Business Car "Missouri" aka #1 - in 2020

Discussion in 'Business Cars' started by tferk, Dec 31, 2020.

  1. tferk

    tferk Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Back on December 4 of this year, I photographed a train moving the Wabtec/GE BEL 3000 (Battery Electric Locomotive) across BNSF's Seligman Subdivision in Northern Arizona. The 3000 was headed to Barstow, CA, for testing in train service, and traveling with it was BNSF Research & Test Car #82. I was surprised to find that 82 was a former Frisco car - and also that there was a lot of conflicting information on heritage, due to Frisco's multiple re-naming and re-numberings of its business car fleet, and also due to BN swapping car names after the merger. Comparing my photos to those featured in the All Aboard Nov-Dec 1993 article, the outward appearance has not changed much at all.

    BNSF Research & Test Car #82 is a real survivor. Built in March 1912 by American Car & Foundry as an all-steel coach as Frisco #1082, it was rebuilt by Frisco in December 1942 into Soldier Diner #644. In January 1950 it was again rebuilt into a business car featuring two state rooms with individual baths, a full-service kitchen, crew quarters, secretary’s quarters and an observation room at the platform end. Numbered Frisco 3, it was assigned to the Frisco’s Vice President of Traffic. In June 1954 it was renamed “Missouri”, and in January 1963 it was re-designated Frisco #1 and assigned to the president of the railroad, Louis Menk. After the BN-Frisco merger in 1980, it was re-numbered BNA-7 and named “Canadian River”. Sometime in 1981-1982, it swapped names with ex-GN car BNA-8 “Kootenai River”, for reasons I have yet to determine. It operated as BNA-7 “Kootenai River” until rebuilt as a test car and renumbered by BNSF to #82.

    Photo: BNSF 82 at Crookton, AZ 2020-12-04
     

    Attached Files:

  2. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Ted, thanks for that update. What a twisting trail that car's identification has followed.
     
    Ozarktraveler likes this.

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