Here is a photo I mentioned in an earlier post. We believe that my Grandfather is the second one from the left, but there was nothing written on the back to prove that. I don't know if this is a Frisco, Cotton belt or a Missouri Pacific engine as he was a fireman for all three lines. Is there enough of the engine shown to tell what it is? Thank you for the help, Mark Poley
Thank you for the replies. I at first thought that it might have been taken when he worked for the Cotton Belt, but since he worked for all three lines, I wasn't sure. Thanks, Mark
I recently received a copy of Joseph Strapac's book, Cotton Belt Locomotives, and I now believe that this engine is a Cotton Belt GO class ten wheeler. There is a photo on page 89 of engine #659, one of ten engines built by Baldwin and delivered in July 1913 numbering 650-659. To me this engine looks identical to the photo of engine #659. Grandpa was with the Cotton Belt from Dec. 5, 1910 until Oct. 12, 1914. He was promoted from engine watchman on Aug. 17, 1911 to fireman in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Sometime in 1915 or 1916 he moved to Sapulpa Oklahoma and went to work for Frisco as a fireman. Thanks for the replies, Mark
An update on the above photo. My wife found this photo in her genealogy files. It confirms that it is #659 of the Cotton Belt. It would have been taken before Oct 12, 1914, when my grandfather left the Cotton Belt. Is the Frisco car in the background a boxcar? Thanks, Mark
It's kind of amazing that what we think of as a small steam engine shows up as big as it does when people are standing next to it. GS
They are a pretty big ten wheeler. 69" drivers, 22" x 28" cylinders, 33,389 lbs. of tractive effort. Very similar to Frisco 1400 class 4-6-0s.
