Roy Heim, project manager for Route 66 Village in Tulsa, home of the Frisco 4500

I am a new member to this group. After reading some of the very nice comments about the Frisco 4500 in Tulsa I decided to join. We share an interest in many of the same things. I have been part of the group that saved the Frisco 4500 from the scrap pile after reading in the Tulsa World that the City of Tulsa was going to scrap it in December of 2002. A small group of us got together and convinced the city that we could bring it back to display quality. They agreed and we started in January of 2003 on a long journey. I don't have time today to tell of the whole experience and will save that until later for those who are really interested. If you are interested in our story and progress you can find more by checking our facebook sites "Route 66 Village", "Friends of the Frisco 4500" and "Tulsa Trolley Restoration". We have a website www.route66village.org, but you won't find much there. The site is in another's hands and they have been too busy to do anything but build the initial site. Please join us when you can. We were introduced to this site by one of the Frisco retirees in Tulsa, Oklahoma who was part of the initial inspiration to keep going when we first started. They have picked us up a few times when we started dragging and needed advice.

Email me at: crimedet at aol.com

 

Roy, first of all welcome to the group and thanks for all the hard work you and your group did to restore the engine to its present state. It is quite impressive. I ran into Joe Million yesterday, and we talked about the engine project. One thing he did not know was when is the Route 66 display going to be completed at the engine site, and will there be some kind of protection for the engine as the elements will eventually destroy it as it was prior to your work? I believe the rest of the display is to be funded from 2025 money, and I was wondering when that money would be available. Again, thanks for saving a beautiful engine, and the location is perfect as it actually ran on the railroad just across the expressway.

Terry

 

The Sertoma group did a wonderful job saving the 4500 and I agree with tmfrisco, the engine needs a canopy over it to protect it. When the engine was in the Tulsa Zoo it had a steel beam structure with a canopy that was in great condition 35 years after it was installed, too bad that Sunbelt Group did not attempt to keep the canopy with the engine. That group had good intentions but had no money so they basicly stripped the engine and left it to rot on a siding in the elements......unbelievable, and then they set up a booth at train shows each year soliciting money. Good thing that group disbanded. I was 13 when they pulled the 4500 from the zoo and she ran out under her own cylinders on compressed air and it was still in superb mechanical condition. Im glad too see it look so beautiful now, Back in 02 Tulsa was talking about auctioning the 4500 and if they had done that then I would have purchased it in order to prevent it from being scrapped, glad I didnt have to buy it and the Sertoma group stepped up and took control.

 

I was also at the zoo the day the 4500 was being moved from its location in the zoo to the SKOL mainline. Fred Peebles, who was my road foreman when I hired out in 1971, was involved in the move (he may have been in charge, I don't know). When I saw the engine, it had one set of wheels on the lead truck on the ground. As Paul said they had moved the engine under compressed air, but when they got it to a tight curve next to the African Savanna area, the compressor pop valve kept popping before they could get enough pressure to go around the curve. They decided to help the shove by using a front end loader to help shove, and that piece of equipment shoved the pony truck off the track. They were still trying to figure out how to get it back on when I had to continue through the zoo. Fred had been a fireman on the Meteor back in the steam days and knew that engine as well as anyone. I don't know if he ever ran as the engineer or not, but he knew how she operated anyway.

Terry

 

Don, on a related note, my father in law was a clerk on the Frisco at the time the Frisco left the Union Depot (the last railroad to do so. He told me that the Frisco offered to sell the building to the city for $1.00 which would have been a way of preserving the depot. The city did not want to lose the property tax on the building, so they rejected the offer. Consequently , the Frisco abandoned the building to the elements, vagrants, and vandals. Over time the beautiful building was pretty much destroyed as far as the aesthetics are concerned. The chandeliers in the white waiting room were stolen along with the marble that went up the walls about 7'. If the city had preserved the building, maybe these beautiful pieces of railroad history and the concourse leading to the tracks could have been saved. I know that the Tulsa depot doesn't compare in size and traffic with KC and StL, but it was not far behind in looks. At least the main structure has been saved and is being used as the Jazz Depot now.


Terry

 

The first time I saw the 4500 was at the zoo on my first grade school field trip in the spring of 1979. I was in awe of the engine and had never seen anything like her in my life, I was used to seeing orange and white Frisco diesels and used to draw them in my free time. Every summer my mom would take me back to the zoo so I could see the 4500 and I always looked forward to going. When I was 13 I got to climb in the cab when the crews were preparing the engine to be moved out of the zoo, it was a wonderful experience for a 13 year old. I was so excited that the group was going to restore the engine and could not wait to see it run ! but you now the rest of the story it just never happened. But now the engine is displayed 3 miles from my house so I enjoy seeing it quite a bit ! My oldest son is 9 and h loves seeing the 4500 and he's a big steam fan. 2 years ago we were lucky enough to ride behind UP 844 from Wagoner OK to Coffeyville KS at 70+ mph and it was an awesome experience for both of us. So happy the 4500 has been saved !

 

Terry, we received $200,000.00 from Tulsa County to buy the property for the city. Then, we received $400,000.00 to build the derrick. All of the money, supplies and in-kind services to move and restore the engine and cars was from businesses, corporations, organizations and individuals. We received great support from BNSF, Tulsa-Sapulpa Union, Sand Springs Railway and SKOL Railway. Joel Million was our coordinator with the railroad. We can't say enough good things about him and other BNSF guys who came to our rescue. The City of Tulsa just passed a tax and the Village will get a portion for capital improvements. That will help. We continue to make progress on restoration, but it is moving a little slow right now. Roy

 

Very cool to learn a bit about this locomotive and Route 66 Village. I am working out of Tulsa on the Creek Sub. so I see this locomotive every couple days as I head toward or leave the yard office. It is really striking. I've had a few of my fellow Fort Worth engineers take qualifying trips with me and when we pass by 4500 we've wondered aloud what it was like to be an engineer on a beast like that. The only control I'd recognize is the whistle!

 

Roy, thanks for the update. Do you have an estimate what the building is going to cost? I understand that the SW Tulsa (Redfork) chamber of commerce is suppose to use that building as its headquarters. Is that still in the plan? If so, maybe a fund drive could begin to get that project more complete. A building with some artifacts about the Red Fork (oil, railroad, and Rte 66) area would help bring more patrons. Anyway, thanks again for what you and your group did to save the 4500 for Tulsa and restore it for everyone to see what a beautiful engine she was (is).

Terry