I fired up the camera tonight and shot some pics of models just for the heck of it. Take a look: o SLSF 319, the subject of the recent "The Meteor" article, sitting on the shelf above the computer desk, along with several brethern, gathering dust. I love those two TRRA gray Baldwins. That's a P2K PRR S-1 in front of 319. Nice model. The two Frisco F7B's in the background are the InterMountain F7B's, still with the dynamic brake fans. Wrong! o SLSF 105, an attempt to make something useful out of the Walthers GP15-1. It runs very well, and looks OK even with its problems. I had fun putting the nose gyralite in (Utah Pacific #NG-85 with a MV lens). Looks cool! The pic behind it is me (the little guy) in my dad's arms, along with my grandfather and great grandfather. The SLSF was still running steam then, and WW2 was still going on! o EMD 5628, an EMD GP20 demo unit. Should the SLSF have purchased any of these? They gave them a trial, but decided to wait! They finally acted when the GE U25b, and then the EMD GP35, showed up. The GP20 was kinda ugly; P2K did a nice job on the model. I added a few details. That's me in the background pic. We lived two blocks from the Rock Island then. o SLSF 1726, my attempt to make something useful out of a Walthers bay-window hack that came in a package deal with the GP15-1. Well, it looks good from a distance! But many, many details differ from the Frisco bay-window caboose. But, had fun building it and detailing it. That's my mom peeking around taking a look. o SLSF 1244, an Overland ICC wide-vision caboose. This model is really nicely done. I had nothing to do with it; I bought it. Love those trucks and the correct wide cupola window spacing! The flash made the color look a little washed out. It's a true red-oxide. Ken
Nice models, Ken. Is that a GM artist rendition of a Frisco Loco in the picture hanging on the wall ? Looks close to the GM&O one that I have.
Thanks. I enjoyed the attempt to bring the Walthers GP15-1 and the Walthers wide-vision caboose up to Frisco standards. I think I got close. The P2K GP20 is a very nice model. Yes, there are two framed pictures above my computer desk - above the three rows of models. They are indeed the two EMD artist renderings of both Frisco's "Racehorse" E8 SLSF 2006 Traveller, and the early rendition of Frisco F3A 5000. They hang side-by-side. I also have the MKT Texas Special E7 EMD artist print, but I have never had it framed. Attached are pics of the same two Frisco prints I have. Ken
Hey .. thanks for the pic of the prints. The GM&O print was given to me by an employee of the GM&O in 1949 by a neighbor who came up to Waterloo, Arkansas a couple times a month. They had a house next door that they used as a retreat. (I did not know people had things like that back then.) I was seven at the time, and I used to enjoy when they came to visit ,, He had several glass bookcases in the living room which were literally full of airplane models - not plastic, but the wooden carved ones which were painted beautifully. All kinds of passenger and war planes. I would go to see him and sit for hours looking at them. He enjoyed my love of them and would open the cases and let me hold them. Strange, he worked for the RR, but collected airplanes. (I worked for the airlines and modeled trains.) I do not remember any trains around except for pictures of both trains and planes on the walls. Good times back then. My father worked as production superintendent for Berry Petroleum and would take me down to see the Reader RR train when it came to the refinery three days a week I believe back then. I used to sit in my fathers lap on the fireman's side while they switched the tank cars back and forth. No lawyers and crap to worry about lawsuits back then. Once, I remember, riding the caboose with the crew back to Reader where my dad drove to pick me up. Yes-sir, good times back then. Sort of got away from the photo story, but I have had this print now for 61 years. One of those things I will cherish until I die.
I was given the SLSF 5000 F3 EMD print by a very good MoPac friend many years ago. As I recall, I got the SLSF 2006 E8 EMD print from Alan Schmitt in Springfield as he had two at the museum and sold me one. My wife had them both framed for me. My favorite, though, which she also had framed and hangs over my desk, is the terrific painting of a head-on view of SLSF 2013, Sea Biscuit, sitting in the trainshed at StL Union Station, titled "The Meteor". I love that picture - wish I had a scan of it. Perhaps I'll try taking a pic of it and posting it here if the group is unfamiliar with it. Alan used a black & white version of it on the cover of his All Aboard museum publication years ago - I forget which issue. Ken
Quote: "The P2K GP20 is a very nice model." I did not think the Frisco had GP-20's Did I miss something? I'd like to see the photo your talking about .. post it soon! please DO SOME DECALING TODAY START WITH THE THREE YEAR OLD PROJECT I WILL WORK ON MY 25 YEAR OLD UN-FINISHED REEFER
See the EMD GP20 Demo pic and my comment in my original posting in this thread up above. The SLSF did not have any GP20's, but they did take a trial look at them. Ken
The picture is of SLSF 2013, Sea Biscuit. I'll get to it when I can. We are heading out of town in a few hours to visit our son's family in Olathe, KS - including our 16-month old granddaughter. Ken
Have a good and safe trip. My #3 of 4-1/2 grandsons had his 1st birthday today but he lives near DC. A little far for me to drive, and I don't even like to go near airports anymore. Too many long lines and too much security BS.
