenstone and going south. Posts like this, and the recent Springfield industry schematic diagrams, make me want to start at MK Junction or further north. One question, are the tracks you have labelled as "storage yard" on the Phelps Street trackage the old team track that starts under the Benton Avenue viaduct? Paul
If you are thinking of modeling a Springfield locale, the MK Jct. area would give you all kinds of believable traffic ideas. If you modeled before the 1960-1961 period before the new East Belt, the Willow Springs Subdivision mainline and local freights and all the Springfield passenger trains passed through the area. There was also a period in the 1950s, Karl can help with the timeline here, that the Highline local passed here, going up the old East Belt and west through the North Yard on its way out of town. I am not sure if the southbound arriving Highline train returned through here. That is in addition to all the downtown switching moves and traffic on the Ozark or Chadwick Branch. When I first saw Karl's MK drawing, the light came on for me that the MK Jct. area is an ideal place to start a layout with a Springfield theme. I might add that you could also logically add some Missouri Pacific (MP) movements if you were to model the MK Jct. area. The MP serviced businesses along their own right of way, but also did along the East Phelps Street corridor. At night the MP delivered cars to the Missouri Farmers Association (M-F-A) mill that was on the north side of East Phelps Street between North Boonville Avenue and North Jefferson Avenues. There were some tracks east of Jefferson on Phelps where the MP and Frisco swapped cars with each other. Each road picked up cars and left cars for the other line on those tracks. There also was motor vehicle traffic in the East Phelps Street corridor. There was very rough pavement where trucks and automobiles shared street traffic on East Phelps Street between a couple of blocks east of North Jefferson Avenue to west of North Campbell Avenue. Tom G.
Paul, The "storage yard" is under the North Benton Avenue Viaduct. When I saw switch crews work the industries, especially the big MFA mill at North Boonville Avenue, on East Phelps Street, they used these tracks to work from. They would shove inbound cars in the yard first, pull the outbound cars from the industry, and then put them into a vacant yard track. This location was the location of the Frisco’s Phelps Street station. Next they would grab a cut of inbound cars from the yard, and shove them back down East Phelps Street to the appropriate industry. As necessary, the crews would use the run around track to position the locomotive properly. All of this as you know was "street" trackage, and one could drive along as the crew worked.
Thanks Karl! Little operational details like this really help. And John, thanks for the photograph. I will take any more you can find like this. Now I just need a permanent layout space large enough to build the layout I have in mind. Paul
If anyone is confused by the references to "Pine Street Junction" or trying to find Pine Street on a map, Pine Street is now called Tampa Street in Springfield. Tom G.
Tom, Years ago when I first started looking through this, I just about went nuts looking for Pine Street.An old plat finally solved that problem. For those unfamiliar with Springfield, here is a post with a map that will place things in better context. http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/nichols-jct.1516/#post-8716
Excellent point, Tom. Granted, we are "all" Frisco modelers here, but I always find it interesting to have a reason for foreign power to appear. If nothing else, having the connection to another railroad gives one's layout a way to get to other places and locales. Possibly a related question, what type of motive power would the Frisco have used in in the 1960s for the local switching? I think the SW1500s came in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Overall, this thread has provided a lot of enjoyment already this weekend! Thanks very much for the operational information.
Chris, From all of the photographs I have seen, EMD and Baldwin switchers, including the repowered ones, were common in the Springfield area. Paul
Tom, Thanks for that operational detail. When the Missouri Pacific (MP) severed their line between Battlefield, MO and Crane, MO, they accessed what remained of their Springfield trackage via trackage rights over the Frisco from Aurora, MO, I believe. In Springfield, they used the old passenger main was used from Nichols to South yard to gain access to MP trackage. I would like to know what power the MP used for their Springfield trains. I have never seen any pictures of the MP working Springfield, and the only train I ever saw on the MP trackage growing up was headed by a Union Pacific (UP) locomotive. Paul
Most all the MP switching was done at night. I worked at the Springfield Post Office Mail Handing Facility from 1969 to 1986 which was at 405 North Jefferson Avenue, just across the tracks and East Phelps Street from the M-F-A mill. The MP delivered cars and switched most every night in the vicinity. The engines were EMD four axle units, probably GP7, GP9, GP18, etc. and similar ALCO units, probably RS-11s or similar. I am not familiar enough with the MP diesel roster to recite exact models and numbers. The locomotives were in both faded Eagle and fresher Jenks Blue paint schemes. The Frisco switching was in the daytime with black and yellow yard switchers. Sometime during this period, the MP began the re-route over the Frisco from Aurora. Tom G.
As Tom states, MP operations in the MK Jct. area and along Phelps Street tended to be nocturnal. So I was surprised when I caught a "Four Piper" GP38-2 and cars entering the Frisco at MK Jct. during daylight hours, January 1983. The locomotive is facing compass east.
I was looking at Missouri Pacific (MP) photographs for a project I am thinking about, and I ran across the "Screaming Eagles" website. The site has several 1955-1961 Arthur Johnson photographs in Springfield of locomotives including the following models. MP GE 44-tonners - http://www.trainweb.org/screamingeagle/loco_switcher.html MP EMD GP7s - http://www.trainweb.org/screamingeagle/loco_1gen_gp7.html MP Alco RS3s - http://www.trainweb.org/screamingeagle/loco_1gen_rs.html These are not links to the specific images, but search for Springfield on the pages above. These are all from the time when the MP's branch from Crane was still intact. The only landmarks I recognize in the photographs are near downtown Springfield, MO not far from the MP freight house and the Frisco's depot. There is also a 1981 photograph of an MP B23-7 on this page that would have arrived in Springfield over the Frisco. Please see the following link. http://www.trainweb.org/screamingeagle/loco_2gen_bb.html Paul
Thank you Paul for posting the links to Missouri Pacific (MP) website. I have been looking for a good MP website. MP is my second favorite railroad with Frisco being first. Joe
Joe, Also take a look at the Missouri Pacific Historical Society (MPHS). It is excellent. I have been a member for years. I have every issue of their excellent publication The Eagle. www.mopac.org Ken
I just found something else of interest relative to MK Junction, a photograph from the John Barriger, III collection of the Junction. Date unknown, but lots of details. Please see the following link. https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/12239126243/in/album-72157640360511664/ Does anyone know if these are related, the previous photograph in the album? https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/12239521906/in/album-72157640360511664/ It is the next photograph in the album. https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/12238942715/in/album-72157640360511664/ Paul
These were taken from the rear platform of business car number 2, which was tacked to the rear of train No 108. Barriger was touring the Frisco and was returning after getting a first-hand look at Tennessee Yard and the Mudlines. I believe the date to be circa 1961-1962.
