An old, old mystery solved at last.

Discussion in 'General Steam' started by frisco1522, Mar 31, 2014.

  1. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    Years and years ago, my Dad and I (He's been gone for over 50 years) would sit and talk about steam and different engines. He was as big a nut as I was and am and he started in engine service in 1916 but loved running steam. He had also seen and worked on everything steam the Frisco had to offer.
    I had found a picture of the 2004, a 2-8-8-2 Mallet and we were looking at it. I wondered aloud why the Frisco numbered them from 2001-2007 and why they didn't start at 2000. Other than the Russian Decapods Frisco always started numbering series at 00. Dad told me that there actually was an engine numbered 2000, but it was different from the other six and was smaller. I argued with him, since the "experts" in the magazines and books had said there were only six of them.
    I never gave it much thought since I had marriage, fatherhood and a stint in the Army after that and Dad lost his life in an auto accident in 1964.
    A month ago, I saw an old photo postcard on ebay. It was all faded and bleached out, but it was a picture of an engine numbered 2000 and it looked like it said Frisco on the cab side. I bid on it and won, paid more than I wanted but got it.
    I scanned it and have been working on it in Photoshop and haven't been able to really rescue it like l wanted, but I'm able to verify it is Frisco, numbered and is an American Loco Works 2-6-6-2 Mallet compound. I've asked a couple of people who are savvy on American Loco and speculated that maybe it was either a "catalog" engine or an engine built for another small road that didn't pick it up. I’ve since found an engine diagram for the 2000. I also found a picture in an old magazine of what looks to be the 2000 in a roundhouse.
    All of this has absolutely blown me away. All these years I thought I knew everything that was worth knowing about Frisco steam power. I can’t wait to show all of this to Joe Collias.
    At any rate, I guess I owe Dad a long overdue apology. Never argue with someone who has been there and done that.
     

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  2. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    The old post card is a gem, thanks for posting the story and pix.

    Tom G.

    PS: Did you see the late era photo of 1522 in the "Frisco Archive" section?
     
  3. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    I have seen that image someplace...an old Frisco Employee Magazine, perhaps... It is the north Springfield roundhouse. Time to do a little digging.
     
  4. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Don, I think you still do! ;) Joe Collias should be proud of you.
     
  5. FriscoCharlie

    FriscoCharlie Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Question: The first picture is an old postcard?

    Charlie
     
  6. magistrate

    magistrate Member

    Perhaps I am just a cynical old cop and retired judge, but the picture of the engine looks suspisiously like a beautiful model. Is this maybe a one day early April fools?

    Robert
     
  7. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    Yep, Robert's right in the fact that tomorrow is the big day! I for one should know as my antics have drawn the ire of some in the past. No worry as retired about two years ago. Having said that, did enlarge Don's photo and it is awesome!
     
  8. Hmmmm, does this have anything to do with tomorrow's date? Many of the flue and fire box dimensions are identical to the 2-8-8-2, which seems unlikely (eg. the length of the tubes are the same even though there are two fewer drivers, the tender's numbers are absolutely identical, but that could be true) If this is not a joke, great detective work.
     
  9. FriscoCharlie

    FriscoCharlie Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Whew! I am glad to see other people saying what I was afraid to say when I asked my original question. I was afraid of making Don mad. LOL.

    Note my additional observation below.

    2000.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 31, 2014
  10. gbmott

    gbmott Member

    Surely no one is questioning the veracity of the man who, coincidentally on this same day, a couple of years ago first revealed the existence of the Spot that was converted into a 2-10-4 as well as other amazing discoveries!


    Gordon
     
  11. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Happy April Fools Day, everyone. You too, Don.
     
  12. FriscoCharlie

    FriscoCharlie Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Now that the day has passed I think we all owe Don the big SALLLLUTE for the effort. Sorry more people did not join in on the fun. I do consider it a stroke of genius (of some sort).

    Charlie
     
  13. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Don, I think this one takes the cake for the creative backstory, plausible model-as-prototype photo, roundhouse evidence and erecting drawings.

    Quoth Slim Pickens: "It's a fake! We've been suckered in."

    Nicely played. :)

    Best Regards,
     
  14. DanHyde

    DanHyde Member

    Slim Pickens also said, " What in the wide, wide world of sports is goin on here?"
    Thanks, Don. As I said, looks like a great bashing project!!
     
  15. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    I was able to clean up the postcard even more.
     

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  16. Frisco1515

    Frisco1515 Frisco1515

    Good laughs! Frisco1515
     
  17. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    That might have been a more useful, longer-lived engine than those 2001's.

    Ken
     
  18. FriscoCharlie

    FriscoCharlie Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Was that model manufactered or something you made?

    Charlie
     
  19. kenmc

    kenmc KenMc Frisco.org Supporter

    I'm surprised to see that Don hasn't offered any April Fool's trickery for us this year. I thought he was going to say that the Hudsons had all been shipped to us yesterday ("They're in the mail.")

    Maybe they are coming for sure now.

    Ken McElreath
     
  20. frisco1522

    frisco1522 Staff Member Staff Member

    Well, close but no cigar Ken. Actually, the Hudsons are somewhere between Montana and me and with luck I will have them by the end of the week and can ship them next week.
    Too busy for April Foolishness this year, plus you're all on to me anyway.
     

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