Cabooses - Where have they gone?

Discussion in '001-999' started by mark, Apr 18, 2010.

  1. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Trying to update and detail the roster of preserved Frisco cabooses.

    I am currently on the track of four cars formerly located in Springfield.

    Caboose SLSF 1131
    Formerly located at 543 E. Commercial St. The car was located at the former Frisco Museum. It was located on the northwest corner of the property, just west of the intersection with the 1600 block of N. Washington Ave.

    Last report was that it had been acquired by the equipment dealer Ozark Mountain Railcar.

    This car had formerly been on display (3/1994) in a city park in Republic, Mo. By 5/1997 it was moved to the museum in Springfield.

    Caboose SLSF 139
    Formerly located at 543 E. Commercial St. The car was located at the former Frisco Museum. It was located on the south side of the property, just west of the intersection with the 1600 block of N. Washington Ave.

    The car seems to have been replaced when the museum moved in caboose SLSF 1156. The 1156 was a former Howe truss boxcar, rebuilt as a caboose with a side door for express service. It has been moved to Branson.

    But where did SLSF 139 go? I found a reference to an unspecified location in Nixa, MO and an as yet unidentified location in Colorado. The Nixa reference indicates a name (owner?), John Morris and Bass Pro Shops.

    Caboose SLSF 144
    Formerly located at 590 N. National Ave. The car was located on the east side of the street, just south of the intersection with the 1200 block of E. Tampa Street.

    It was located in front of a bulk oil dealer business. Hopefully they would be a good starting point for a local inquiry.

    Caboose SLSF ???
    There was also an unidentified caboose as of 11/2001 in a salvage yard at Nichols.

    Ideally it would be great to have a continuous chain of custody record from railroad to current ownership that includes updated photographs, addresses, names and contact information.

    Any information that would help us track these cars would be most appreciated.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 29, 2010
  2. Re: Where have they gone?

    Hi Mark,

    I may be able to answer one of yor questions. SL-SF 1131? I think you may mean 1156. This car was at the museum and was sold to Ozark Mountain Railcar. It is now at Branson,MO two blocks north of the MNA/Mopac depot in Branson near the old Missouri Pacific caboose. I think it is owned by the Branson Scenic Railway, but not sure on that. I hope this helps a little I have a good friend in the Springfield area that could help you I'll ask him when I get the time. For now Spanish Homework!!!:(
    Ship it on the Frisco!!!


    Murphy Jenkins
     
  3. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Re: Where have they gone?

    Murphy,

    Thank you for the response.

    Still on the hunt for SLSF 1131. It was the 3rd caboose that had been on display at the museum. After being moved there from Republic, it is was on display concurrently until the museum closed with SLSF 1156.

    These 2 cars were at the museum when it stopped operations. I have traced the later (1156) to its current location in Branson. But where did the former (1131) go?

    Also, where is the 1st caboose that had been at the museum, SLSF 139? It had been bumped off site after the arrival of SLSF 1156. At the time, the existing side door of caboose SLSF 1156 was viewed as a more desirable artifact as it permitted easy handicapped and wheelchair access.

    The alternative would have been to destroy the character of the other car design by modification to SLSF 139. I am glad it was not cut into. This was a wise choice at the time.

    Still need each of you to help track down all 4 cars.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
  4. wpmoreland719

    wpmoreland719 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Where have they gone?

    Mark,

    There is a long-forgotten wooden caboose setting on private property at a farm known as Lost Mountain Ranch about three miles north of Cook Station Missouri on State Hwy M. It's been a few years since I was last down there to view it, but it was really bad shape then and I wouldn't be suprised if it had collapsed by now. I believe it was no. 750 something.

    My father recalled the caboose being purchased by the owners of the farm in the early to mid 60's, and having it transported by train on the Salem Branch to Cook Station, where it was set-off on the siding then loaded on a low-boy trailer for transport to Lost Mountain. He said that once the truck reached the private farm road, it stalled going up a steep hill. Dad and another man were sent there with an International wrecker, and they hooked onto the front of the truck and were able to pull it up the top of the hill, where it still rests on a short portion of track in front of the house. I looked inside of it six or seven years ago, and it still had it's pot bellied stove.
     
  5. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Re: Where have they gone?

    William,

    Thank you for the response.

