Tom (TAG1014) and I were talking on line earlier today and the subject of the Frisco PTT cover used from 1954 to 1965 came up ... does anyone in the group know the reason, or story behind, why the Frisco PTT art cover showed a rendition of an E8A-E8B? SLSF, as we all know, had no E8B's (or E7B's) in the fleet. I'm going to model a SLSF E8B anyway, if I can ever find the right shade of red to match the P2K E8A units. Ken ps - I have a Frisco post card around here somewhere showing the location along the river used as the setting on the PTT cover. Does anybody know exactly where that is? Nice setting!
Ken--In the July-August 1993 "All Aboard" newsletter from the Frisco Museum, that spot (where the timetable painting shows the "E-8B" in the Meteor consist) is identified as "The Frisco main line along the Meramec River at Mincke, MO, circa 1910." Looks like the time table artist just laid the Meteor in the original picture--sticks, weeds and all. Tom PS: I have a DeLorme Missouri atlas and I can't find "Mincke!"
Ever since I saw my first Frisco timetable I wondered where that cover scene was located, or even if it really was at all but existed only in an artist's imagination, as I knew that they did not have any B units. Since my familiarity of Frisco was KC - Memphis - Birmingham, I always though of the location as being somewhere in the Ozarks between Memphis and Springfield. Obviously, not so. If I ever get around to modeling, I want to build that train. Since they used a B unit which they never owned, I guess I can put a Frisco dome car which they never owned either in the consist. My favorite imaginary Frisco train was a fast Memphis to Birmingham train carrying through cars to Miami for interchange with the City of Miami or Southwind at B'ham. Would work out about right as a schedule to have carried the Memphis - Pensacola cars between Memphis and Amory, MS, and with Southern's cooperation to get a sleeper that got into Atlanta in the early moorning.
There are several old color tinted postcards of this Meramec River scene (Later used on the time tables) for sale now (07-02-08) on eBay. Just go to Google and type "Mincke Missouri" (with quotes). Looks just like the time table except there are no E-8's (A's OR B's) in the picture! Tom
