Hi everyone... Gonna be doing some logging/modeling here in the near future...probably South Central MO....I've read quite a bit about the Frisco being involved with most of the connections...(Grandin, etc)...in that area.. Any photos or text info will be greatly appreciated!! Might try the Ava-Mansfield train too...looks like that would be fun! Thanx for having me back Ted
I don't have much info on the Grandin operation as such, but this article by Dr. Milton Rafferty is a good place to start: http://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/ozarkswatch/ow601h.htm It is a good overview of south central Missouri logging, with a couple of neat pictures... one just south of Birchtree, another by Grandin. Further information can be found in Rafferty's excellent book, "The Ozarks - Land and Life." In addition to the chapters on railroads and the lumber industry, there are other interesting chapters on mining and the Civil War that are pertinent to railroad development in the Ozarks. I do have some info about the Ozark Southern (Ava to Mansfield RR) on my website at this page: http://nfrailroad.com/page21.html The OS was originally built to haul railroad ties from Ava to the Frisco connection at Mansfield. Their first locomotive was a Heisler that was reported to be from the logging operation at Grandin. The railroad also used a shay at a later date. It appears that a Frisco 0-6-0 was used at least once for motive power. Although strictly speaking the OS wasn't a logging railroad, it would make a very interesting connection to the Frisco on a model railroad. I look forward to seeing what other information might show up about the Grandin logging railroads! - James
Other examples of logging lines interacting with the Frisco occur in Swampeast Missouri. Please take a look at this 1925 ETT, http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=4228&highlight=river+ett The Frisco crossed several logging roads http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=11273&d=1277333379 and the Blytheville, Leachville, and Arkansas Southern had trackage rights on the Leachville Sub between Arbyrd and Leachville and ran two sheduled trains. http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=11268&d=1277333158 For the modeler, lots of variations on the theme are possible.
