SLSF 843 and SLSF 844 - Coach Caboose Baggage Combine Drawings previously published in the Frisco Museum's All Aboard February-March 1991 magazine. Reprinted in Richard Napper, MMR's article in the December, 1992 Caboose Kibitzer. The first two are larger blow-ups of the drawing. The third is a scaled down version of the full car. Note the first is a little warped on the copy. No, it was not a swayback coach.
SLSF 843 and SLSF 844 - Coach Caboose Baggage Combine From the Frisco Museum's All Aboard magazine and reprinted alongside Richard's Caboose Kibitzer article. Two unique and unusual pieces of Frisco passenger service equipment were in operation on the Hoxie Subdivision between 1935 and 1957. They were coach caboose baggage combines numbers SLSF 843 and 844. In the mid to late 1920s, the bulk of passenger service on the Hoxie Subdivision was provided by motor car service, with mixed train service limited to branch line operations. However, with the decline in passenger revenues in the early to mid 1930s and retirements of over half of its ageing fleet of motor cars, according to our records, thirteen of the 24 units on the roster were retired between 1930 and 1940, the line started to rely more on mixed trains to provide passenger service. Consequently, in August 1935, two ex-Kansas City, Ft. Scott & Memphis Railroad chair cars were rebuilt as coach caboose baggage combinations Nos. 843 and 844. Car No. 843 was originally built by the St. Charles Car Company in June 1898 as Chair Car #63, at a cost of $7,095.00. The all wood unit was 55’ long, weighed 64,200 lbs., had a seating capacity of forty, and was equipped with open platform vestibules on both ends. In 1908, it was renumbered SLSF 664. In August 1935, the rear 18’ of the car was rebuilt into a 12’ baggage compartment and a 6’ caboose cupola. In this configuration, one car could accomplish the task of transporting passengers and baggage while at the same time protecting the rear of the train. In May, 1946, steel sheathing was installed and in July 1953, steel trucks were applied at Chaffee, MO. In March, 1957, SLSF 843 was dismissed from service and on May 14, 1957, it was dismantled and sold for scrap. Car SLSF 844’s origins are somewhat a mystery. It is known that it was originally built by the St. Charles Car Company in June 1893 at a cost of $7,407.00 and that it was built for the Kansas City, Ft. Scott and Memphis (KCFS&M) line. What is currently unknown is which car in a series of three 1893 built units it was: SLSF 686, ex-KCFS&M 72, SLSF 687, ex-KCFS&M 73, or SLSF 688, ex-KCFS&M 74. All three were identical in original size, construction and equipment to car SLSF 664.
Does anyone have the full sized drawings of these? If so, I would love to have them copied at Office Max or somewhere.
Okay, who can tell me what color lettering was actually used on the coach caboose baggage combine SLSF 844? Did they last into the "dulux" gold era?
Search me, Tim. I cannot recall seeing an actual company drawing that might have indicated. You might get to call "modeler's choice" on it, and then the rest of us who want to model it, but have not gotten around to it yet, will follow your lead. Best Regards,
