SLSF #398 SL-SF 398 20 Beckett Memorial Drive, Valley Park, MO Discovered this image from Google Maps. The exterior sides have been removed for re-sheathing exposing the interior framing. The interior bracing has been painted red primer and show well against the unfinished back side of the interior wall sheathing. I suspect they had no intention of catching this view during their mapping process. However, it is a real bonus for us. It will take a few seconds for the image to fully download. Please wait. It will first show a satellite view, then the street view. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...p=12,351.3050312922792,,1,-3.8212435233160615 Page 1 of this post includes several nice photographs by Richard Lawyer of this caboose. Thanks! Mark
Re: 001-999 Here are some pictures it took of SLSF #398 as it sits today in Valley Park, MO. Needs some TLC and SLSF! I think that this caboose is a testament to the contention that St. Louis is not a really Frisco town.
Please see the following links to photographs of Frisco caboose SLSF 398. http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=26577&postcount=49 (3/17/2010) http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/90274deb-01da-4fb9-88ec-7cc575ad5c3f.jpg (7/17/2008) http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/21743af8-e935-4d56-8e9e-f3d9e08294cc.jpg (7/17/2008) http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/60688379-5caa-4d55-9d3c-3c393d7d509f.jpg (7/17/2008) http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/02efc062-26a7-4d8c-9631-5c389646122b.jpg (7/17/2008) http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/5bc2a25f-5d36-4616-b9d6-64c7657e42c6.jpg (7/17/2008) http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=27870 (11/9/2007) http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=11744&postcount=25 (9/8/2006) This is one of the early cabooses constructed by the Frisco to standard plans. This car features a steel under and upper frame with wood sides and a wood cupola with sides that are sloped toward the top. The cupola also features small end windows. Note the steel reinforcing rods from the cupola corners to the upper side sill eves. Later versions of this basic design featured steel cupolas with vertical side walls. With the change to the steel cupola design the reinforcing rods were eliminated. The car was constructed in the railroad's West Shops in Springfield, MO. The first set of photographs includes a view of the Huntoon leaf spring caboose trucks. These trucks featured friction bearing journal boxes with the axle ends riding on brass inserts lubricated with oil soaked wadding. The car is painted a primer red and lacks proper reporting marks and car number. It is also missing the proper coonskin heralds on the sides under the cupola. The herald would have originally included the words "Frisco Lines" stacked above each other. After 1947 the herald was simplified to "Frisco" centered in the herald. The car was retired in 1962 and donated to a local country club. It was later donated to the city in 1998. It has been remodeled several times but remains basically intact including the interior. Fortunately the 3rd window on the left car side has been restored since 2006. The handbrake is missing from the B end of the car. The car is now on display in a city park. The car sits beside the Rolla Subdivision at the beginning of the 2 main tracks into St. Louis, MO. The car location is 20 Beckett Memorial Dr., Valley Park, KS. Please see http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...=r_EKrS3-LIa9sApf7Ni_dQ&cbp=12,318.82,,0,0.33. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
