Looks like she's just past Lone Star Cement in the first photograph, right near where Healy Crushed Stone was located years ago. Did you previously live in Cape Girardeau? I remember the date well. I had hit the road to visit my girlfriend, now my wife, at a summer camp in Iron County. When I got back to Chaffee my dad says "Guess what YOU missed?!"
Yes, I grew up in Cape Girardeau. I now live in Kansas City and have a PFM Toby 1520 series 4-8-2 that will be SLSF 1522. The first picture above was taken along South Sprigg, just south of where the Federal Materials, formerly Healy Crushed Stone, over-the-street ball mill stood. My dad worked at Marquette until the big layoff in the late sixties. The remaining photographs were taken at Cape Rock. Below is a picture taken at Nash from the levee looking southwest as she came up from Lone Rock. I also have video taken at Nash, the I-55 over-pass, pacing along South Sprigg just south of Marquette. I cannot get used to the Lone Star name. Pacing there where the first photograph is taken and at the curve just south of the Missouri Drydock & Repair Company entrance. My grandfather drove their semi-trailer rig for years.
We were on our way back from the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) convention in Atlanta, GA and came up the Scissorbill from Memphis. We had a leaky packing ring in the power reverse. Another guy and I were up till 3am in the Memphis, TN shop working on it, but could not get it totally repaired. As long as we left the reverse lever all the way down in the corner, things were okay. But, if we tried to hook it up toward center, the power reverse went ballistic, wildly hunting around and making the engine sound like nothing I have ever heard before. So in order to make it home, we left it down in the corner which limited our speed to about 30-35. Due to the heat, they had limited speeds to 40 on jointed rail the day before, so we really did not hurt anyone that badly. I took over as engineer at Cape Girardeau and had a decent trip up the line until we got to Byers Siding, near Arnold, MO. There was a freight hung up trying to get north, and another one in the siding there. To make a long story short, we did not get into Lindenwood Yard until about 9 the next morning. We tried to shove on the hind end of the freight, but the train had sticking brakes, too much tonnage and was sporting a dead unit. They finally sent some units out from Lindenwood. They cut off after he got up to speed and went ahead only to have the freight stall again. We had to go back and help him again. I gave up shoving because there were a bunch of empty flats near the hind end, and I was afraid of a disaster. What a long night. I think we left Cape Girardeau about 4 in the afternoon. See and you guys thought this was all fun and stack blasting did not you?
Of course I was not there drenched in sweat but it sounds like gobs of fun to me, Don! What a sight that must have been 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 shoving a 1990s freight train! I'll have to dig out the Southeast Missourian and Chaffee Signal clippings I saved if I can find drivers on line that will allow my scanner to talk to Windows Vista.
Folks, Was a large erecting print of 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 ever on the market? I have seen one of the Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 at 2 feet by 8 feet. Thanks! Darren Mcneely
Hello, Here are some 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 photographs I took May 19, 2001, when it was on a run from Springfield, MO to Tulsa, OK with a water stop in Fairland, OK. Photographs 1 through 4 were East of Wyandotte, OK, MP 332.9. Photographs 5 thru 9 for water and other service work are in Fairland, OK, MP 340.2. They also show remaining train behind 4-8-2 SLSF 1522. The last photograph 10, I believe was in Vinita, OK, MP 359.7. My daughter and I chased the train along the Cherokee Subdivision from Wyandotte, OK, MP 332.9, to Claremore, OK, MP 387.6. Truly a great day! Edit 3/19/2024: First 4 photographs are at the Missouri Highway CC overpass at Racine, MO, MP 319.2. The bridge is just 0.15 miles south of the four way junctions of Missouri Highway 86, Highway CC and Highway K. Added states, mile posts and subdivision references. MKD
WOW - Thanks, Joe. You can put on about a hundred more of these, I will not mind. The only thing that would have made them better is not to have the "Great Pumpkin" following the tender water car. It sort of ruins the "period" aspect of the photographs.
It would look better with a black and yellow GP7 behind it. Oh well, a great pumpkin is better than a green monster.
