yardmaster
12-05-2007, 07:23 AM
As far back as my paper history indicates, Trains 875 and 876 are found on the Hoxie Subdivision of the River Division. Well...almost. I have a 1905 "Frisco System" public timetable that shows Cape to Hoxie service rendered by Trains 815/816, which appears to have run between Saint Louis and Hoxie. So, based on the paper history I do possess, 875 and 876 look to have debuted between 1905 and 1913.
See the attached timetable history for these two trains. From the early part of the 20th Century until at least the mid to late 1930s, Cape Girardeau was the northern terminal for what began as a passenger-only train, but wound out its life as a mixed Daily x-Sunday train. 1954 is the last ETT in my collection that shows the mixed train.
The Frisco Museum All Aboard magazine had a multi-part series on the River Division; it notes that, by 1961, 875/876 were the Monday/Thursday local runs on the Hoxie Sub, while 873/874 were the Wednesday/Saturday counterparts (http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco-Museum-All-Aboards/AA1991.2-3.v5.5.pdf)
While it doesn't show the train itself, Karl Brand has a great thread with a swell photo taken in the early 1960s by his father, who was Hoxie Sub Roadmaster (see http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=10477&postcount=1). Knowing that the Hoxie Sub between Nash, MO and Pocahontas, AR was abandoned in 1965 I'd assume that dandy 875/876 disappeared before the Great Passenger Train Purge of 9-18-1965. Karl, any tidbits gleaned from your dad on a "last run" date?
Some prototype photographic references...
From an old hard-copy FMIG Newsletter, I've posted rather poor-quality Mel Nierdieck photos in the early 1950s of #875 heading north (southbound train) out of Chaffee yards past Coaling tower with 1200-series Consolidation, auxiliary water tender, OB boxcar and a truss-rod, wood-underframe coach of vintage origin.
http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=2235&d=1140077391
Here's the same train a bit earlier, waiting in front of depot.
http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=140&d=1127749213
First, one clarification: I have this labeled as #876 on the website but it would appear to be #875 (Chaffee TO Hoxie), as it's heading north through the Chaffee Yards on the St. Louis Subdivision, on its way to Nash and the wye connecting to the Hoxie Sub.
THe auxiliary water tender intrigues me. The 1940 Employee Timetable shows what appears to be sufficient water supply all along the line. Perhaps there was a good deal of switching to be done that day? I'm not sure that this would explain things.
Here's another puzzler. Note the man next to the motor car. East is to your right; west is to the left. Using the worker's shadow as a guide, the sun would appear to be setting in the west. Talk about being way off the timetable schedule!
One of my original posts noted that in the first photo, the locomotive appears to be carrying white flags. Based on the length of the worker's shadow, I'd wager a guess that (a) #875 was 12 hours or more beyond its timetable authority, and (b) hence it was running late as an extra train. Validation or rebuttals, anyone?
"Frisco Power" by Joe Collias also has a couple of photos of interest: one shows 875 and 876 meeting at the Poplar Bluff depot, powered by the ex-AT&N RS-1 locomotives. A photo right below that shows Caboose-Coach Combine #844, which saw service on these two trains.
Also on the site are drawings of Caboose-Combine Coach #844 that accompany Richard Napper's article on modeling said car (http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=12716&postcount=1).
For the modeler short on space but long for good Frisco charm, I think this line's a good possibility. It wouldn't take an overwhelming amount of motive power and rolling stock to realistically depict a day in the life of these two trains. For the intrepid scratchbuilder/kitbasher, I've separately posted Richard's article on modeling Caboose-Coach Combine #844.
http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=12715&postcount=1
For anyone with additional notes, clarifications, etc. I invite you to add more on an interesting train!
See the attached timetable history for these two trains. From the early part of the 20th Century until at least the mid to late 1930s, Cape Girardeau was the northern terminal for what began as a passenger-only train, but wound out its life as a mixed Daily x-Sunday train. 1954 is the last ETT in my collection that shows the mixed train.
The Frisco Museum All Aboard magazine had a multi-part series on the River Division; it notes that, by 1961, 875/876 were the Monday/Thursday local runs on the Hoxie Sub, while 873/874 were the Wednesday/Saturday counterparts (http://condrenrails.com/Frisco/Frisco-Museum-All-Aboards/AA1991.2-3.v5.5.pdf)
While it doesn't show the train itself, Karl Brand has a great thread with a swell photo taken in the early 1960s by his father, who was Hoxie Sub Roadmaster (see http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=10477&postcount=1). Knowing that the Hoxie Sub between Nash, MO and Pocahontas, AR was abandoned in 1965 I'd assume that dandy 875/876 disappeared before the Great Passenger Train Purge of 9-18-1965. Karl, any tidbits gleaned from your dad on a "last run" date?
Some prototype photographic references...
From an old hard-copy FMIG Newsletter, I've posted rather poor-quality Mel Nierdieck photos in the early 1950s of #875 heading north (southbound train) out of Chaffee yards past Coaling tower with 1200-series Consolidation, auxiliary water tender, OB boxcar and a truss-rod, wood-underframe coach of vintage origin.
http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=2235&d=1140077391
Here's the same train a bit earlier, waiting in front of depot.
http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=140&d=1127749213
First, one clarification: I have this labeled as #876 on the website but it would appear to be #875 (Chaffee TO Hoxie), as it's heading north through the Chaffee Yards on the St. Louis Subdivision, on its way to Nash and the wye connecting to the Hoxie Sub.
THe auxiliary water tender intrigues me. The 1940 Employee Timetable shows what appears to be sufficient water supply all along the line. Perhaps there was a good deal of switching to be done that day? I'm not sure that this would explain things.
Here's another puzzler. Note the man next to the motor car. East is to your right; west is to the left. Using the worker's shadow as a guide, the sun would appear to be setting in the west. Talk about being way off the timetable schedule!
One of my original posts noted that in the first photo, the locomotive appears to be carrying white flags. Based on the length of the worker's shadow, I'd wager a guess that (a) #875 was 12 hours or more beyond its timetable authority, and (b) hence it was running late as an extra train. Validation or rebuttals, anyone?
"Frisco Power" by Joe Collias also has a couple of photos of interest: one shows 875 and 876 meeting at the Poplar Bluff depot, powered by the ex-AT&N RS-1 locomotives. A photo right below that shows Caboose-Coach Combine #844, which saw service on these two trains.
Also on the site are drawings of Caboose-Combine Coach #844 that accompany Richard Napper's article on modeling said car (http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=12716&postcount=1).
For the modeler short on space but long for good Frisco charm, I think this line's a good possibility. It wouldn't take an overwhelming amount of motive power and rolling stock to realistically depict a day in the life of these two trains. For the intrepid scratchbuilder/kitbasher, I've separately posted Richard's article on modeling Caboose-Coach Combine #844.
http://www.frisco.org/vb/showpost.php?p=12715&postcount=1
For anyone with additional notes, clarifications, etc. I invite you to add more on an interesting train!