Can anyone tell me or tell me where to find information about where the 70 (or 100) ton coal hoppers would have run to and from? These were the big black 3 bays.
Do you mean these? http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?attachments/hopper-88731-8-88-a-by-bob-dye-jpg.19052/
Daniel, I'm afraid I missed your initial post. Tim Cannon caught one of these on the River Division, post-BN merger: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf89018atc.jpg Don't know if it's NB or SB but I reckon it could have been hauling coal to the Sikeston power plant - note the adjacent hoppers - but it looks like an MTY. I could see it being sent to Southern Illinois for coal loading. All speculation, however. Best Regards,
I recall seeing a few of these empty on a side track in Rolla in the 1980's. There also were a few of the earlier red ones in the bunch. The red ones were in bad shape, lots of rust, a few holes in the side panels. My memory might not be accurate, but I think the red cars were 15 panel, while the later black cars, including the "Crisco Frisco" cars, were 12 panel. K
Daniel , I don't have all my diagrams handy right now, but using the Molo freight equipment book, the Frisco's initial order of 100-ton three bay hoppers was SLSF 87200-87299, April, 1964, from Pullman-Standard. These cars were 15 side panel cars, three bay, and were painted boxcar red. The side lettering was a simple white FRISCO on the middle six panels. Other similar cars were ordered bringing number range up to SLSF 87799. These were used for heavy coal service, in mixed and unit trains, plus some service with gypsum rock, crude calcium sulfate, for wall board and other inert uses. Later on, the Frisco ordered additional cars, but this time assembled them in Springfield from kits supplied by ACF. These cars, also 100-ton, three bay, featured 12 side panels, and were painted black, and featured the road name on the middle six panels using the "FRISCO-CRISCO" lettering font. The FRISCO lettering resembled the name CRISCO used on the popular brand of shortening made by P&G. They continued to add cars of this type through at least 1980, up to car numbers 88599. I'll have to check the series car numbers to make sure they are correct. But, by the time the black 12-panel cars were in service, the earlier red 15-panel cars were looking pretty bad, and showed a lot of rust damage. At least that is what I saw on the Rolla siding, or it might have been Pacific. I can't remember. In the 1990's, kits were available for both cars. McKeen made the plastic kits in HO scale. Unfortunately the 15-panel car was done in a bright red, not a freight car red like the prototype. I had them both, now sold. Later on, Bowser produced a beautiful version of the 12-panel black car, as did Intermountain later. I do have (as I recall) at least one set of the black car "FRISCO-CRISCO" decals if any one is interested. Ken
Just a bit of follow-up... The 1979 Annual Report contained this image of the Frisco 100 ton cars at Chelsea, OK.
Yep, there they are. The car on the right is one of the early box car red (BCR) cars in the 15-panel 87200-series. The next two are the black kit-assembled cars, 12-panel, and show the "Frisco-Crisco" lettering. Ken