SLSF 1522 4-8-2 Frisco Mountain 1522 at Old Lenexa Station at the VE day celebration; John Shaw, all rights reserved (used with permission)
The St. Louis Steam Train Association fleet of cars behind Frisco 1522 are not originals, but are beautifully done to resemble them. For a description of these cars, and for the latest information on 1522 and her trips, go to the SLSTA web page: http://www.frisco1522.org It's very well done and informative, with many great photos of 1522 and her roster of supporting cars posted. Ken Meteor910@aol.com
As good as the Elesco looks on the engine, I'm surprised that the folks at Springfield didn't do one up in their spare time, just for grins. Don, I love the photos of you driving 1522 last month on the 1522 web site. I don't believe anyone ever looked more at home. Your Dad would have been proud. Ken
slsf #1522 - As she sits today - The fire is out - the rods are down - and she really needs a good bath. It was like being at a funeral or a locomotive cemetary FM
Here are some views of Frisco 1522 preparing to leave Newburg MO eastbound, June 23, 2001. Photographs by Rich Lawler.
I took pix of 1522 on June 26, 1994 as she rolled into and out of Cape Girardeau, Mo and the Aux Water Tender just this past week at her home at the Museum of Transportation in St Louis.
Looks like she's just past Lone Star Cement in the first photo, right near where Healy Crushed Stone was located years ago. Did you previously live in Cape? I remember the date well. I'd 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. I now live in KC and have a PFM Toby 1520 series 4-8-2 that will be 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 photos 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 (can't get used to the Lone Star name), pacing there where the first photo is taken and at the curve just south of the Missouri Drydock & Repair Co. entrance. (My grandfather drove their semi-trailer rig for years).
We were on our way back from the NRHS convention in Atlanta and came up the Scissorbill from Memphis. We had a leaky packing ring in the power reverse and another guy and myself were up till 3AM in the Memphis shop working on it, but couldn't get it totally repaired. As long as we left the reverse lever all the way down in the corner, things were OK, 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've 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 didn't hurt anyone that badly. I took over as engineer at Cape and had a decent trip up the line until we got to Byers Siding, near Arnold. There was a freight hung up trying to get north, and another one in the siding there. To make a long story short, we didn't get into Lindenwood 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 and 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 about 4 in the afternoon. See and you guys thought this was all fun and stack blasting didn't you?
Of course I wasn't there drenched in sweat but it sounds like gobs of fun to me, Don! What a sight that must have been: 1522 shoving a 1990s freight train! I'll have to dig out the SE Missourian and Chaffee Signal clippings I saved if I can find drivers on line that'll allow my scanner to talk to Windows Vista.
Hi guys, There is a rumor on Facebook going around that 1522 was sold to a man in San Fransisco and will be moved there to be restored and pull excursions. Can anyone validate this. If it is true it will be sad to see the Frisco steamer leave. Hope they atleast leave it in Frisco paint. Ship it on the Frisco!!! Murphy Jenkins
Re: SLSF 1522 4-8-2 I got some good running video pacing 1522 along south Sprigg Street just after you passed under I-55 up to Marquette. I need to get it captured on the computer from my 8mm video and post it.
