From Richard Crabtree on the Frisco Rails Across Missouri Facebook group: Here we are at the Frisco Round House in Joplin, Missouri near S Byers and W. 11th street. At one time they had a 5 stall round house, turntable and water tower. Click here for current overhead view: https://www.google.com/maps/search/bryers+and+11th+joplin/@37.0791429,-94.5174217,333m/data=!3m1!1e3 Photo 1) Frisco No. 519 4-6-0 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1903 in Joplin Missouri. Photo 2) Frisco Round House Joplin, Missouri Sanborn Map 1906-50 ~ MU Digital collection Photo 3) Frisco No.1237 - 1215 - 1231 - 1250 2-8-0 Consolidations built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works between 1907-09 at the Frisco Round House in Joplin, Missouri on March 5th 1950 photo by Arthur B. Johnson Photo 4) Frisco No.1215, 1256, 3672, 1251 & 3675 all built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works 1200s 2-8-0 consolidations between 1907-09. And the 3600s 0-6-0 yard goats in 1904. They were at the Frisco Round House in Joplin, Missouri on July 24th 1949 photo by Arthur B. Johnson. Karl Brand: The Joplin 5-stall roundhouse was constructed with a wood frame with board and batten siding. The frame used 10” x 10” posts and 2” x 6” studs. Each stall was 13’ wide at the door and 27’ wide at the back wall. Each stall was 71’-6’ long, so the 1200-class, 2-8-0s would fit with just a couple of feet to spare . The structure had 8-2 light, 10” x 16”, and 10-12 light, 10” x 16”, windows. Each stall had a 48’ long inspection pit. The structure was 26’ high at the front and 20’ at the back. It had a tar and gravel roof. The 68 foot, iron table was installed during 1928. During 1947, a Red Devil loader (coal) replaced the Brownhoist coal loader.
Nice summary of this often overlooked area of the Frisco. Its also worth noting that 2 branch lines, the Tuckahoe and the Joplin & Galena, met on the SE corner of this round house, and the Carterville branch crossed just to the north of it. Would have been neat to watch the team of locomotives work their way in and out of this facility, and the adjacent yard to service all of the industry in Joplin, plus all of the surrounding ore mines.
On the current day map, east of the former roundhouse site, on Missouri Ave, is structure noted as Trojan Heat Treat, up within a trackwork complex It looks an awfully lot like an old roundhouse. Is it? There’s even a space where a turntable could have been.
Keith, Thank you so much for taking the care and time to post these to this site for future enjoyment and archival purposes. Your efforts are much appreciated! Bob McKeighan Lenexa, KS
Yes, that is the former MoPac roundhouse in Joplin which is now used for a heat treat shop. Near there once stood the magnificent depot for the Missouri Pacific but it has since been carefully "deconstructed" and rebuilt on another site at 2850 S Rangeline Road. https://www.google.com/maps/place/2...1c48ad153d87743!8m2!3d37.0585785!4d-94.479292
In photo no. 3, SLSF 1215 2-8-0 tender is very low compared to the other engines. Are we looking at the rear of a slope back switching tender? Or is it some kind of low water capacity tender for short runs?
Thanks for sharing that Keith. I had no idea that was the source of that building. So that means the Frisco and Missouri Pacific both had their own depots. Did neither use the Union Station in town?
