GP7 Spark Arrestors

What type of Spark Arrestor is on Frisco GP7 #570 ? Doesn't look like the more common ones but more like a box or something.


Thanks,
Matt Fisher

 

That is an early version of spark arrestor created by the Fort Smith roundhouse fellows. I don't know who exactly came up with the idea. They began to appear in about '72-'73. I do not have easy access to any better pictures of them than the ones I'll include in this post. However, they will show that the flared type arrestor was retained and extensions w/screened openings were welded in place. According to what the enginemen at FS said, they improved the flow compared to the smaller flared type. I can't remember the HP figures it was supposed to add, but I "think" I recall the early version helped to the tune of 50 HP.

This early style of box arrestor was modified further very shortly after the above early version. A shallow radius was added to the top to allow the screens to raise further, thus allow even better exhausting. Again, I "think" the rounded top box arrestors yield another 50 HP for a total of 100 HP gained over the the flared type arrestor.

Here's some of my photos that attempt to show the early type box arrestor:

These from Oct '74:



These have the date annotated onto the photo:






And here's a "fair" picture that shows the addition of the slight rounding at the top. Note there are rods that hold the floating screens in place. This photo was taken on the Central Branch at Montreal, AR in March of '76.




Also be aware that these box arrestors did NOT sit flat on the roof. There was about a 2" space under the bottom edge of the box for additional venting. Several FS assigned units received these box arrestors. However, once the Frisco decided it was time to start phasing out their GP7's, the program apparently ended.

Now, all of the above is from conversations with Frisco enginemen a long time ago. It would be wonderful if one of the former FS shop fellows that was in FS at that the time this modification was being implemented could step in and either confirm my info, or correct it. Either would be great.

Oh, and yes, the chap riding the foot board was in violation of the recent "do not ride the footboards" rule, but times were different then and old habits continued among many of those with long whiskers.

 

Cool thanks for the info

 

Neat set of photos Andre! Have you posted those before? If so I missed it. I needed those for my 632 model. Good stuff.

 

Matt:

You're welcome.


Steve:

I don't know if I have in the dateless past. I typically don't post my early pics. The quality of my early stuff ranges from "fair" to "dismal".

The b&w snaps were taken with an old Polaroid ("Swinger", I think). It was the best I had at the time.

However, believe it or not, the Polaroid was far better than the little Argus snap shot camera Wild Child (the wife) brought to our marriage! Her little Argus had a manual shutter!! You had to time your snaps. I seldom hit it right and gave up in frustration. We had only been married a little over a year when the b&w Polaroids were snapped. In fact, we had been in our new little FHA-financed house since May of that year. We were both working (and I was having to commute aboard my trail bike to/from work). To say that money was tight was an understatement.

The color pics of #548 #588 were taken with my Christmas gift from Wild Child for Christmas '74: A Kodak "Instamatic". (Note the dates on the photos: Dec 25! I guess I couldn't wait to ride my bike over to the FS yard and use my new camera!) The Instamatic was a step up either the Argus or Polaroid... but still quite marginal.

It wasn't until around late '75 that I was able to finance a new Yashica TL Electro from Sears. (Made payments, I did!) The photo of 604 was taken with the TL. However, that poor pic is a direct scan of the negative on which I attempted to color correct. At Mike Condren's request I had sent my original prints of the Central Branch to him for possible inclusion in a book project he was involved with at the time. They didn't pass muster, and time went by and I never saw the prints again. Oh well. However, I truly felt like I had "arrived" now that I had a 35mm camera. Shame my skills didn't match!

SO, I said all that to say that I'm very hesitant to share my prints online. They're pretty dodgy.


Tom:

Glad you found some interest in it.

As for the guy on the footboard. I recall they were easing out of the Montreal Lead and in the process of switching out the loads. They might have been easing along at 5 MPH or so. I was riding my '72 Jawa 250 ISDT on that particular railfan trip. I have very fond memories of this day out on the Central Branch, both bikes and trains. Here's a pic of the same bike on another railfan excursion:



I've had a great life.

