I was just watching a movie, "The Learning Tree", that was filmed at Fort Scott, my home town. The movie takes place in the 1920's. Near the end, the main character waits for a train to go by. The train is a Frisco train. What you see are about 6 outside braced wooden Frisco box cars and a wooden Frisco caboose, with sound effects for a steam locomotive. Glorious! They all looked like they were in mint condition, (much like the old John Wayne movie about the Pensacola Naval Air Station, where a student pilot buzzes a train on the moll). The movie was filmed in the fall of 1968. I saw some of the filming, but unfortunately not this scene. I was just wondering, does anyone know whether it was very easy for the Frisco to round up all those old cars in 1968? I don't know much about freight cars but it seems to me that those cars would be getting rare by 1968.
Larry, No, in 1968 many Frisco trains, including through freights, had those outside braced boxcars, with the wood sheathing replaced with steel. They were as common as the similar Wellston, Addison and Galeton (WAG) cars. The reason for their longevity had to do with their assigned use, which I have forgotten. I have slides that show them commonly at the head of freights, suggesting specialized assignments. Ken McElreath
I remember frequently seeing outside braced SLSF boxcars roll through Rolla during my four years at MSM in the early 1960's (1960-1964). Interestingly, back then, I didn't like seeing those "old fashioned" cars on my Frisco; I liked the looks of the PS-1's and other new SLSF car types much better. Today I love those older cars - they had real personality. Ken
