Hi all, just picked up a couple of Frisco timetables for the Northern Division from 1975 and 1979. I am curious if any of you know what the train numbers or symbols are for? Hotshot, local, junk train, etc.? For the Memphis Subdivision symbol trains Northbound were BTX, KCX, NWF, and the QLA Southbound were FSE, CTB, and OBX. Numbered trains North were 134, 834, 222, and 234 South were 135, 221, 833 ,131 and 235 I was born and somewhat raised in the Hardy area, and do recall a lot of trains passing here in the 70's. Any help would be great. Thanks for the help.
The two I do know are: NWF was Northwest Forwarder, a run-through cooperative between the Frisco and UP headed for Oregon/Washington. FSE was Florida Southeast, the reciprocal of NWF.
The QLA stood for Quanah Los Angeles and was a run through Southern/Frisco/Santa Fe hot shot. It may have been the hottest train on the Frisco, but, if not, it certainly was through Tulsa. It was humped at Cherokee Yard (CY) and blocked before heading west. It was all merchandise until the very end when some non merchandise cars began to show up. You could tell the QLA just by looking at it as it was all TOFC and Southern box cars. The departure time out of Tulsa was closely monitored by the brass to insure it left on time. The ATSF threatened to reroute the QLA away from the Frisco if it wasn't routed away from Quanah, TX, thus the upgrading of the Avard Subdivision as it was shorter and the ATSF received the train quicker on their transcon. CTB was the return train and the letters probably stood for California Texas Birmingham, although it was also called California Tulsa Birmingham. OBX stood for Oklahoma Birmingham Express. BTX stood for Birmingham Tulsa Express. Terry
Thanks guys! I appreciate it. Also the QLA has another little note in the timetable. It was authorized to run 60 mph as its maximum speed. Everyone else was 55 mph. I found a 1962 train blocking list on Mike Condrons page. Shows the blocking and priority of said trains. Very interesting how things were moved back then.
Here are the other symbols that were not yet answered: KCX Kansas City Express - Jacksonville (SCL)-Birmingham-Memphis-KC) 131 Portland, OR (BN)-KC-Birmingham-Hamlet (SCL) 134 Birmingham-KC 135 KC-Memphis 221 Amory-Pensacola 222 Pensacola-Amory (were 221 & 222 shown north of Memphis in the 1975 or 1979 timetables?) 234 Memphis-Springfield 235 Springfield-Memphis 833 St Louis-Memphis 834 Memphis-St Louis 821 St Louis-Mobile (should be on the Memphis Sub) 822 Mobile-St Louis (should be on the Memphis Sub)
All of the 800 numbers are there. They start at Turrell. same thing with 95 & 96. As for the 221 & 222, no mention of them in the timetable. Great info! I appreciate it all!
Fireball, I was going off your original list at the top, that's why I asked about 221/222. 95/96 were St Louis-Memphis freights that made the setouts and pickups at Hayti, Blytheville, Chaffee and Neelys. I show them operating in 1975, but not in 1977.
Yep not in the 1979 timetable. When I would visit the great grandparents in Hardy, I always saw a lot of trains pass. Kinda neat to see what they were and where they were going.
Was there a code system for numbering trains? I'm modeling the Perry and Avard Subdivisions. In addition to the QLA and QSF, there are a few numbered trains, 637/638 and 666. I don't know if Frisco like Santa Fe used a three code number that designated origin-train type-destination or if there is another system for train numbering.