Hello, I agree with your statements about the pumpkin. The whole day and weeks after there were complaints. From what I understand the railroads, insurance and higher agents required a spare locomotive in case the 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 broke down and backed up regular traffic. During the entire tour the pumpkin was nothing but dead weight and an eye sore. Thank You, Joe
Looking at these photographs and thanks for posting, I just wanted to let everyone know that I can not believe what an idiot I was to not drive the 4 hours over to Tulsa, OK to see this great girl in action. I am kicking myself right now. Steve Formerly living in Western Oklahoma
The "Pumpkin" was along as a rolling BNSF billboard because remember, these trips were BNSF Employee Appreciation Specials. We utilized the air pump in the diesel, that saved wear and tear on SLSF 1522's. The diesel was actually useful at times for dynamic braking, and since we could control it from our cab, all three of us utilized it to get us up to track speed from a dead stop more quickly again saving wear and tear on the steam engine. It felt sort of neat to reach over and advance the diesel throttle and feel the nudge in the butt. The other times we had a diesel along were on Amtrak covered trips and it was needed for head end power for the cars. If you want to play in today's railroad world you have to play by the railroad's rules. The rest of the time, we ran by ourselves on freight or positioning moves and just had the railroad's pilot crew on board.
Don, The way you feel about diesels they must have had to hold you down while they inserted that "Pumpkin" in the consist. I am surprised that you did not walk off the job. Please be advised that I am sending you a SD70MACDEF, or whatever, for you to add behind the tender of 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 leaving Newberg, MO in your latest photograph post. Cheers man.
It is a shame that there is not an available diesel disguised as a steam engine for providing the apparently unnecessary "reliability" factor. At least that way, all the railfan photographs would not be tainted so badly.
Distasteful or not, it is a fact of life in today's railroad world. Besides, up in the cab I did not see the Pumpkin unless I looked back. I was busy conducting the Baldwin Symphony Orchestra heavy metal concert and enjoying it.
I know you probably had a hard time writing: "Diesel was actually useful at times for dynamic braking, and since we could control it from our cab, all three of us utilized it to get us up to track speed from a dead stop more quickly again saving wear and tear on the steam engine. It felt sort of neat to reach over and advance the diesel throttle and feel the nudge in the butt." but it sounds like it gave the best of both worlds. Since using anything brings it closer to using it up, and if the diesel helped keep the steam locomotive in better shape, it is well that it was there. I noticed on the 2002 final runs the Amtrak locomotive was at the end of the train. You mentioned it provided head end power for the passenger cars. Were you also able to use it for braking and starting tractive effort as well? George
The only time we used the Anthrax diesel was once on a photo run by at St. Clair, MO. Do not ask me why, it just pissed people off when they heard it working. One of our guys was in the cab of it on the final trip and pushed going up Rolla Hill, which pissed me off! I asked for Amtrash help one time on a Hannibal, MO trip. I was on the elevated trackage in downtown St. Louis, MO and had to slow down. The rest of the train was hanging downhill in the tunnel under the Gateway Arch grounds. The engine actually stalled on a sharp curve near Gratiot Tower. Did not slip, just stalled. I asked for a bump and it got me working again. It was quicker than idling the booster and going through all of that. I did not want to push my luck that far above the ground. Also, it was there for the asking. But yes, to answer your charge, it is hard to admit a diesel is good for anything in my world. I would have been a lot happier with another 4-8-2 1500 or maybe the 4-8-4 4500!
Though unpleasant as it may be to see a pumpkin stuck behind 1522, I sure wish we could be talking about it in the present tense. Brad
A few months ago, I decided to take footage I shot of the 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 and put it on YouTube. The 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 was returning from the 1994 convention in Atlanta, GA through my hometown of Sulligent, AL. On the afternoon of June 28, 1994, it was on the BN's former Frisco Birmingham Subdivision line That line had originally been the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham. It was pulling freight. One person commented that this return freight run was left out of all the professional videos he has seen. I thought I had already mentioned this YouTube clip on frisco.org but I could not find it in my own posts. The URL is to the video is shown below. I hope you all enjoy it. .
That is a nice video. 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 is sure getting some exercise. Also, there is no diesel for "hotel" power, but it does look a little odd with a mixed train consist.
