Pittsburg, KS - Roundhouse

Discussion in 'Roundhouses & Turntables' started by y_prough, Oct 17, 2006.

  1. y_prough

    y_prough Guest

    I don't know if it is officially called a Round house but that is what the building is known as. I have heard it called the Frisco round house and the Frisco repair shop. I do not know if it is being used for anything right now. The Kansas City Southern & Burlington (I think that is the name) railroad uses the tracks leading to the building but the tracks into the building are taken up. They use it for their diesels, just to the north and west are sidings along the main track where the coal cars are sided when changing diesels etc.
     

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  2. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    That looks like it may be the old KCS backshop.
     
  3. qaprr

    qaprr Member Frisco.org Supporter

    That is the old KCS backshop. Not the Frisco...
     
  4. renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013)

    renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013) Passed away March 8, 2013

    The Frisco did not have a roundhouse at Pittsburg, KS it was a long rectangular engine house with two tracks and four drop pits.
    Richard
     
  5. mvtelegrapher

    mvtelegrapher Member

    The photographs attached to this post are of the old KCS backshops building in Pittsburg which was torn down during the fall of 2010. This entire area has now been cleared, including the old turntable.

    John Chambers
     
  6. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    I have often said that this may very well have been the only engine facility complex with an actual fountain. There was a pond at the east end of the diesel shop on the north side very near the service racks to sand and fuel the locomotives. In the midle of the pond was a spout that had water spraying out over the top of it. Nothing fancy, but to me a touch of class in an area not usually accessible to visitors.
     
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  7. renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013)

    renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013) Passed away March 8, 2013

    Bob,
    Do you know where the diesel shop was located in Pittsburg, KS? I have a 1914 blueprint of Pittsburg, KS which shows the the old steam long house. I would assume the diesel shops were in the same area.
    Richard
     
  8. mvtelegrapher

    mvtelegrapher Member

    Richard,

    The KCS modified the old steam backshop building to work on diesel locomotives when the KCS dieselized in the late '40's. When they closed the backshop for heavy repairs around 1975 and transferred this work to Shreveport they left the last five stalls on the east end as a light repair facility for the northern half of the railroad. This part was closed around 1995 when GE and the KCS built a shop building in Kansas City to work on the new GE locomotives they were selling to the KCS. Since that time the entire building sat empty until being torn down last fall.

    John Chambers
     
  9. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Thanks for the photo, Steve...looks like a very modeable diesel servicing facility for the modeler who is pressed for space!

    Best Regards,
     
  10. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    There was a transfer table on the north side of the building and that is the only time that I have ever seen one. It was still in place and I assume still operable in the time frame that John refers to. It was a massive building and quite impressive looking.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 22, 2011
  11. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    Here's an old Art Johnson print of the Pittsburg rectangular house.
     

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  12. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    Ahhh! If only we could see that for real today!
     
  13. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

  14. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    I have approximated the engine house location on this satellite image. Pending further review for a second engine house...

    Location_Frisco_Pittsburg_engine_hse.JPG
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2018
  15. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Karl,

    I don't think that was the location. Issues with that: 1. we would be able to see the two or three tracks that include the main line of the Girard Branch. 2. The drawn track plans don't match what I see in the pictures posted, but I'm not seeing the setup any where in Pittsburg. 3. The spur that curved around to the south side of that building belonged to the Santa Fe as it came off of their yard tracks.
    After looking closer at the pictures tonight, the one on the archive gives a little insight. There are shadows on the right side of everything, so it has to be running NE/SW on along the Parsons Sub, not EW along the Girard Branch. There are buildings on one side and open ground on the other. The only place like that in the middle of Pittsburg was a spaghetti bowl of SLSF, ATSF and KCS trackage. I don't see evidence of any of that in the back ground in either picture. I found an aerial photo from 1958 and was able to run all over Pittsburg with it and I could not find anything that resembles what is in the picture. I'm attaching screen shots for reference. I marked the Frisco in Red, ATSF in Blue and KCS in black. The mess that is all of the yard tracks and interchanges are unmarked, but are in that barren space that I call no mans land. You can go to this website https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer and select either a topography map or a aerial photo that is movable like google maps.
     

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    Last edited: May 19, 2019
  16. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    More later... Need to dig up the B&B records.

    ksrl.kc.sm_pittsb_1905_010.jpg
     
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  17. RogerRT

    RogerRT Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I think you both are right, the photo & map Karl posted was the original location, the Archive photo was taken at the later after the Frisco & KCFS&M facilities were consolidated... If I were to bet I would say the Archive photo was taken just east of No.Joplin St. & E. Rose St. looking North to NE toward where the cell tower is now located...One thing I did notice on the 1905 Sanborn map north (or left) of the engine house is the former KCFS&M depot at 4th & Locust is listed as ATSF, maybe they sold it to the Santa Fe when moved everything to the Broadway & 2nd depot...Roger
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2018
    Joe Lovett likes this.
  18. rjthomas909

    rjthomas909 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Karl, is this a 1940s map? If so, what is the source? I could not find online.

    (edit. 1905, I see it now). Is there a 1940s map?

    Thanks,

    -Bob T.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2018
  19. rjthomas909

    rjthomas909 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    ksrl.kc.sm_pittsb_1905_005.jpg

    I believe this is the neighboring plate. What a great subject for a switching layout.....hmm....
     
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  20. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    There's a 1945, 50, 50, 60, 75 and 78 map if you go here and search for pittsburg ks https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer

    The diagrams there show that things had changed since these 1905 plats.
     
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