Clinton Chicken Train - The Chicken Express - Frisco All Aboard Magazine Article - June, 1956

Attached is an article in the June, 1956 edition of All Aboard which describes the transport of baby chicks from Clinton to Kansas City, Missouri on the Frisco.

The article mentions 6 "converted Pullmans" outfitted for this operation.

Can anyone list their numbers?

Rich

 

This article has been dead a long time but the numbers would be interesting to know. My interest lies with the High Line and more times than not you can't have a short freight without a baggage car for chicks. I would guess however that that if anyone had the numbers this fellow would have been answered seveal years ago. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, Rick

 

http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/frisco-n-passenger.1733/#post-10164

post number 10

 

Thanks for the link, Karl. That's the answer.

Rich

 

This is one of the baby chick baggage cars. It's a train show picture I had (w/ no information) and Karl identified it as being shot by Arthur Johnson. There were some magazine articles awhile back about the Clinton local and the baby chick handling.

Tom

Edit: The articles were by Paul Dolkos in Kalmbach's 2008 Model Railraod Planning and also in their Spring 2009 Classic Trains.

 

The All Aboard article identifies one of the REA messengers (attendants) as Howard Freeman. On October 10, 1959 Mr Freeman was shot and killed by teenage boys, who were taking potshots at number 59 as it passed. We, fans, tend to forget the men behind the locomotives, cars, and track.

http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/murder-on-tr-59.17/

 

I assume you guys are talking about the live chicks from Booth Hatchery at Clinton. I have a May 1927 issue of "The Frisco Employes Magazine" left to me from my grandmother. It does not talk about cars unfortunately. It does say the demonstration train started in March 19, 1913 on the K. C. C. & S. Line.
Says they ship 6,000,000 a year from Clinton a year. Booth the owner made $ 700 Dollars. Now that really sounds funny.
William Jackson

 

As typical here I am resurrecting an old thread, again.

Given - the chicken train ran only between KC and Clinton. So, I'm guessing that to stage the cars on the team track, they had to run into the yard, have the engine run around the end, back up past the interlocking tower, then push everything down by the depot? Since the one photo shows an E-unit, is it also safe to assume that it had to be turned on the turntable to get pointed in the "right" direction to head back to KC? I can't imagine it tying up the Katy line to use the Wyes.

 

During 1955-56 the Frisco rebuilt 5, numbers 304,312,315,322, & 325, rather ancient wood sheathed baggage cars to handle the chick traffic from Clinton to KC. The sixth baggage car, 395, was rebuilt from car 604 (an old cafe and dining car?)

304, nee 119 built 1906?, rebuilt SLSF 8-42, steel sheathed, monitor roof, 73'-10' over buffers, 5' and 7 ' doors

312, built 1906, rebuilt SLSF 1943, steel sheathed, monitor roof, 73'-?" over buffers, doors unknown

315, built ACF 5-1901, rebuilt SLSF 6-36, Poplar Siding?, monitor roof, 63'-1"over buffers, 5' and 7' doors

322 built ACF 1901, steel sheathed,monitor roof?, 64'-3" over buffers, 4-5' doors?

325, nee52, built ACF 8-1902, rebuilt SLSF ?, Wood Siding, Monitor Roof, 63'-7' over buffers,doors unknown

Ricky Mathews

 

Sure wish that I would have written that...oh maybe I did... http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/frisco-n-passenger.1733/#post-10164

 

Yep, already read the what. I am curious about the how.

 

Either I can't read between the lines or I need new glasses. Were the boys apprehended and charged with murder? Shooting a firearm at a train should have called for an FBI investigation since railroads were subject to Federal ICC rules and regulations were they not? I am not a "Legal Eagle " lawyer so please, will the proper member inform me here!?

When I was in the 7th grade in Dallas I attended a jr. hi in the Oak Cliff section of Big D where the Santa Fe's Dallas-Cleburne line ran. There was a boy aound 12 who was notorious for shooting out the lenses of the railroad crossing lights. I would ride my bike down to a team track just across the mainline from Dixie Wax and became friends with one of the Santa Fe's own policemen. He said he had tried in vein to catch the person or persons responsible to no avail.

As fate would have it a friend of mine knew this kid and not knowing I was "on the trail of a or the culprit(s)" saw him one afternoon at the Edgefield Street crossing "going through the motions". My friend greeted him and we even went to his house giving me the opportunity to "get his number" (address). I jotted it down in my mind and then at home put it to paper and the next time I saw my RR police friend slipped him the information as I rode by on my bike.

I learned that the kid had been apprehended but we were in the process of making a move from Texas to Florida in June '59 so I never found out the results. What puzzels me today is that since 9/11 railfans get razzed taking pix of trains when they are off railroad right of way on public property while almost every freight car in the country has been "tagged" by spray can trespassers? Seems like more would get caught in this age of high tech cell phones and ipods and other fancy stuff. I guess trains still get shot at too?

I never forget the dangers of working on the railroad and the railroader we lost that day should also be remembered lest we forget! I was one 40 years too.

Most railroads carried baby chicks but this business dried up as progress caught up with the branchline and locals that plied the agricultural sectors of America. The Frisco probably had tarrifs as did most railroads regarding the shipment of livestock including baby chicks. I wasn't aware of a decidcated train with specially rebuilt baggage cars though. A real neat train to model!

Joe Toth

 

Joe,
Considering the time period these cars were self heated with control of heat within car based on chirping, were independent of locomotive in that, and sort of advanced for their time considering they looked like a 1913 Baggage Car with occasional lose feathers. Cars went to KC on Passenger or Freight, on Freight aft next to Caboose.

Ricky Mathews

 

Good discussion, but back to my original question - seeing that e-units were used, and seeing that the train operated only between KC and Clinton, how did they turn the engine? Option 1 - they used the Katy wye connections; Option 2 - they used the turntable, but I want to think that it wasn't there anymore, but I could be wrong on that issue.

 

Train went on to Springfield to complete run. Chicks were only added to KCUS bound trains. That Help?

Ricky

 

Model Railroader at one time ran a feature they called "A railroad you can model" and this segment of the Frisco and the movement of baby chicks in modified baggage cars would certainly qualify. Wonder if other railroads had a dedicated service like the Frisco?

Joe Toth

 

There was some discussion about the schedule for the "High Line" passenger trains on this board. There was a 15 minute layover in Clinton on the northbound run. Karl explained that was to switch in the chicken cars. I wish I knew where that thread was because it might also have the details Oldguy is seeking.

 

It might just be me and not fully understanding dates and such.

When first started, I can see the cars being spotted by the southbound engines before they continued on to Springfield. But after the mid '50's, the through passenger car service to Sprigfield was discontinued and the chicken cars were put on the daily mixed trains that only ran between KC and Clinton. Hence my question about turning the E-units. But it could also be that the E-units were never used on trains 59 & 58 (the mixed train).

So I guess I have two questions, one would answer the others. If the E-units were not used in the '60's, then any other unit could run "backwards" without any real issues.

Sooo, were any E-units used on Trains 58 or 59?

My version of the Highline is going to be representational of what could have happened had it not been an orphan line, coal still available, etc. But I would like to get somewhat close to actual operations. If that makes any sense.