Frisco Transportation Company

Discussion in 'General' started by Rick McClellan, Aug 26, 2009.

  1. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    Can anyone tell me if there are any photos or other information about the Frisco Transportation Company (FTC) on the site? I have looked around but may have missed it.

    Growing up in Springfield, I remember lots of yellow FTC trucks running around town delivering LCL shipments. I even unloaded a few in my four years at Meek Lumber Company on east Sunshine in the late 1970s. One of my favorites was the box trucks that had only a chain and canvas door on the back. The honor system worked back then.

    We need a good model of those trucks and vans.

    Ship IT on the FTC !

    Rick
     
  2. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    I found this image elsewhere.
     

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  3. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Rick -
    I think one of the old Museum "All Aboard" issues had some B/W pictures. I'm not sure I've seen any color copies but surely there are some out there.

    Surely someone, somewhere has modeled some of these trucks/trailers? If so (or if not) it sounds like a good article for "The Meteor!"

    I enjoyed your aforementioned memory. As a former cargo underwriter, I nearly broke out into a cold sweat reading that! :)
     
  4. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    Keith,

    I like that photo! Any idea of the date? My guess is 1939-1945.

    I have some FTC photos that I can scan sometime. I bought them at a show in Springfield some time ago. I think Charlie Dischinger has the negatives to the photos. I will try to dig them out.

    Chris.

    Where on the site should we collect the FTC info?

    Ship IT on the FTC !

    Rick
     
  5. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    More info from Genealogy Rootsweb:

    The Frisco Transporation Company was headquartered on Chase Street in North Springfield, MO. north of the tracks. Best known for its initials FTC, it grew from 1937 start up to the largest railroad owned trucking company. It served the same states, cities, towns, as its owner, the ST. LOUIS-SAN FRANCISCO RAILWAY (FRISCO).
    This service came to an end December 1958 when motor truck carriers through the American Trucking Association, partitioned the U S Court (case number 3580133) and it was determined the railroad did not have Interstate rights for their motor trucks just because its rails were there. It did have Intrastate rights in Missouri, so all trucks were pulled back in 1959 to serve only the state of Missouri.
    I took these pictures in 1951 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri where I learned to drive truck and passenger bus.

    Fred Vieregge

    Pictures by Fred Vieregge

    The first picture is looking north from the FTC dock. The Fort Leonard Wood Frisco Transportation Office is the next building. To the right is the rail yard and the water tank to service the locomotives. The single track ran from Newburg, MO but only transported freight. Troops during the 1950s & 60s disimbarked at Newburg and were bused to the Fort on FTC busses.

    In the second picture you can see the front of a FTC bus. The two tandem axle trailers on the left were used to transport fresh fruits and vegetables twice weekly from Federal Cold Storage, Kansas City Missouri. They had bunkers with fans blowing over dry ice to keep the produce from spoiling in hot weather. The single axle is an LTL dry freight trailer.

    I think this thread is in the appropriate location.
     

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  6. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

  7. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 27, 2009
  8. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    Great photos - Great thread - Nice work guys.
    Had to have been after WWII.
    Chrome would have been used/reserved for war time production.
    My best guess would be 47 to 53.
    If I could make out a name on one of the trucks - I might be able to pin it down closer.

    AND - I correct myself again.
    I would have thought that production of trucks like this would be curtailed for war time use, and, I thought that chrome would be a war time rationed metal.
    Maybe FTC was a needed business, but, I still thought that chrome would be rationed.
    The Tractor Trucks are 1942 GMC's. Except for the wheel centers and sleeper, they very closely match the "link" below.
    http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/goudy/jewell_42gmc_sleeper.jpg
    In the photo that Keith posted - The trucks and Trailers look fairly new and very clean.
    I would suspect that the date was close to the year of purchase?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 27, 2009
  9. tomd6 (Tom Duggan RIP 2/11/2018)

    tomd6 (Tom Duggan RIP 2/11/2018) Passed Away February 11, 2018

    FTC routes about 1954
     

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  10. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Didn't Athearn or someone else produce a model of the trailer in HO several years ago? It was yellow with black stripes and lettering if I remmber correctly?

    Bob Hoover
    FriscoFriend
     
  11. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    I believe it was a Walthers van that was semi correct. It lacked some key lettering like the FTC logo on the bulkhead for one.

    Ship IT on the FTC!

    Rick
     
  12. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Rick, I think that if there's enough interest and traffic (no pun intended), FTC might make for a good sub-category under The Real Frisco section. I can try to figure out how to set up a sub-category, or shout at Mike or Charlie.

    Best Regards,
     
  13. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    Ok all you photo archivists out there. I need some good shots (perpendicular if possible) of FTC vans especially the front and rear of the units. I am in the process of doing the artwork for some black FTC decals.

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Ship IT on the Frisco!

    Rick
     
  14. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    This is the first of several photos I purchased years ago from a Nebraskan named Richard Ryker. Not sure of the date or location but my guess is Springfield about 1955. I welcome any additional input from the members on this.

    Ship IT on the Frisco!

    Rick

    PS I have a scanner now !!!!|-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-|
     

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  15. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Good photo, Rick. Now to find someoone who had Kodachrome! Here's hoping that you will have opportunity to soon wear out your scanner!

    Best Regards,
     
  16. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    Well Chris, since you brought it up, here are two more shots I scanned in.

    The first shot is FTC #1631. I found this van sitting in a lot on Broadway in Springfield in 1994.

    The second shot is FTC #1643 that I shot at the FTC terminal on Chase St in Springfield in 1981.

    I have already finished the artwork for the o/w logo and will finish the unit numbers tonight for decals !!

    Ship IT on the FTC !

    Rick
     

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  17. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Rick,

    If you are doing artwork for decals, consider offering them for sale. I suspect there are several Frisco folks on this site that would be interested.

    Others interested might want to speak up also.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
  18. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    ditto
    Nice going on the photos, Rick

    I got to find one of those "White" diesels to put them on!
     
  19. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Thanks for obliging, Rick...slightly OT, but is the brick building in the back the FTC terminal? It sure looks like an old freight depot.

    Best Regards,
     
  20. Rick McClellan

    Rick McClellan 2009 Engineer of the Year

    I am on Chase Street looking south. Those two buildings are on Commercial Street, one street south of Chase and, at one time, a major commerical area in Springfield.

    The FTC terminal is to the viewers right out of the frame. I may have an early 80s photo of it somewhere and will scan it if I do.

    I will get some more "old timey" equipment out there for you.

    Ship IT on the FTC !

    Rick
     

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