Did any Frisco 1500 series 4-8-2 Mountain class locomotives run on the River Division in the 1930s and 1940s? The St. Louis Subdivision and Chaffee Subdivision, River Division mainline ran between Saint Louis, MO and Memphis, TN.
Not until very late during the steam-to-diesel transition. The St Louis and Chaffee Subdivision passenger trains were handled by the 1040 class and The Memphian received the 1060s after their rebuild.
Why was the River Division not 1500 4-8-2Mountain class territory in the steam era? Why were there no 1500 class locomotives on that division? If so, what steam locomotive took the troop trains to Memphis?
Up until late, the 1500s and 4100s that were booster equipped were kept off the River Division. Frisco ran 1030s-1040s and low numbered 1500s on passenger trains and 4000s, 1200s and 1300s on freight trains. During the war 700 and 1400s were pretty prevalent on that line. Later 1940s the 1060 4-6-4s were used on the Scissorbill also.
The longest passenger train ever recorded on any American railroad was a troop train on the River Division, hauled by two locomotives. The event is recorded in the book Frisco Folks. I do not have access to it right now, or I would quote the account. Also, about 1952 there was a derailment of a troop train at Menfro, MO, just north of Cape Girardeau, MO on the St. Louis Subdivision. I remember my dad taking me to see the wreckage and the cranes working. The event was reported with photographs in the Southeast Missourian. Keith Robinson, Chris Abernathy or Tim Cannon should be able to find the article. Ken McElreath
Here is the Menfro, MO troop train information. This pdf contains a lot of information about WWII Main Trains. It might help your search. https://history.army.mil/html/books/010/10-20/CMH_Pub_10-20.pdf
Colin, Will leave to others to confirm, but my suspicion is that the shorter passenger consists relative to the rest of the system, and the reasonably level grade combined made things so that the 4-6-2 Pacific and the 2-8-2 Mikado, excepting the 4200 class, locomotives were adequate motive power. Karl, I have always been curious why the rebuilt 4-6-4 Hudson class were placed on the Memphian, rather than the 1500 4-8-2 Mountain class. I have probably heard or read somewhere but it escapes me if I did. Best Regards,
Joe Collias' book The Last of Steam has a nice picture of the Frisco Sunnyland, No 807, leaving St. Louis on the way to Memphis, with Mountain SLSF 1500 on the point. See page 68. Interestingly, he has a very similar picture of No 807 at the same location, but behind Pacific SLSF 1044. See page 66. Both are pulling seven cars, 4 head end and 3 passenger. In each case, the last head end car is a RPO. K
