All the good-natured discussion about peanut butter on the forum, especially in the context of model acquisition, made me wonder if the Frisco carried peanuts. One well-written post (#6) by William Jackson in the thread about the Fort Smith Whirlpool plant closing http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?4124-Norge-Whirlpool-Fort-Smith&highlight=Peanuts makes a reference to this commodity. Did the Frisco serve peanut-growing areas? Did the Frisco carry peanuts from growers to customers (especially peanut butter manufacturers)? George "hankering for a PB&GrapeJ" Nelson
George - I would have never really given this any thought, but the August, 1929 Frisco Employee's Magazine has a rather extensive article on peanut growing and shipments from Frisco territory: http://thelibrary.org/lochist/frisco/magazines/fem_1929_08/fem_1929_08_16.pdf In summary: Through 6/29/1929, the Frisco had handled 700 cars of peanuts, Appx. 200 cars came from Hugo, OK Appx. 90 cars from Ft. Worth, TX 90 cars from Dublin, TX 85 Cars from Denison, TX 30 Cars from Comanche, OK 30 cars from Durant, OK 20 cars from Ada, OK 15 eac. from Madill, OK and Ft. Smith, Ar In terms of destinations, with numbers of cars received: Chicago, IL - 260 cars KCMO - 30 Cars St. Louis - 20 Cars San Francisco - 25 Cars Los Angeles - 18(?) Cars Memphis, TN - 15 Cars The article makes further mention of "mills or shellers," specifically the Woldert Peanut Co. of Tyler TX, with a branch at Hugo, OK. The Bain Peanut Co. of Virginia also established a plant in Durant, along with the Durant Peanut Co. Finally, the Ft. Smith Nut Products Co. had a plant at that location. Other plants were noted at Dublin, Denison and Ft. Worth TX. This might be a topic worth investigating further. Best Regards,
Chris - Does the article say, or show, what type of car the peanuts were shipped in? I'd assume they were in bags, in a box car. Ken
Fort Smith still has a Planter's Peanuts plant, right on WS 71 south. It is served by the Fort Smith Railroad off the Greenwood branch of the MOP. That's yet to be modeled territory on the Central Divisions, so I'll have to investigate the possibility of the Frisco hauling peanuts up from Texas or the southeast for interchange. Of course they use big covered hoppers these days.
Ken - No pictures or specific notes on the type of rolling stock in this article, but I'm with you. I'd figured that from the fields, they'd just dump the peanuts - hulls and all - into a 40' XM, possibly with grain doors, and then ship out the shelled peanuts in bags via boxcar. Best Regards,
Wow! 30 cars destined for KCMO. 40 ft. Boxcars? That sure would make a good looking unit train on Rick McClellan's layout! Hint! Hint!
Well, Now I just Have to have a nut factory, on this MRR of mine. Now a pithy name for said nut factory. Tom Holley
I just remembered seeing covered hoppers with their gates connected with a tube for air-assisted unloading frequently pass through. They carry Phostoxin fumigation placards showing they carry some kind of food product. When I pointed them out to someone while speculating whether they carried grain or flour, someone (Ken W.?, ?) did suggest "peanuts" as the possible load. If I recall they were headed east towards Lindenwood, but some may have gone the other way. As Yardmaster's post quoting Frisco Employees Magazine points out, peanuts have been traffic for quite awhile and apparently, still are. George "thinking of a PB Mfr Name for a layout" Nelson
If one wants to model a peanut butter factory, you really don't need a big space. Back in the 70's, Holsum Food Products (Jewitt & Sherman), 12th & Sante Fe, in the west KC bottoms, used to make peanut butter, mustard, and mayonaise, among other off-brand products. Basically one product per floor. So most any medium sized two story industrial building would work. Upper floor for production and lower floor for offices and warehouse. After going through that place, it made me stick to name brand condiments. And I do remember Guy's Nuts. Still makes me chuckle; "Go out and eat some . . . "
Anyone remember seeing Toot Toot Peanut Butter. It's name was based on an old one verse song, the version I heard went: A peanut sat on the railroad track, his heart was all a-flutter; Along came the Six-Fifteen, Toot, Toot, Peanut Butter!
OK Mr. Moderator, you opened the door so here goes. Several weeks ago (true story) on another loop the subject was brought up about putting a nut house on their model railroad as there was one on the prototype. There actually was (and still is for that matter) a nut house in the town of Altoona, KS which is the first town north of the town of Neodesha which you all know that I am modeling. Note that in one of the pictures that complimentary peanuts are offered Free on the side! Remember Keith, you my good friend opened the door so here goes: ENJOY! http://www.kansastravel.org/prairienuthut.htm
This place has been there since I was a teenager growing up in Independence, KS which is about 25 miles south of there and I must admit I've never eaten there but understand it is really good. Having said that, by looking at the menu under appetizer's I have to wonder what comprises a "Hoppin' Nut Basket"! "Hoppin' Nuts"????????????
FriscoFriend wondered ""Hoppin' Nuts"????????????" Well, they offer dollar beers, so that accounts for the hopping. The restaurant does look like a great little addition to a small town in a layout.
