Well, after a chance stumble across an old end photo of this car, I find that I've become rather enamored with it. Some info with links and then some questions as I look toward this as a potential modeling project. The photo I recently found shows the car very clearly with a clerestory roof: http://digitalcollections.missouristate.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/FriscoTravel&CISOPTR=462&DMSCALE=50&DMWIDTH=600&DMHEIGHT=600&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMMODE=viewer&DMTEXT= Frisco&REC=1&DMTHUMB=1&DMROTATE=0 However, a drawing from Karl Brand shows that the car was rebuilt 12-3-1946 and had a turtleback roof by this time. Cafe-Lounge 1500 Series This photo of 1506, modernized with turtleback roof, looks like it may have been taken not long after the rebuild at the West Shops: http://digitalcollections.missouris...OOT=/FriscoTravel&CISOPTR=436&CISOBOX=1&REC=7 In 1961, Gordon Mott captured 1506 in Springfield in color in his album at http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?media/slsf-1506-springfield-10-61.48/ As far as in-service documentation goes, Tom Galbraith has dispatcher sheets from Thayer which document 1506 being used on #105, The Kansas City-Florida Special, between Springfield and Memphis c. 1952: 1952 Passenger Consists from Thayer dispatcher sheets... He also has it documented on Train #9 Meteor between St. Louis to Monett (9/17/1957), apparently substituting for the streamlined Observation-Diner-Lounge: 1957 Texas Special Car Assignments Now, to my questions: Did the 1946 "rebuild" result in the turtleback roof, or did it come earlier? Does anyone have drawings of this car, pre-1946 rebuild? In the drawing that Karl has shared, there is a 5' 5 9/16" section just to the left of the café area. Looks like maybe there was a pantry or a portion designed to service the galley. Any thoughts on what this area represents? Has anyone modeled this car in any scale? I double-checked FMIG Newsletter #20 where Ken McElreath provided a superb article on modeling Frisco passenger cars, but no such luck. Best Regards,
I think this photo: http://digitalcollections.missouris...OOT=/FriscoTravel&CISOPTR=436&CISOBOX=1&REC=7 was taken when the 1946 rebuilding was completed. Foxy ain't she? Tom G.
Indeed! And, what I've just noticed upon further review is the shade of the roof. While it's always difficult to tell in B/W photos, the roof looks decidely lighter than the carbody. Almost more of a "Grimy Black" than an engine black? The drawing posted by Karl notes that 1506 had ice-activated air conditioning. I can't tell (and don't know) if the boxes visible in this photo are the ice boxes or battery boxes. Thanks in advance for those who can help reduce my ignorance. Best Regards,
That roof color is a lead or "battleship" gray. A good representation of that color is on the coach (chair car) "Okmulgee" (And the car parked just beyond it) at the bottom of page 120 in Marre and Sommer's Frisco In Color. There are also weathering variations of that color in Frisco passenger car photos. Some cars did have black roofs and I haven't decided if the blacks were always paint or sometimes a roofing tar tratment?? Tom
This area contained two refrigerators (ice boxes) for food and fruit storage and a silverware locker. The china and linen lockers were located "mid-car". The lightweight diner (TX SPL) and diners (Meteor) were configured likewise.
Karl, thanks for explaining. That makes perfect sense. By the way, is that the Four Aces number plate from the Frisco's ten-wheeler that I've seen with some of your posts? Best Regards,
Giving this one a bump, after updating the links from old frisco.org to new frisco.org. I do believe the 1946 rebuilt version of this is one of my favorite Frisco post-WWII passenger cars. It ranks up there all the way with the combine-caboose-baggage #844. Best Regards,
That car (1506) was usually the first up substitute for the diners and lounges on the Texas Special, Meteor and the Kansas City-Florida Special. 1506 shows up fairly often in the consists I've seen. There's a 1959 picture of 1506 in the Meteor consist at Oklahoma City on page 18 of Frisco In Color, Volume Two. Tom G.
That is just so cool Brad. I am very curios about the under frame details of these type of cars. I never knew there were so many components required to make a single passenger car. And all this needs HEP too. Great modeling Brad, I am always impressed.