 

Andre myself I like seeing pics that are new to me good or bad!!! Never know what helps on someone’s project. I appreciate seeing what you’ll share. I know we all have stuff we’ve just never gotten around to sharing also.

That is a neat looking bike too btw.

 

Thanks for the encouragement, Steve.

I don't know if any of my stuff is Frisco.org "Archive" quality/worthy. Besides, I don't know how to go about submitting anything to the Archives. So, I don't know if I would be best served to just start a thread to post my old stuff to, or what. Likely, I'll continue to just do nothing.

Part of the issue is that my current scanner is way sub standard than the one it replaced. (The old one developed connection issues.) IMHO, the "new and improved" scanner just doesn't have the quality in either the hardware, or the accompanying software, that my older scanner had. This "new one" doesn't even have the means of scanning slides like the old one. Here's an example of the quality I could get out of my old scanner. This is a slide of one of the first (if not the first) GP15 to hit Ft. Smith. A Frisco employee friend alerted me to its arrival, and I ran over a got a pic of it:



SO... I'm in a bit of twixt knowing what to do with my old prints/slides, but I need to decide something and start digitizing/uploading for posterity's sake. I turn 70 in five more days.


The bike:

That was a very rare (here in the US) bike of Czechoslovakian mfg'er. The year of its mfg'er (1972), something like 15-20 or so similar bikes were imported into the US. I had lusted for one for a while. Sometime in 1975, the friend of mine that owned this one, (thus a reason I was lusting for one) sold me his. I really enjoyed owning that bike. It's a shame that I didn't fully realize its historical significance back then. Instead, I traded it off. However, in my feeble defense, it was, after all, an aging, and obsoleting, dirt bike being left in the dust amid a very fast evolution among dirt bikes that was taking place during that time. I was actually fortunate enough to own another back in beginning '98 or so, but stupidly made the same mistake again after owning it for 10 or so years. Sometimes we never learn.

All fer now.

 

Polaroid cameras! That was my first one! Instant feedback! If the pic didn't turn out well there was usually time to get another shot. The only Frisco pic I have is when the westbound local was doing work in Vinita, Oklahoma. Only reason I took a pic was it had DOT E8 #210 in the consist. They were switching and when I saw that passenger unit I raced home to get my camera. I just made it back when they passed the last crossing in town.

Later on (around 1985) I picked up a Cannon point and shoot and eventually (1988) discovered slides. Pics actually turned out fairly well. Then on to a Pentax K1000 and a good 50mm lense. Went through two bodies and just before I bought a replacement they stopped making Kodachrome so I quit.

P.S. I wonder what the crews thought of those GP15-1's.

 

"P.S. I wonder what the crews thought of those GP15-1's."

The crew's I was around liked them. Great little utility engines that did fine in light yard work, local switching, and road. Responsive on the throttle (for an EMD) and able to lug acceptably well. They were perfect for the units they were intended to replace: The GP7.

I have some slides I shot while running a set from Hackett to Montreal (on the Central Branch) and return. I recall they were easy handling engines. I would like to be able to share such slides, but as mentioned above, I don't have the means to scan the slides at this time.

 

Quit bragging. You're still a kid.

GS

 

Any idea how to model these?

 

Matt, on mine I just made a simple styrene box and put stainless mesh on top. I guessed at a size. I wish I made them a little smaller. But not worth redoing on mine. Next one can get fine tuned.
I do like in Andres pics how the flare shape shows up in the paint and grime. I will for sure add that to the next ones.

 

Do you have any pictures of your model with them on it? Close up perhaps.

 

Probably or I’ll take them. I’ll get something posted.

 

Thanks, look forward to seeing how you did them

 

Matt. Here is my attempt and the prototype I copied. I wish I had mounted them just a little lower. Other than that I just guesstimated for a size. I was relatively happy with the look. Hope this helps.