FMIG Newsletters

Re: FMIG LINES 104 pp. 41-60

* Continuation of the CTC article
* A parallel article about the CTC installation from FRISCO FIRST
* The CTC didn't solve the Dixon Hill problem, so a regrade was done during the later years of WW II. An article, "Dixon Hill Improvements" from the April 1945 issue of TRAINS was reprinted here with permission.
* Another article "Frisco Line Changes Improve Operation" from the August 1946 issue of RAILWAY AGE was reprinted with permission.
* Christmas greeting artwork drawing from Jan Jester.
* Article "Frisco Relocates on Dixon Hill" from the Dec-Jan 1946 issue of FRISCO FIRST, which also appeared in the Frisco Museum's ALL ABOARD.
* Another FRISCO FIRST article about the regrading of Hancock Hill (west of Dixon).
* Track planning for my DJ&H including an early version of the two-deck track plan.
* Line diagram with elevations for the DJ&H.
* Map of Devils Elbow on the Ft. Wood branch
* Several maps of the Newburg, Alhambra Grotto, Notwell Furnace, Bundy Junction, Arlington, Jerome, Dixon Hill areas
* Jerry Hurt collection photo of Mallet 2005 at Newburg

 

FMIG LINES 104 pp.61-80

* DJ&H track planning for: lower Dixon Hill, Franks, upper Dixon Hill, Dixon (with maps and a photo), Jury, Crocker, Swedeborg, Richland, Sleeper, Stoutland, Lebanon (with map), Eastern Junction, N & S Springfield staging.
* DJ&H track planning for the Ft. Wood branch: Lost Hill, Bunk House Trestle, Devils Elbow, Ft. Wood (including map)
* DJ&H track planning for the branch up the old Dixon Hill grade
* Basement prep, control (analog back then), expected traffic density, operating crew, construction sequence, sound, thoughts (I just wish I could build as well as I can plan)
* My employer's train simulator (I ran it once and missed blowing the horn at most grade crossings - I had a commuter train through south Chicago - too many grade crossings)
* Lebanon Subdivision by Brad Slone
* Frisco-Eastern Division by Jan Jester including another Christmas greeting drawing
* Arbor Terrace & Normany (AT&N) Division by Ken Wulfert
* Multiple photos of 4-8-2 1522
* Beaver Arkansas by Bob Wintle
* Ozark Northern by Jerry Hurt including photo of Newburg (from the hill in 1948) and Arlington in 1930
* Alabama, Tennessee & Northern by Keith Davidson
* Frisco & Western Maryland by Andrew Harmantas
* Carl Junction by Karl Brand
* Frisco Northern by Richard Napper
* Great Southern by James Zwernemann
* Frisco of 1944 by Jeff Barclay of Australia
* Birmingham Terminal by Ken & Marsha McElreath with track plan and color photos

 

FMIG LINES 104 pp. 81-100

* Birmingham Terminal by Ken & Marsha McElreath with track plan and color photos - continued
* CB&Q/BN In Quincy, IL by Richard Schultz (one of Ken's operators) including track plan
* ET&WNC "Tweetsie" Railroad of Dean Smith including track plan
* C&O In Southern West Virginia by John Glaab including color photos
* Springfield, IL Railroad Society including track plan
* Crab Town Model Rail Road Association including track plan and color photos
* Frisco steam locomotives from kits including 1912 prototype photo of 2732 at Monett, MO and model 2727 by Doug Hughes
* Operations article based on the Severna Park (MD) Chesapeake & Allegheny including track plan, operations diagram, sample car cards, color photos
* Editorial regarding too many magazines

 

FMIG LINES 105 pp. 1-18

Dated Spring 1991, more than a year after the big issue 104

* Query regarding all the Frisco prototype layouts
* Comments on HO model GP-7s, especially scale-width hoods
* Modeling Dixon Hill for steam eras
* Frisco Museum promo
* Heavyweight Pullmans including a table of Frisco acquisitions along with references to modeling articles
* More about modeling Springfield, MO
* Sanborn map of South Side Shops in Springfield
* The Springfield Terminal Division of Rick McClellan update with color photos and trackplan
* Frisco - Eastern Division of Jan Jester
* Lebanon Subdivision of Brad Slone including a newspaper article about Bradley and a college scholarship awarded to him
* Oklahoma Western of Jim Rucker including a benchwork leg construction drawing
* Gasconade River and Lebanon of Jeff Barclay
* Letter from old friend Ted Ferkenhoff, who is active here on frisco.org
* Updates from me on finalizing the DJ&H design including feedback from Paul Dolkos, Doug Gurin, A. Gordon Everett, Tony Koester, Dean Smith, Tony Steele, Frank Bryan, and Jim Rucker - I became a firm believer in getting help with design and trackplanning through this exercise.

