It has been a while since I scanned some fresh negatives for the web site, so here goes. 4-6-0 SLSF 735 was taken in Muskogee, OK, I think. That is what was on the negative envelope. If anyone can confirm this, please do so. It is dated September 30,1940. Photographer is unknown. 4-6-0 SLSF 736 is on third No. 3 entering Lindenwood Yard in St. Louis, MO in March of 1943. The photograph was shot by Bill Barham. I will keep digging.
Don, Is that a local or a commuter train behind 4-6-0 SLSF 736 at Lindenwood? No head end stuff, unless it is on the tail end. Ken Meteor910
Hello all together! "4-6-0 SLSF 735 was taken in Muskogee, OK, I think. That is what was on the negative envelope. If anyone can confirm this, please do so. It is dated September 30,1940." This might be the solution to the riddle of this photograph taken from a GP7 unit. http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=946&d=1129431441 Paul was wondering about the place where this photograph was taken! With kind regards from Germany. Winfried
Oops, I forgot, as Paul Harvey would say "The rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrest of the story". 4-6-0 SLSF 736 is arriving at Lindenwood Yard with third No 3, which is a troop train and will go on down to St. Louis Union Station depot. Troop trains tended sometimes to look like a dog's breakfast and usually had open windows with guys hanging out. I think it is kind of unusual to see a 4-6-0 on the Eastern Division, but wartime demands made for strange consists and motive power. The 4-6-0 SLSF 735 shot appears to have been taken from an interlocking tower window judging from the things visible to the left and all of the rod work on the right. Could very well be the same location as the GP7 photograph.
In the great picture of the 4-6-0 SLSF 735 at Muskogee, OK. Why is the interlocking signal behind the train NOT showing stop?
It is also possible that this was a totally manual interlocking plant and the signals were manipulated by the towerman. The number of rods seen in the lower right of the photograph is otherwise very difficult to explain since the photographer seems to be in the tower and the only signal units I can see are the double-blade home signal on the Frisco and a single-blade signal on whoever is crossing. The lower arm on the Frisco signal would almost definitely have been a rod-connected call-on signal. There may have been derails at the signals, but that is still an awfully lot of rods. Gordon
The 735 shot at Muskogee is a piece of "Railroad Art" if there ever was one! It's like a "motion picture!" Thanks to Don, but also thanks for "setting up" the other photo. Tom
I only noticed the rods after you pointed them out. The operator, towerman or leverman must have had arms like Popeye. The photograph caption mentions Fay Branch. Is this referring to Fayetteville, AR?
Regarding the wonderful photograph of 4-6-0 SLSF 735 at Muskogee, OK, I was able to locate a Harold Vollrath shot of this interlocking which was printed in the June 1986 issue of "The Katy Flyer". The shot appearing on page 3 is of MKT southbound No 5 crossing the Midland Valley (MV) and Frisco. With a better sense of orientation, Don's shot of the 4-6-0 SLSF 735 would be of the train westbound crossing the Midland Valley and just about to hit the MKT diamond. The photographer would be on the south side of the tower standing on the stair case leading up to the second level with view towards the east. The tower would have sat on the west side of the MKT main with the MV on the north side and SLSF on the south. The interlocking plant protected the MKT, SLSF, and Midland Valley, all meeting at this location just south of the MKT's Muskogee depot. This location is listed as MP 456.1 on the Central Division with the Frisco's Muskogee depot just behind the photographer at MP 456.3. I am convinced the color shot of the GP7 unit is the exact same location as even some of the telegraph poles are an exact match. There is also a shot at this same location in author Ray George's MKT Lines in Color, page 79 with the MV in the foreground and MKT's No 5 southbound. Jeff Cooney Lindsay, TX
