Thanks for posting Don! For detail hounds like me, you can enlarge and brighten that photograph and bring up more of the detail if you like. In my humble opinion, I do not think that was the Meteor shakedown run. I think there would have been more "hats" or railroad officials in the picture. Don, Is there a date on that photograph or negative? Tom G.
Tom is probably correct, this is likely not the demonstration run. The Meteor April, 1948 demonstration run photograph in Collias' book Frisco Power, page 232, shows SLSF 2005 in the lead heading east at Newburg, MO with SLSF 2002 trailing. This picture shows 2004 in the lead probably with 2001 trailing. In the early days, they tried to keep the paired E7A (EA7) units together. SLSF 2000 and SLSF 2003 served on the Texas Special, along with the two MKT E7As. Note that the train has no heavyweight head-end cars, indicating this is in the early lightweight days, and it is stopped at the Webster Grove depot with just the first one or two cars behind the RPO at the platform. I assume the consist in those days had the coaches first in line, with the dorm-coach in the lead, so that makes sense. Ken
I was thinking he was looking back for the spot to stop. The conductor could "highball" him with the signal whistle. That is what they usually did. The photograph is enhanced about as much as I can. If you click on the thumbnail, then click on the photograph you should get a bigger image and the cursor should have a + in it. If you click again, it gives you a nice big image. At least that's how it works on my computer. Administrator note: Right-click on the thumbnail, select Open in New Tab or Open in New Window and you can look at the image as large as the file or your computer will allow. If the image resizes smaller, hovering over the image will give you a magnifying glass with + in it. Clicking will alternately magnify/demagnify the image. klrwhizkid
This is really a terrific photograph, one that I have not seen before. I agree that this is not the demonstration run, however, because (1) if it were, I would think there would be more of a crowd at the depot to see it for the first time, and (2) the trees are much too fully leafed out for it to be April. GS
I love this picture, Don! Since my first view of this depot was just a couple of days ago, it is amazing to see how it used to be - no Interstate, no rubber mat grade crossing. I love that plain Bus Stop sign. There are modern ones in slightly different locations now. Only one off my photos shows a house. Now there are houses, shops, and small offices just across the street, behind the locomotives in your photograph. Maybe I will go back for more pictures to get a "modern context". Question: It is double track now, was it in the photograph you posted? Thanks! Bruce
I agree with Bruce, that simple Bus Stop sign is really neat. It brought back memories of seeing those here when I was a kid. That was probably a stop for the St. Louis County Bus Line, who had light green and cream painted buses. They were merged into the Bi-State system long ago, which combined all the St. Louis City and St. Louis County lines along with those on the Illinois side. Today the bus lines and the light rail lines are all together in the Metro system. I grew up in University City, until the 7th grade when we moved to Normandy to a house my dad built. He was a builder. In University City, we had a light green county bus line that ran a block from our house along North and South Road. We could walk a block, catch the county bus at one of those simple bus stop signs, and it took us straight into Clayton for shopping, restaurants, barber shop, etc. We only had one car so we rode the bus often. I was a stamp collector back then, and there was a neat coin and stamp shop in Clayton as well. I also built model airplanes and ships, and at Christmas - it was Lionel Lines time! Ken
It was double track all the way to the west end of Pacific, MO then. When I was anywhere from 4-10 years old, I would nag my Mom to take me there from Maplewood when Dad was called and watch him come up the hill. Engines were really barking there and the rule of thumb was whatever speed you passed Webster Groves depot is the speed you would top Iron Hill. In my younger years, the wartime traffic was incredible. I wish we had a USB port on our brain so we could download all the good stuff. After Dad passed, we would drive back east a block and stop at the Pevely Dairy Ice Cream Parlor for a treat. That was such a neat place and had fountains in front that lit up at night. Pevely owned the south side of the block between Elm and where Big Bend crossed over the tracks. They used to have a big stable there too for the horse and milk wagon brigade. Couple other favorite spots were where Shrewsbury Avenue crossed at grade and in Old Orchard across from the lumber yard. I loved to see them blast under the Murdoch overpass. When I was about 10-12 I would ride the County Bus up to Natural Bridge and Brown Roads and play trains on the Wabash, Frisco and Pacific (WF&P). It was a neat place at that time. Operated on train orders and ran just like the prototype. I have to go, I am starting to well up.
When I was a kid but old enough to drive, so call it 1965 or 1966, there was a hamburger stand on the opposite side of Big Bend Road. It was right where it made the turn to cross the tracks. They sold burgers five for a buck. I only remember seeing a passenger train standing at the depot like the one in the photograph once, and that was in the early evening. So that must have been after the Meteor and Will Rogers were both gone and replaced by the Oklahoman. GS
I remember the old Wabash, Frisco and Pacific (WF&P) at the Brown Road/Natural Bridge location. We also went there several times and rode the trains. Loved it! I remember, though, that it ran kind of like the later year Katy - lots of derailments. At least that is one memory I have. Still nice to ride the WF&P, but for many years now they have been located off of Missouri Highway 109, above I-44. Their old Brown Rd/Natural Bridge location became an airport Ramada Inn! Nice ride now through the country on an old Missouri Pacific right of way on the WF&P. Ken
I was not in this area in 1965 and do not remember the hamburger stand. I think I had lunch at a place about where the ice cream parlor was sometime in the 1980s. In the late 1950s I worked at the Gulf station in the wedge there. It was owned by Elmer Theiss and he was a great guy to work for, especially for a teenager with a hot rod. Used his lift many times. Sold a lot of brake jobs and tune ups there too and a car polish called Walbernize. It was great stuff. I would do a little spot on the car, then they would have to buy a can to finish it or pay me. That was back when I had game.
The shades are down in the cab, had to be morning. If you crossed the tracks at Big Bend and Geyer Road looking east down the mainline, the tracks aim dead center to the legs of the Gateway Arch, not to mention the blinding sun also! A great shot! Keep them coming Don!
My mother used to take her car to that Gulf station for service. It was a 1956 Ford that had problems with valve springs breaking, so they installed what were called "overhead oilers," a common fix for Fords with early Y-block engines. I remember the mechanic was a real pro when it came to using profanity, especially when he was working under the car. Nobody could cuss like him. If we were lucky, while we were waiting for the car, there would be a train, but never a passenger train as they went out in the evening and came back in the morning. GS
I do not think it was me, although coming from a railroad family, I was familiar with salty language. Three years in the Army and a lifetime working in the machine shop industry, I have honed it to a fine art. I think there was a special Ford wrench that you called a SOB and threw it against the wall or out into the driveway. I have been around when mechanics used them.
I think I missed this one two years ago while out of town. Great photograph and a much more pastoral setting than I am accustomed to seeing for this area in the 1980s and 1990s. Not bad at all, Don, for an internal combustion example. I think I remember a phrase by Samuel Clemens in Vol. I of his autobiography where me notes how a particular individual "...could out swear a railroad brakeman."
From Richard Crabtree on the Frisco Rails Across Missouri Facebook group. Here is an absolutely wonderful photograph of early Frisco diesel power on Frisco train Number 10 "The Meteor", coming through Webster Groves, Missouri. We are seeing Frisco e7As (EA7) SLSF 2004 and SLSF 2001, EMD built in 1947. If you notice the Engineer is looking back for the signal to Highball. Photograph from the Don Jon Wirth collection. Karl Brand: The signal from the conductor to proceed would have been given via a small communicating whistle, which was located in the E7As (EA7s) cab. Two shorts per Rule 16a.