 

FMIG LINES 105 pp.19-36

* Comments on the DJ&H design from: Jan Jester, Ed Vondrak, Michael Newton with supplemental information about Lebanon, MO including industry and track maps
* Resulting DJ&H design changes: Newburg, Lebanon, and Lindenwood (east staging)
* Lindenwood details
* Revised DJ&H trackplan for east staging/Lindenwood to include interchange (staging) with the T.R.R.A., Alton & Southern, and River Division
* Frisco Northern of Richard Napper
* Gale Hall heard from
* Glenn Young heard from
* Mike Condren heard from
* Mike Stahlman heard from
* Marty Lofton heard from while he was still living in Salinas, CA - several pages of early Sunshine Models advertisements were presented since Marty featured so many Frisco prototype freight cars
* Springfield Illinois Railroad Society update from Walter Black
* ET&WNC of Dean Smith including comments on the DJ&H design
* CB&Q/Hannibal Division update from Richard Schultz

 

FMIG LINES 105 pp.37-54

* CB&Q/Hannibal Division update from Richard Schultz continued
* More from the Cedar Rapids operators including Ken McElreath
* Operations feature - August 1990 operating session on Tony Koester's Midland Road with many color photos
* E. S. Dellinger fiction from RAILROAD MAGAZINE March 1951 "Rule 99".

 

The E. S. Dellinger stories are a favorite.

 

Re: E. S. Dellinger

I researched the subject many years ago. I think the U of NM Library has the collection.

FMIG LINES 106, which I'm almost finished scanning, has another. I may have one or two others in the basement that I've not published since they didn't have a "Frisco" feel. His stories fell into three categories: Frisco, MoPac, and western roads.

Mike, we need to check the member list for someone in New Mexico. Doug

 

FMIG LINES 106 pp. 1-19

Dated October 1991. It's exciting to re read these classics from years ago. I'd forgotten just how information-full they were.

* Idea for a newsletter for Frisco-prototype layout builders actually gelling
* CEO Profile - me (Doug)
* Chesapeake & Allegheny update in July 1991 Model Railroader
* Review of Layout Design News 7 of March 1991
* P. Allen Copeland heard from
* Birmingham Terminal of Ken McElreath update with many color photos
* "How I Began Railroading, A Symposium" by T. Ernie Davis taken from Railroading Magazine February 1957
* 1522 Update from Don Wirth
* Arbor Terrace & Normandy/Newburg, Rolla & Cuba update from Ken Wulfert
* Ozark Railway of Michael Newton
* Update from Brad Slone
* Aurora Missouri in O Scale by Mike Stahlman
* DJ&H of Doug Hughes, construction start and Newburg revised track plan
* Kitbash for HO T.R.R.A. FM H-10-44 700 from Cary and Athearn components
* Frisco Museum possible layout by Alan Schmitt

 

FMIG LINES 106 pp. 20-40

* Updates from Charlie Dischinger regarding ideas for modeling Springfield including a neat prototype traffic density diagram
* Springfield Terminal Division of Rick McClellan including photos
* Black Bear & Western of Richard Allen
* Oklahoma Western of Jim Rucker
* City of Apple Valley of Jim Rucker, including track plan
* Jack McCullough update
* Central Division - Jim Kenney of Alberta introduction
* Frisco & MoPac of Ted Ferkenhoff
* Southwestern Division of Gordon Everett
* West Plains of Mike Holt
* Kansas City and Southern of Ron White including photos plus 1979 KC Terminal Division, Grandview Branch Industry Schematics for: Melville-Dodson, Jeffreys, Grandview, Belvidere, Belton, Harrelson, Peculiar, Harrisonville (of much interest lately), and East Lynne
* Frisco Northern of Richard Napper including a track plan (and photos starting on page 41)

 

FMIG LINES 106 pp. 41-60

* Photos of Richard Napper's Frisco Northern
* Update from Tony Koester on the Midland Road plus insights on the Railroad Model Craftsman (RMC) Editorship "removal" (or whatever). As you recall, Tony built up the RMC readership and author base to a very high level and was asked to leave by Hal Carstens as a reward. Carstens' loss was Kalmbach's gain.
* Tweetsie of Dean Smith and photos
* Article by me regarding layout town name choices based on Frisco prototype town names with a musical connection
* Columbia & Western RR of Jack Rice including a three-level track plan, newspaper article, and photos from the time he was a trombonist in big bands
* "Born To The Rails", E. S. Dellinger fiction featuring 4-6-2 No. 1066 taken from Dec. 1955 Railroad Magazine

 

FMIG LINES 107 pp. 1-15B

Dated August 1992

* Index on page 1
* Era Choice Article expanded by Doug
* Steam modeling (circa 1992) tips by Doug
* Modeling 2-8-0 76 & 77 in HO by Doug
* CEO Profile - Richard Napper
* NMRA Achievement Program
* MR Coverage of Ron Williams' CATS layout
* NMRA Layout Design SIG special feature on yard design

