Hello Frisco Folks Here are some photographs that I came across of the Frisco depot in Claremore, OK. Take care, Rich Ship it on the Frisco! Edit 3/22/2024: In the second photograph note the depressed track in the below grade pit adjacent to the baggage freight end of the depot. The pit is protected by a pipe rail to reduce the possibility of someone falling. The depresses track was added to better accommodate loading and unloading items and shipments at the depot. The lower track level placed freight car floors at the depot floor level. On the street side of the depot the railroad added a couple of angled sawtooth shaped concrete docks to accommodate loading and unloading trucks. As on the trackside of the depot, this placed truck floors at the the sale level as the depot floor. The angled docks were used to allow longer trucks to be backed up and still not foul the adjacent South J. M. Davis Street roadway. Although the depot has been torn down, the depresses track in the pit remains available. The depresses track connects with the main line just south of the grade crossing at West 1st Street. First photograph view is looking southeast. Second photograph view was looking northeast. MKD
Claremore, OK depot Another postcard view. FM Edit 3/22/2024: This is the older wood frame depot. There is an express wagon backed up to the baggage express car. Another dry goods wagon is also adjacent to the railroad car. Note the Sequoyah Hotel limousine coach. MKD
In the second photograph the truck and motorcar belonged to the Frisco signal inspector William Endecott. The maintainer at that time was Carl Bradshaw and the motorcycle belonged to the depot agent. If one of these Frisco guys I work with remembers his name I will put it on here. Steve BNSF Railway
Here are some pictures of Claremore. I can sort of see the old platform but what is the small brown building? Edit 3/22/2024: The brown sandstone wall building is currently occupied by The Little Rock Building Art Gallery and Studio. The building address is 103 South J. M. Davis Boulevard. MKD
I am thinking about getting a railcar but have no place to park her. I wonder who owns the siding at the old station site?
The brown building at one time was our city police department and highway patrol. I am thinking these pictures were taken after the depot was torn down. Nola
The name of the depot agent in Claremore was Ronnie Gracy. The motorcycle was a 1985 Motoguzzi 850T which was mine. I started working in Claremore Depot in 1973 when depot agent George Picket retired. I worked there until it closed and cannot remember for sure when that was.
Claremore, OK depot. My photograph. Early 1980s. Edit 3/22/2024: To the right of the agent operator bay is a lower quadrant train order (TO) signal. The blades are painted with the facing surface yellow with a black band stripe near the end, and black with a white band stripe near the end on the back side. At the time of the photograph there were no active orders at the depot. Both semaphore blades are in the clear or down position. On the wall below the protruding trim note the hook shaped light fixture. It is mounted in a cast Frisco coonskin shaped metal wall plate bracket. The depot featured several of these cast coonskin lights and integral brackets around the parameter. The four "leg" corners featured bolt heads to secure the lights into the wall. Under the waiting room door roof overhang on the left side is a waybill box. The box allowed train crews to pass and receive waybills, messages and switch lists with the depot agent operator when they were not on duty. Between the light and the waybill box note the Frisco Lines train status chalkboard. Unfortunately it blank as passenger service has been discontinued. View is looking east southeast. MKD
Weeds growing in the corners, train order (TO) signal mast intact, still see the tracks to the motor car shed, jointed rail. And all in good shape, maintained very well before 1980 for sure.
Suspect the photograph was after the depot being de-commissioned. Such happened to the Van Buren, AR depot sometime mid-1970s.