Since there have been several posts lately about 1900-era modeling, some might want to take a look at this little gem recently unearthed and digitized by the special collections department of Missouri State University. It's a set of paint diagrams for freight cars, passenger cars, and cabooses, dated 1902. (1) Look up URL: http://library.missouristate.edu/archives/university/ (2) Select "digital collections" from the menu at left (3) Search for term "Frisco". The viewing interface is a bit unusual and awkward, especially if you have a small computer monitor, but I'm very glad to see this information publicly available. A couple of comments: (1) Some of the images seem to bear traces of alteration. In 1902, the Frisco was in the process of absorbing the KC Fort Scott & Memphis. I wonder if these diagrams reflect a large-scale plan to remake the line's image, and whether they were final plans or plans-in-progress. Can anybody confirm whether they match known "canonical" SLSF paint schemes as applied? (2) Those interested in the Kansas City Clinton & Springfield, the "Leaky Roof Line", will definitely want to take a look at page 10. It's the first documentation I've found of the appearance of that beleaguered line's elusive freight cars. The number on the car doesn't match the numbers supplied by the Official Railway Equipment Registers of the period, but it otherwise looks very much like what I expected to see. It looks like they used the same emblem that appears on the few KCC&S caboose photographs I've seen, a big black "Clinton Line" star very similar to the "Memphis Star" used by the KCC&S' former corporate parent the KCFS&M. Bradley A. Scott
Thank you very much for the paint diagram address. This is just the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I can tell I've got a lot of scratchbuiding in my future. Those old black and white photos just don't tell the whole story. Jim
