Hello, thanks for letting me join the Frisco forums

I live in Siloam Springs Arkansas, about 25 miles from Springdale AR in which the FRISCO used to run through.

I like collecting railroad items like the old brass hollow barrel switch keys and the locks the keys work with. I have about 250 keys and about 6o locks from many railroads. The Frisco is one of the railroads I collect all the different keys and locks that I can find. I hope someone here also collects keys and locks and can share information on the Frisco keys.
I have a collection of tie date nails from the KCS, years 22 to 61 complete.

I am retired and used to work Maintenance of Way on the Kansas City Southern Railroad. I went to work for the railroad right out of high school when I was 18.
I worked mostly as a machine operator on a Jackson 6000 tamper but also run several other machines such as a very old track liner, tie inserters, tie cranes or tie handlers, ballast regulators and the old Jackson lightning bug 2300 tampers (were new at the time) to the Jackson 6700 tampers.
I liked running the automatic tampers more than any other machines.

I also worked on a couple of extra gangs and on 4 section crews. I was section foreman on the Stillwell OK. section a few years. I worked on the Grandview MO. section, Joplin MO. section and Siloam Springs AR. section.
I surfaced the track from mile post 5 in Kansas City MO. to mile post 338 in Heavener Oklahoma, some of the track I went over many times over the years. From Heavener OK. towards Waldron OK., I surfaced about 10 miles of the 43 mile Arkansas Western Railway spur line. Worked one winter surfacing track just north of Beaumont Texas on the KCS and one winter surfacing track in Hope Ark. and south on the Louisiana & Arkansas Railroad and worked about 5 months one winter and spring surfacing track from south of Baton Rouge LA. to south of Alexandria LA.. Anytime the ballast froze and we couldn't surface the track they would load us up and send us south for the winter.
The two extra gangs I worked on was installing ties from Joplin MO. to Sallisaw OK. and installing welded rail in the same area over the years.
I hope I have not bored you to death and as you can tell I'm not very good at writing a story.
Thanks for letting me join your forums.
Jerry Walker

 

Welcome to the Frisco website, Jerry!!!

Joe

 

Yes you should try to go to the KCS layout in Oklahoma . It's very nice. I was Roadmaster on the KCS line from Watts to Heavener, 2000 to 2005. Very hard working men, probably the best I ever had.

 

I haven't heard of this but will try to find it and check it out. Thanks for the tip

 

Glad to hear from another KCS person. I miss all the guys I knew on the KCS.
Does Steve Davis let anyone stop by or do you have to call and make an appointment to stop by and see the layout?
Thanks for the tip

 

Bill,
Are you still with the KCS or have you retired now?

 

Thanks Joe

 

Thanks Tom. I checked out some of your videos, very nice.

 

Thanks Ken

 

I retired in 2009, with Florida East Coast. When KCS doubled our territory, I quit. I worked on 4 different railroads. It was a real Railroad education. Very Enjoyable

 

Funny, you work for 25 years and then someone figures out that you really didn't do a good job. Same Track, Same men, Same Cresote smell, Same 80 mile an hour train's.