This photo hung in my Grandpa's house for many years and I never knew where or when it was taken. Looks to to me to be a company photo. Any info would be great. Thanks Tom Holley
Not sure where this photo might have been taken, but the cars on the auto racks are new 1962 Pontiacs, which pretty much rules out Fenton, MO. Also, because this appears to be a solid train auto racks, it was likely taken near the assembly plant, so the questions is, where was there a GM assembly plant served by the Frisco in late 1961 or early 1962? GS
A Frisco PR photo - Chrysler plant lead, Valley Park, MO. I drove by the Chrysler Fenton plant yesterday on I-44 - they are tearing the plant down. Sad. Ken
There was some discussion about this photo on the following thread found by searching for "autoracks": http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=3056&highlight=autorack
Wow, a switch lead huh. Goes to show what you can do with a camera, looks like it's in the country somewhere, but it's next to a huge plant. Thanks to all for the info, I would have never guessed that. Tom
Tom - Yes, it's a long switch lead from Valley Park, Mo back to the former Chrysler plant in Fenton, Mo. Right after the SLSF Eastern Division crosses the Meramec River at Valley Park heading west (it's really heading south as it passes through Valley Park and crosses the Meramec, then swings west), the Chrysler lead takes off to the east via a wye at MP 18.4. The Chrysler lead heads back to the east for two or three miles to the plant yards. It's a big wye - a big curve heading from the westbound direction on the lead into the wye and on through to the eastbound (really north) direction of the SLSF. All of this is on the south side of the river. I've attached a portion of the Missouri State road map which shows the layout. You can clearly see the wye. What you see in the photo is the big curve heading into the east leg of the wye with the train swinging around the wye from the plant to head east (really north) on the SLSF, shortly to cross the Meramec. It was a staged PR photo. Buder Park is in between the lead and the river, just to the east of the start of the wye. Peerless Park is to the west of all this. Note on the map you can also see the MoPac, which roughly parallels the SLSF to Valley Park, but stays on the north side of the Meramec here, and also the location of the National Museum of Transport! Next time anybody comes to visit us in StL, bring this along! Ken ps - The eastern end of the Chrysler plant is now being torn down. Both of the assembly lines there are closed. A sad sight.
The photographer had a privileged position at the time; trees have grown to hide much of the middle of the train. Not much railroad is visible from the north highway drive from Bowles Avenue to the MO-141/Meramec Station Road interchange at Peerless Park.
When the original photo was taken, I don't think I-44 was in yet, so Hwy 66 was still the main road. A whole lot has changed since then. Not all of it good, I might add.
This is the Valley Park Wye alright, if you look at the upper right hand corner there is a steel truss bridge, this was the old 141 bridge over the Meramec River, the new 141 bridge was constructed west of it completed in1988/89. The railroad bridges are further north and out of the picture. I have no clue as to why there are Pontiacs on the auto racks, if they are Pontiacs?
John, from the other thread (http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?3056-Frisco-Auto-train&highlight=autorack ) that was discussing autoracks: I had the opportunity to look at a higher resolution picture.
I'll be the smart and say it is a long string of automobile flats loaded with lots of 1950 or 1960 cars going around a large bend somewhere in Missouri possibly. Yeah, I'm a day late, and a dollar short, but hopefully this makes someone laugh...
For sure some kind of Chrysler Corp products from the late 1950's/early 1960's. There is no reason for any other cars, GM's, Fords, etc, to be on that wye in those numbers. FYI, the Fenton Chrysler plant, both lines, is totally gone. Sad. I had friends who worked there. Anybody interested in some real estate? Ken
The only reason that I can think of for all the other makes on the autoracks in that location was that it was solely a promotional shot touting Frisco's hauling capability and they wanted lines from each of the four domestic manufacturers represented.
Maybe - it is a definite PR shot. But, otherwise, there is no reason GM or Ford cars would be in that train on those tracks. We have/had GM and Ford assembly plants here in the St Louis area, but they are/were nowhere near the Frisco. That leg of the Valley Park wye goes (really, went) only to the two Chrysler plants in Fenton, now both gone. Love the power on that train - b/y EMD F's and Alco FA/FB's, heading up to Lindenwood. Life was good. Ken
During the summer of 1961 a southbound Frisco freight ran through Farmers Branch, near Carrollton, Texas, around 7 PM. Sun was still up and the sound and sight of a four unit set of beautiful black and yellow cab units and an endless string of the yellow tri-level auto racks was railroading at its finest! I assume it was on its way to Ft. Worth? I don´t think the facility for unloading the racks had been constructed in Irving at the time nor did the Dallas Cowboys play there. They still used the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park in East Dallas. Interstate 35-E had taken my grandparents farm though. Progress? Not on your life! Joe Toth
