Frisco’s Use of Oil as a Fuel for Steam Locomotives

On August 8, 1905, the Frisco began a test project to determine whether or not crude oil could be used as a locomotive fuel. It began with the conversion of a single Kansas City switch engine, and the addition of a 900 gallon fuel tank its tender. The Frisco built a 150,000 gallon fuel tank on the bluff above the 19th street Yard. Oil was pumped to the storage tank by Standard Oil. The goal was to convert all 30 KC switch engines. By the fall of 1909, 85 of the Frisco’s 900 engine fleet had been converted to crude oil. The Frisco CMO believed that oil offered fuel cost savings when compared with coal, smoke reduction, lower fuel handling costs, better firing results, et al.

For example:

Crude Oil: 138,500 BTU per gallon; Average weight 7.2 lbs/gallon;

Bunker “C” 151,000-155,900 BTU/gallon; Average weight 7 lbs/gallon;

Cherokee County, KS Bituminous Coal: 6.5% moisture; 12.5% ash, 3.3% sulfur, and 12,300 BTU/lb.

At the time, not only was crude oil cheaper than coal, it had a higher heat content, with much less ash. I am still trying to determine when the switch was made from crude to Bunker “C”.

 

One wonders why the Frisco was slow at converting over to oil for their road locomotives.
Logistic problems? Fluctuations in prices of both fuels? World War 1?
1916 restructuring? Cost to convert tenders & locomotives and taking those temporarily out of service?
Fear of a WW2? Federal goverment controlling available metals? Costs of projects to build
land storages? Fear of Unions' striking in coal, at oil producers and within the Frisco?
De-centralized managements' fear of making a mistake? Watching other railroads'
practices.

A lot of "Yes Buts.....!"
There were likely arguments within Board Director's meetings for years.

 

I must disagree with your premise.

It is my opinion that the Frisco got exactly what it wanted as soon as it wanted. That is to say, system-wide(more or less), oil-fueled passenger locomotives, and oil-fueled freight locomotives and yard engines where oil was plentiful. It made sense for the Western, Division, Southwestern Division, and the SL-SF&T to be majority, oil-fueled. The SE Kansas coal fields, the Ouachita coal fields, and Birmingham District coal fields were proximate to the rest of the railroad, and provided a ready source of coal.

The real surprises with regard to the Frisco’s initial foray into oil was the use of crude oil, which from field to field is chemically diverse, and that Kansas City was selected as the test site. Ultimately, the railroads switched to Bunker C, a refined residual product with a greater heat content than crude. The switch gave a more consistent product at a lower cost per volume.

With regard fuel economy and railroading, there is nothing new under the sun. As is the case now and during 1905, railroad management always looked for for fuel with the best economics.

 

OK if that is how you see it. You're the expert, I will go with you.
[They always looked for; I would hope].

Lots of pressures everywhere, a real balance and a challenges for management.
Here is what John Dill wrote.
The Arkansas Scrambler April 2018 Frisco's Mansfield Branch Part 2.

"In the years immediately following the 1923 coal strike, production on the Mansfield Branch plummeted.
The Frisco followed through on a “threat” to cease using Mansfield Branch coal if their fuel supply was disrupted again and convert the Central Division to oil fired locomotives.
The major union mines all closed or suspended operations within a year or so and by 1929 only two small companies were operating a mine with any regularity on the Mansfield Branch
(and one of them was Smokeless on an Arkansas Coal and Mining [Frisco subsidiary] lease).
Although the situation would gradually improve with time, it was many years before coal production along the branch recovered."

I would hope that; the Frisco management would have followed through on a “threat” to cease using coal if they had wanted to.
So the Frisco was not slow to convert! As you said, the Frisco management got exactly what it wanted as soon as it wanted.