FYI, as promised, attached is the art print of SLSF 2013 Sea Biscuit at StL Union Station I mentioned earlier, titled "The Meteor". This hangs above my desk in my combined consulting LLC/computer room office, in a finished room in our basement. I've also attached pics of the other Frisco "art" that hangs in the room - the two EMD prints of 2006 and 5000 we discussed earlier that both hang over the computer desk, plus an official Frisco logo diagram that hangs alongside 2013. Also in the room are two Jelsma prints - E7 SLSF 2000 with the Texas Special at Valley Park, MO and F3 SLSF 2016 with a freight at Holly Springs, MS. I am surronded by the Frisco! Ken
Looks like my office, except for mine being littered with Katy stuff.......the spoils of being a Red River Railroad Museum volunteer......that, and a real affinity for John Winfield prints !
I forgot to mention the mylar print shop original for the artwork on the inside cover of the October, 1965 SLSF public timetable advertising the new Frisco passenger trains The Oklahoman and The Southland. This is framed and also hangs in my home office. This is the master workup the printer used to print the 10/65 PTT's. It was given to me by a good MoPac friend - the same fellow who gave me the SLSF 5000 EMD print. These MoPac folks are nice guys! Ken
WOW-WOW-WEE An absolute winner of a pic - "SEA BISCUIT" Is that some GM&O Alco's I see there on the shelf??? Those are really nice, tks for posting. Now, if you will just let me know when you are leaving town again...... Need a couple days prior notice, please. LOL
Yep, there's a mess of ALCo's up there on the shelf right now. Currently - a GM&O PA1-PA1 set, a GM&O DL109, a GM&O FA1-FB1-FA1 set, a Frisco FA1-FB1-FA1 set, plus a PRR S-1. All of them are Proto 2000's. Ken
One of these days, I am gonna have to pic your brain, and see if I can get the paint colors you used for the GM&O's. The artwork of the timetable is really something - not too many "originals" of things like that around. I don't really want to say this, but I will anyway. I love that "Texas Special" print. Against that blue sky - really striking.
All the GM&O's you see are stock Proto 2000 units, right out of the box. All I added was a bunch of details - horns, antennas, etc. The GM&O paint is pure P2K, and is done very well on all of them. I think the GM&O ALCo FA/FB paint scheme is one of the very best for that locomotive. The two P2K GM&O PA1's look really neat, but they don't run worth a hoot. The GM&O DL-109, which is a Proto 1000 unit, runs like a Swiss watch. Go figure! Plus, it is heavy enough that it will pull your car out of the garage if asked. The P2K GM&O FA/FB's, like the P2K Frisco FA/FB's, run very well. All of these are HO. Ken
That art print of 2013 under the St. L. Union Station shed, is by the late Bob Read of Oklahoma. Several years ago, Bob offered to sell me the original, but it was beyond my means at the time and I settled for a signed print. He and his father and mother were the force behind the Cimarron Valley RR museum at Cushing, OK. Bob and his mother have passed away and last I knew his father was still around the museum (That, however was several years ago). If the museum is still open, you might still be able to purchase a print from them. Tom
Tom - Correct! Bob Read did that painting in 1982. As I recall, I obtained my print via some deal the Frisco Museum in Springfield had set up. Glad I did as I love that painting! It really displays the personality of the early-1960's SLSF #9, The Meteor, patiently waiting under the StL Union Station trainshed to get on its way at 6:00pm. This is the train I rode back to Rolla from St Louis probably 20-25 times between 1960 and 1964, usually on a Sunday night when it was fulll of MSM Miners going back to school after a weekend at home in StL. My wife had the print framed for me sometime in the late 1980's - it has been hanging over my desk in my office ever since. We MSM Miners always tried to get a seat in the lounge/buffet car - usually Ladue or Huntleigh (both named after communities close to where I live now!). We would try to get them to serve us a few beers; but if not a 25c Coke would do! I don't ever recall buying any food. I remember once or twice sitting in the diner/lounge, but never at a table. The diner/lounge cars were the rebuilt Tulsa and Oklahoma City. A couple of times I got stuck in a coach - spent most of those trips hanging out of a vestibule door! My favorite car on #9 was always RPO 251 - Normandy, as I grew up in Normandy, MO and graduated from Normandy HS. This RPO is now at the NMOT here, unfortunately rusting away as the clock ticks. NMOT is trying to get some funds together to restore it, as it is the only example here of a car from the streamlined The Meteor. My fond memories of this train, SLSF #'s 9 & 10, is the basis behind my screen name which I have used for many years - Meteor910. Ken
I rode the Meteor a few times in 1960. Leaving St. Louis at about sundown and eating in the diner was REALLY neat! You could view the late evening scenery much better from the dining car chairs than the "chair car" seats, which were built for comfort. I also enjoyed the snack-buffet car chairs better than the coach seats my few times on the Sunnyland. I still can't believe that era has completely passed and AIRLINE travel is preferred...I'd rather ride a slow train in the Ozarks than any airline on earth--no matter how luxurious. Tom
