Can anyone tell me what type(s) of radio antennas the Frisco used on Diesels? I know the F-units used a antenna that looked like a straight pin, and later they used the firecraker antenna, but were there any others?
Here is a different one, used on some 2nd Generation SLSF units. You might need to open this in a different program than Frisco.org has to get the picture enlarged enough to make out the details,but it is there. Some people use Detail Associates #1802 Tom Holley
Tom - Great shot of the top-side of GP35 SLSF 707 (BN 2557)! The antenna is the whip antenna Frisco favored on their second generation units. Also look at the great view of Frisco's favorite Leslie horn! Earlier, as Richard indicated, the Frisco favored the "nail" antenna (I use a 1/2 x 20 wire nail found at any hardware store) on F's, GP's and cabs, and later used some of the Firecracker type until moving to the whip as the newer units came in. Improvements in radio technology over the years allowed use of simpler antenna fixtures. Ken
Ken It also shows just how dirty, oily and plain nasty the tops of these units get too. Also looks as if our beloved 5 chime is actually blowing the grunge off the top in chunks Tom Holley
Tom - Yep, diesel scunge is tough stuff. I think it was particularly bad on the GP35's, as they were the oldest turbo units in the o/w era, and often ran "out of tune" with black smoke coming out of the turbo exhaust. Obviously, the locomotive washer only hit the sides and never got to the top! Look at the rotary beacon - hard to tell it has a yellow lens cap! As you suggested, those three detail parts are available from Details West, so it is very clear how they were arranged on an EMD "Spartan" cab roof. No excuses for not adding these to your Athearn and Atlas Frisco units folks. Ken
I don't know if any of Charlie Dischenger's orange and white HO models appear on this site, but he was the master at creating the exhaust shown in my photo below. His GP-units and U-boats were beautifully painted and weathered. It's too bad he is out of the model hobby right now. John Sanders Springfield, MO
That is a great shot John I am sure glad you had the opportunity and did take this photo, as well as all the others you took, I am certainly thankful for all the Frisco photos, from yourself as well as the others. Tom Holley
That is the best top view picture I have ever seen, does anyone have a picture of the rear top of the GP35 that shows the air line piping?
Richard - I don't have a good top-side pic of the air piping on the top of the Frisco "torpedo boat" GP35's, but I'll post a sketch I made in 1982 of the piping. I forget which one of the '35's it was, but it was in o/w colors and was one of the lower numbers (704, 705, 707, 70? ???). It was sitting under the viaduct east of the depot and Kurt and I walked out over it to get a good close-up view. I didn't have a camera unfortunately. There also is a good drawing of the Frisco GP35's in the Diesel Era issue featuring them. It is the EMD drawing, shows the piping clearly, but has a couple of detail differences from my sketch, but essentially they agree. Ken