    This is great news and a new one I am adding to the list. Having many eyes and legs on the ground is a great help to everyone. It is great to be able to share the information and research.

    Are you or someone else in a position to confirm the number, caboose type, get some photographs, a specific location address and any other information on this caboose?

    Thanks again.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2010
  6. wpmoreland719

    wpmoreland719 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Where have they gone?

    I should be able to do that....best that I remember, it has an off-set cupola and has a manufacture date of 1910. I believe that another Frisco.org member, Jay Anderson of Salem, has some photos. I haven't talked with Jay in a while, but we did some research together a few years ago. I try to visit my parents in Wesco about once a month, so next time I'm there, I'll head over to Lost Mountain and see if I can snap a few photos of it. Lost Mountain Ranch is situated on the east side of Hwy M and is probably not more than 60 or 70 yards east of the intersection of Wesco Cemetery Rd.

    There's another one in the area that you might be interested in. It's a wooden caboose from the old Sligo and Eastern setting at a private residence off of Dent County Rd 448 about a quarter mile south of Hwy TT. I remember when I was a kid, half of the caboose sat at a residence on the north side of State Hwy TT. The story was that when the S & E folded along with the smelter and the whole town for that matter, two local farmers bought the caboose and cut it in half, each one taking half for use as a shed or chicken coop. About 10 years ago, the individual owning the half with the cupola sold it back to the person with the other half. That person put it back together and still uses it for a storage shed. I've seen the caboose in it's resurrected condition once. It's missing the wheels and trucks, but overall, it's in good shape. Still has the cupola and grab irons. It hasn't seen it's intended job for about 90 years.
     
  7. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Re: Where have they gone?

    William,

    Thank you for your help.

    We look forward to any additional information or photographs that you can provide. The cross street, intersection information is also helpful for others to locate equipment. Thank you for providing this information. If you locate a more specific street address be sure to add that also.

    If at all possible, please provide more information on the E&E caboose also. Interesting story about it being split into 2 parts and then the good fortune to have them reattached into a whole unit.

    Thank you again.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
  8. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: Where have they gone?

    Brother, Paul told me that the 144 was disassembled and moved to parts unknown.


     

    Attached Files:

  9. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Re: Where have they gone?

    Karl,

    Thank you for the response.

    Someone must know something. Hopefully one of our Frisco folks in Springfield can contact the oil dealer where the caboose used to be located and come up with some details and a trail to follow.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
  10. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Re: Where have they gone?

    Good news! After an extensive search, we have located Frisco caboose SLSF 1131.

    Please see http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/caboose-slsf-1131.3760/#post-25198

    We are still searching for the current locations and status of cabooses SLSF 139 (1139), SLSF 144 and SLSF ??? that was at a Nichols scrap yard in 2001. Your assistance and contributions are actively solicited and appreciated.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 29, 2010
  11. brdfan23

    brdfan23 Member

    Mark,

    I believe our organization now owns SLSF 1131. I have been busy researching the caboose we acquired out of Oklahoma. The only clue I had to our cabooses origin was the road number SLSF 1159 painted over the exit of each door on the end, until I saw the pictures of 1131 with the Keep Out and Keep Off signs on the side of it. Our caboose had those signs inside it, and I have included the only picture I have of it in Oklahoma and a picture of the sign.

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]


    Here is a shot of the road number over the door


    [​IMG]




    Is there a data plate anywhere on the frame that I can confirm which SLSF caboose we have? I have searched and searched for any info on "1159" as a wood side caboose and can't find anything. The person we bought the caboose from told one of our members it used to be the property of the Frisco museum in Springfield, so could this be the 1131???

    Here is a couple of pictures of what it looks like today,

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    It is now going to represent a 1860's Pacific Railroad Drovers Car, it is going to be used as part of the Trails End Sedalia monument to the early cattle drives that ended in Sedalia. The monument is slated to be opened on our dedication weekend April 24-26 2015. We completely gutted the car, added side doors and remodeled the interior. Check out Trails End - Sedalia on facebook for more information and more shots, hopefully you can click on the photo section to see more, but you may have to look back at postings in 2013 and early 2014 to see most of the pictures.

    Any help with confirmation would be greatly appreciated!


    Thanks, Jack
     

Share This Page