Old Frisco Engine?

Terry,

Interesting photograph of a paint scheme similar to the Frisco. The coonskin logo is a nice local added touch.

Unfortunately the locomotive is not a former Frisco unit. The locomotive is an EMD SW-900 (note the single exhaust stack) unit. The SW-900 is an 8 cylinder, 900 h.p. model that used the builder's 567C diesel engine. EMD produced 274 units of this model in the U.S. and 97 in Canada by GMD between 12/53 and 3/69. The Frisco did not roster this locomotive model.

The locomotive is owned by the equipment leasing company Crystal Car Line, Inc. (CCLX). This company is mostly known as a lessor of covered hoppers and tank cars. For at least 2 years this unit has been on lease for in plant switching service at the former Liberty Glass Company plant at 1000 N. Mission St., Sapulpa, OK 74066.

The former Liberty Glass plant was sold in 1995 to the Bell-Foster Glass Company. Bell-Foster is a company partially owned by the French conglomerate Saint-Gobain Company. Under their subsidiary Verallia the plant produces glass bottles and jars. The glass plant is located just north of the Tulsa Sapulpa Union (TSU) Railway engine house, east of the Frisco's main tracks. Due to the confines of the glass plant trackage and lack of on site locomotive facilities, I suspect the locomotive was moved to the TSU engine house for repair or service.

During the Frisco era the TSU operated 3 EMD SW-1 locomotives. One of these units was typically on long term lease to Liberty Glass for use as the in plant switcher. With the retirement of these units by the TSU, a change in ownership of that railroad and the then the glass plant, the facility has gone to an outside lessor for power to handle the in plant switching.

An additional photograph of the locomotive dated 3/27/07 can be seen at http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1798366.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Mark