SLSF 1026 ..... ouch!

Discussion in '4-6-2 Pacific' started by meteor910, Mar 20, 2012.

  1. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I was looking through one of my Frisco file cabinets today and came across my stack of letters from the late Arthur B. Johnson, famed photographer of the Frisco.

    I bought a lot of Frisco photographs from Arthur - he would send me a bunch on approval, I'd usually buy most or all of them, and would ask any questions I had on the pics he sent, as well as request more pics, in my reply back to him.

    One of the pics I bought was of light Pacific SLSF 1026, taken in St Louis on 9/11/1934, which I have attached to this post. Note the "heavily modified" rods and trailing truck on 1026 - big ouch!

    In my reply I asked Arthur what had happened. He answered that 1026 had been involved in a side-swipe somewhere between Lindenwood and St Louis Union Station, but he did not remember any specifics. I ran across his comments today as I looked through his letters.

    Does anybody know any of the details?

    Later, of course, SLSF 1026 was one of the three light 4-6-2's that were rebuilt in Springfield into the streamlined Firefly locomotives. It was almost 72 years ago today that Frisco's Firefly made its debut in Tulsa, March 29, 1940.

    Looks like 1026 recovered from her accident OK!

    Ken

    ps#1 - Interesting date on Arthur's pic. 9/11 was just an ordinary day back in 1934.

    ps#2 - Also in this same file is my stack of letters from the late Lee Buffington. These letters, both Arthur's and Lee's, are classics - mainly discussions of Frisco motive power, both steam and diesel, but also rolling stock and trains, with two of the Frisco's legendary people. Some day I'm going to publish these letters! These two gentlemen provided me with more "Frisco joy" than you can imagine!
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Wow, that is an ouch. But I bet back in the days of the depression they probably did the cheapest possible thing to fix it.
     
  3. renapper (Richard Napper RIP 3/8/2013)

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

    My grandfather, Lee Roy Barker, was the conductor on that first Firefly run at Kansas City, MO. He held that job until he was bad ordered around 1949.
     
  4. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Ken, let me know if I can help transcribing/publishing the letters you have. One of the most enjoyable parts, to me, of reading the old FMIG newsletters are the letters from Lee Buffington. They're undoubtedly chock full of fascinating information, and deserve to be immortalized.

    Best Regards,
     

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