 

FMIG LINES 107 pp. 16-32

* Frisco Northern of Richard Napper (cont. from p. 15)
* Frisco Museum portable layout at Silver Dollar City
* 1522 - major updates from Don Wirth plus photos from Ken Wulfert and news articles from Dixon MO weekly
* Gasconade River & Lebanon of Jeff Barclay - details on design and a suggested track plan from Doug
* Cuba Yard of W. Ted Ferkenhoff
* Frisco - Eastern Division of Jan Jester with letters from Rhodes Greece plus MMR announcement from MCoR

 

FMIG LINES 107 pp. 33-46

* Dixon, Jerome & Hancock of Doug Hughes - benchwork start and Felix the Helix details
* City of Apple Valley of Jim Rucker
* ET&WNC of Larry Smith with color photos of structure
* T.R.R.A. of Larry Thomas
* E. S. Dellinger fiction "The Rawhider" from July 1975 Railroad Magazine
* Updates from Gordon Everett and Gary McCullah

 

FMIG LINES 108 pp. 1-14

Dated November 1992

* Table of Contents
* Potential new members
* Editorial regarding layout building
* Gettysburg 76 2-8-0 update
* Editorial regarding model contests
* Gasconade River & Lebanon of Jeff Barclay - upcoming trip to the USA
* 1522 update from Don Wirth
* Springfield Terminal Division of Rick McClellan with many photos
* Jerry Hurt reporting in
* Frisco-Eastern Division - Jan Jester reporting in from Rhodes regarding the Newburg station project
* Dixon, Jerome & Hancock of Doug Hughes with Felix the Helix progress
* Davidson & Bottle Creek RW of Mike Corley with planning issues - many maps on following pages

 

FMIG LINES 108 pp. 15-28

* Various maps of Snyder, Manitou, Frederick, & Davidson Oklahoma and Vernon Texas to support Mike Corley's layout planning

 

FMIG LINES 108 pp. 29-46

* More from Mike Corley
* Charles L. Dischinger, MMR 186
* Richard Napper's HO model Frisco side-door caboose 1150
* Poem, "Wreck of Number Five" by George V. Hennessey
* Calico & Turpin Springs of Ron Williams
* Columbia & Western of Jack Rice
* E. S. Dellinger fiction "Block Signals" from July 1939 Railroad Magazine based on the Lebanon subdivision
* PC Rail

 

FMIG LINES 109 pp. 1-18

Dated March 1993 - FMIG layout designers getting their feet wet with PC track planning

* Table of Contents
* Lots of new members
* Outline for a seven-hour layout design forum I hosted 1/30/93 for 19 designers
* Review (not really positive) of PC-Rail
* DJ&H East Staging Yard (Lindenwood) drawing done with PC-Rail
* CEO Profile - Nicholas (Nick) J. Molo
* CEO Profile - Thomas (Tom) W. Moody
* 1522 Updates from Don Wirth
* Gasconade River & Lebanon of Jeff Barclay
* Dixon, Jerome & Hancock of Doug Hughes
* KC, Ozarks & Southern RW of Charlie Dischinger
* Large, information-filled report from Charlie Dischinger re modeling Springfield Yard circa 1964 - planning efforts to support Ron Williams' new layout
* Train Schedule for Springfield in 1964
* Frisco locomotive roster in 1964 proportioned for Ron's layout
* Consists of modeled passenger trains: 3, 4, 9, 10, 107, 108, 105, & 106
* Operating data sheets, including schedules, priorities, and blocking for freight trains: 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, 437, 131, 133, 134, 136, and 138-435

 

FMIG LINES 109 pp. 19-36

Continuation of Dischinger report on modeling Springfield Yard

* Operating Data Sheets for freight trains: 235, 330, 337, 730, 731, & 434-135
* PC-Rail drawings by Charlie Dischinger of: Springfield Yard, Aurora MO, & Bolivar MO
* Western Division SL-SF of Michael (Mike) Newton
* City of Apple Valley of Jim Rucker
* Missouri, Arkansas & Pacific of Vincent (Vince) Griesemer
* DJ&H Lindenwood Yard (east staging) throat design drawing done with PC-Rail
* Photo of Frisco (C&EI) 0-8-0 number 1
* Photo of Frisco (C&EI) 4-4-2 number 325
* Kansas City and Southern of Ron White
* St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern of Andrew (Drew) Hackmeyer
* Nick Molo reporting in
* West Florida Railroad of Thomas (Tom) Moody, a frisco.org member yet today
* E. S. Dellinger fiction - well had run dry - no more available
* NMRA Valley Forge Express '93 plans (I gave an operations clinic and sat in on a LD-SIG panel discussion)