New Frisco book coming this fall

For those curious, the Frisco in Color Vol. 2 DOES include a very few images of steam locomotives, but they are stuffed and mounted. Coverage begins in about 1948 and continues through 1980, so there is lots of both black and yellow and orange and white (plus red and gold, including a couple of last runs). Hope you will like it and thanks to the several Frisco.org folks who helped with both slides and advice, and a special thanks to Tom Galbraith (TAG) for serving as editor-in-chief.

The TRRA presentation will include both slides used in the book plus a bunch that came later, many from the late Frank Tribbey.

GS

 

Happy for you diesel guys. Always good to see another Frisco book.

 

Hi SABRR...

I'm simply a Frisco guy. I like their steam era's and their diesel era's. If it's Frisco, it's good!

For examples:

In S scale, I have one of their diesels finished... and another in-process.

In V scale, I have turn-of-the-19th-century track laid for the entire Frisco in Fort Smith (as well as tracks of the Iron Mountain, Midland Valley, and some of the KCS). South of Fort Smith, the tracks reach all the way to Mansfield, AR... including all the other "Coal Belt" railroads of Sebastian County, Arkansas. North of Fort Smith, the SLSF tracks have already reached all the way to Rogers, Arkansas... including the St. Paul Branch!

Yup... if it's Frisco... it's good!

Andre

 

There would have been more steam engine pictures had there been more cameras and photographers back in the day. I have a few cherished photos of the Springfield Frisco yards and shops taken by my mother's aunts when they were teen age girls in about 1910 with some old time box camera. Those were also the days when most everybody was interested in railroading, not just geeky railfans like "us guys." ))

Tom G.

 

Regarding a "Frisco 3," at least as far as Morning Sun is concerned, the most obvious hurdle is whether there are enough color images to support the effort (remember that MSB does color books only). I am quite sure there are enough of them in existence, but the folks holding them have to be willing to lend them for the time it takes to write and produce the book, which is about two years. Having written nine or ten books for MSB, I will tell you that many photographers, or "holders in due course" of the slides, are unwilling to lend them out for a variety of reasons. The end result is that they will never be seen by the vast majority of those interested and will end up in the trash post mortem, having been tossed there by surviving spouses or children who never understood why dad took them in the first place. Bottom line, if you want another book, you need to make the slides available. Meantime, come October, I hope you like this one. It was a fun project.

GS

 

To your point, I suspect a lot of these historical societies will dry up and blow away before too much longer, as there will be nobody left alive who will have had any direct experience with whatever railroad the group follows. Kind of like the guys who used to collect Model T and Model A Fords.

GS

 

Possible candidate: Colorado Midland. Abandoned in 1921. Still has quite a following.

Also, Denver South Park & Pacific, which as a company ceased to be in the 1880's, but still has a significant following. There are others.

Then there's Ozark's own Black Mountain & Eastern. Gone by the late 1920's. Total number of enthusiasts of this road: 2.

Andre

 

Hey now, the S.A. & A.P. down here in Texas, founded in 1884 has a huge following. There are still some employees kickin' 'round. Heck, we're trying to get S.A. & A.P. No. 60, which is presently at Stone Mountain on display as the Texas II locomotive, back home. Plus full sections of the road which are still in service are trying to be purchased from Union Pacific which now owns it to run steam excursions with, eek, yuck, SP 794 and hopefully the 60. Who can top 1884?

Manny

 

Well now, if the flag fell in 1884, those would be some old employees. Are they still working?

 

Ken, does the TRRA still have any Texas Special books left? I don't see it listed here with all the Frisco books and it is a MUST and belongs in every Frisco and Katy library! I consider it to be one of the best well researched books on a specific passenger train that has been published in recent times. With several book publishers having published passenger train books (Morning Sun and TLC to name two) it would be great to have one done on Frisco passenger trains too. Having lived in Florida as well as Texas, I am interested in the Kansas City-Florida Special in addition to the Texas Special.

Joe Toth

 

The S.A. & A.P flag fell in 1925. The S.A.F & N Ry. fell in 1943. Yes, there are still employees of both kickin' and loyally meeting today.

 

A pity that the Frisco extention into South Texas didn't materialize! Of course the SA&AP became SP property and the UP Dalsa cutoff is still being operated which traces its beginnings to The Mission Route.

Due to ongoing health problems I am going to sell off most of my railroad book collection. I do have a mint copy of the rare book on the SA&AP. I plan to sell it along with the rest of the SP books in my library as a one lot deal. Any Frisco Folks who have an interest in the SP can contact me with a private message on this site.

Health problems have kept me off the site recently so I am not up to date on all issues. Manny, have you added the Adolphus reefer to your fleet of freight cars yet? A pretty sharp looking car from the Golden Era!

Joe Toth

 

Hey Joseph,

I have three of the Adolphus decals to be put on cars. Is your SA&AP book by Hedge? Yeah, I'm not an SP fan. They were ruthless, cunning, and bare the reputation of what it means to be "railroaded".

Manny

 

Manny,

I just tried to send you a reply to your personal message. Hope it is received. If not let me know and I will try try again. The SA&AP book is the one by Hodge/Dawson. I was employed in Dallas as a switchman for the Cotton Belt but by 1967 when I did hire on the SSW had been combined with the SP operations at Miller Yard. Only good memory was an old Cotton Belt switchman who taught me all about railroading despite the pint he carried in his jeans jacket. I got cut off and switched for the Cotton Belt out of their yard in Ft. Worth in 68. A lot better and no SP management! Got cut off there and ended up on the Santa Fe in Dallas. That was a great place to switch boxcars and the Frisco trains that came in from Irving as well as we had to swap their cabooses with the L&A (KCS) coal trains that operated to and from Lone Star Steel (Texas & Northern RR).

Long time ago but good memories and no BNSF!

Joe Toth

 

Hey Joe,

Thanks. I already have the book by Hedge. I was checking to see if it was a different one. Appears to be the same. It's a great book. I did get your messages. Go for your best deal.

Thanks for the opportunity.

Manny