For the sake of accuracy I want to clarify that this caboose is 1232 (the trucks are stenciled BN 11560) and the caboose has been moved to Tulsa. the location is 6800 Frankoma Rd. Tulsa 74131.
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 I swear she looks like she is smiling! One thing Paul, when I saw her in Seneca I was not allowed to go inside to verify that she is the #1232. I did see the BN 11560 stencil on the truck but the #1261 in Grafton, ND has SLSF #1223 stenciled trucks, but I was able to go inside and find BN #11589 stenciled on the cupola wall. In short when you start the restoration could you please verify that it is the #1232? The number would be painted above the entrance doors & in the cupola on each wall facing towards the couplers. Or if you plan on sandblasting the exterior the number might show up under a couple of coats of paint, looks like it was painted BN green before Seneca painted her red. There are no questions on the identity of the other 2 cabooses, they have been thoroughly documented that they are the #1249 & #1288, but this one I'm not 100% sure. Thank you for providing a good home for these 3 Frisco veterans. Roger R. Taylor KCMO
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 Hi Roger, very interesting about the truck stencil on 1261. That info made me curious and I went inside 1232 and its interior has been repainted poorly and I cant make anything out. We are going to steam wash the exterior with a high pressure washer and hopefully that will reveal some info, but if it doesn't we hope to see something during the sandblasting. Thanks for the info.
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 Paul, If you need lettering info I could probably help. We repainted our caboose here in Catoosa last year and I used photos and measurements of a surviving Frisco caboose in original lettering as a guide. We have a sign shop here that did the lettering and it turned out very good. They have the artwork saved for future use.
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 mp4903, that is great to know, in fact I recently saw your Catoosa caboose and had wondered who did such a perfect job lettering, it looks fantastic ! thanks for the info ! I will be needing assistance with that in the next few months.
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 By the way I looked inside the caboose and it is beautiful with those hardwood floors, I have heard of some BN cabooses that were basicly new when retired is your caboose one of those new old stock examples or did you guys restore the floors?
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 Just let me know. Happy to share all we have. And yes, you might say it was new. It was built for BN in '78 so it saw little service before being retired. Part of the floor around the stove was replaced then all was refinished. Of course it was not a Frisco caboose but I just couldn't bring myself to paint it green and set it here with our reproduction Frisco depot. No sorry the depot is not original either but is built from the plans of the Catoosa depot with modern construction methods. Both look correct and only the true historians know the difference. This was a Frisco town for 98 years, only BN for 15 and now the BNSF (Big New Super Frisco) since '95. Marc
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 Marc, you guys have done an outstanding job on both the depot and the caboose, and your right only a die hard Frisco nut would know any different ! Its refreshing to see a beautifully restored caboose in Catoosa when most other towns display cabooses in various stages of decay. Last time I was there was on a Sunday afternoon and the depot was closed, what hours is it open for tours?
Re: Caboose SLSF 1223 Roger we powerwashed the exterior of the caboose today and she is for 100% certainty #1232. The numbers 11560 revealed themselves on the car body in large letters after 2 layers of red paint were removed. I will post a pic later. Glad the weather is changing and we can devote more time to the cosmetic restoration of 1232. Had a great day today working on her.
Below are pics from early Feb 2014 when 1232 moved from Seneca Mo. to Tulsa. It was very cold that day, less than 10 degrees. The crane was NE of the caboose, trailer was N of the caboose. Because of power lines on the E side of the caboose, the trucks had to be lifted over the school house to another trailer that was on the east side of the school. The trip was fairly easy with no major disruptions, the loaded height was 15' 6" .
Interesting group of photos that truly show how cold it was. I bet seeing the scene shown in "045.jpg" got many an over-indulger to reconsider their life-style!
1232 may be moving to the Fort Smith Trolley museum. The museum has expressed interest in 1232, and they would like to get it there and cosmetically restore it. 2-8-2 #4003 is there on display along with some non Frisco cabooses and a few cars. I was open to the idea of donating 1232 to the museum where it would have a permanent home and not be considered a liability as it was when on display at Seneca Mo. The Ft. Smith museum is fairly confident that they will be able to raise the money required to move 1232 by the end of this year. I originally intended to cosmetically restore 1232 and display it here in Tulsa , but after working so many hours on 1291 and 1288, I think 2 restorations will be plenty for me !
The trolley museum is a great place, when I was with KCS I was a member, I sponsored a motorcar trip over the ft smith line. Their good guys
Paul, be real careful with the torpedoes, might be unstable after 35 years. We haven't used them for years because with comfort cabs they are hard to hear. Definitely don't hit one with a hammer. Roger
Thanks Roger, I left them in the caboose. I figured I would just use them for target practice from about 30 yards sometime in the next few days.
1232 is on her way to Arkansas, headed to the Fort Smith Trolley museum. The trucks were moved today, and the body will be moved in the coming weeks, after they clean and paint the trucks. I came to the realization that I would not restore 4 cabooses, and that it would be fine to send some of them to locations where they could be cared for and displayed. Fort Smith felt like a logical choice with its Frisco history.