Looking for help on a presentation on the Frisco

I've been invited to talk about the Frisco on a YouTube live stream next Sunday evening. I'll most talk about my interest in the Frisco and modeling it, but they want me to talk a little bit about its history. I've read the History of the Frisco (although I can't find the author's name, it's a spiral bound book I was gifted from the estate of a friend).

What do you think is important for me to discuss on the show? What do you think are the highlights of the Frisco's history?

 

There is a good outline in paragraph 3 of the Preamble Post to the forums "A Brief Introduction to the Frisco Railroad." The second paragraph answers "Why Frisco" very well. I realize they leave out some things worth including.

I might suggest you make the point that its aspirations as part of the Pacific Railroad Project of the 1870's was to provide a route to the West along the 35th parallel (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas). In pursuit of that, there was a brief association with the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad and later the A. T. & S. F. Financial conditions forced the breaking up of that venture into the separate railroads by 1893.

This thread will be fun to watch; You are going to get good suggestions!

 

Could start with some highlights from here:

http://frisco.org/mainline/about-the-frisco-railroad/

http://frisco.org/shipit/index.php?pages/about/

I also think its important to hit on how important the Frisco was supposed to be in the national picture, and what it ended up becoming. From the late 50's through the merger, there were the coast to coast arrangements that I think really capture the original intent of what the Frisco was a part of. Read more about those here:

http://frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/frisco-run-through-operations.13399/

The simple version is there was a connection between the Southwest and Southeast with an arrangement between the Santa Fe, Frisco and Seaboard Coastline, and another connection between the Northwest and Southeast between the Union Pacific, Frisco and Seaboard Coastline. The Frisco was the central part of the link in both of these arrangements.

 

Perhaps, the best and most succinct Frisco history is the three and one half page epitome written by Marre and Harper in their Frisco Diesel Power.

I believe that the Frisco was an innovator…
It was the first or among the first to
1. Buy Mallets
2. Employ gas electric motor cars
3. Use Sperry Rail Services to test rails
4. Extend the runs of steam locomotives
5. Dieselize
6. Use of tri-level flats to carry automobiles
7. Run Through freight service

The loss of the Gulf Coast Lines and the C&EI were major blows. The Frisco returned to the GOM during the late 20’s, when it constructed its Pensacola line, and then again with its purchase of the AT&N. In hindsight, neither port delivered the traffic that Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, New Orleans delivered to MP, which acquired the GCL.

After it left receivership Jan 1, 1947, the Frisco spent heavily through the mid 1950’s to rebuild the war weary infrastructure and replace old rolling stock. The purchase of the light-weight train sets was a waste of valuable capital.

 

Another to me is the Frisco being one of the original GE locomotive customers, which has gone on to become arguably the premier supplier of modern power.

 

Thanks for all the comments. Keep it coming.

 

Too late to be of any help for the February presentation, but this item turned up in the Classic Trans weekly newsletter.

GS
https://www.trains.com/ctr/railroad..._CTR_220518_000000&eid=garp1027@sbcglobal.net

 

Thanks for sharing Greg. I wonder when Mike wrote that? Or what it was for.

 

Fantastic, thanks for sharing. A very overview.

The byline says it was written Mike Condren. I found a webpage for him as well. https://condrenrails.com/

*Opps I totally misread your comment. I guess Mike Condren is well known around here. No surprise there I guess.

 

Further to my post dated May 18, here's a follow-up from Classic Trains:

https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/AAW6F7pfBB3xYo4MlgsjkPsCxvw

GS

 

Thanks for fixing it.

GS