Karl, I wish I'd proofread my message more closely. I meant to say Randy. I haven't corresponded with Randy in a while, but at last check he was serving as "webmaster" for the Chaffee Historical Society. Jerry Stroup is his brother, I believe. I will have to double-check next time I talk to my dad. I think Jerry might have been a conductor, but I can not recall for certain. I do know that, either way, he and Jerry both worked for the Frisco. Best Regards,
Jerry and Randy are brothers and Jerry is the webmaster....................I had a pic of them standing in front of a frisco loco but I can't find the darn thing!
That's where I've seen that photo. Thanks, Tim; I don't know why I can never keep Randy and Jerry separated. Best Regards,
Larry’s very intriguing photograph of what is obviously train 117 or 118 has raised some questions. Based on the locomotive and train consist this undoubtedly train 117 or 118. I agree with several others that the train in the photograph is operating on double track. Trains 117 and 118 operated over double track between KC and Paola, Ft Scott and Edward, and between East Tulsa and Sapulpa. As noted previously, center passing tracks were located at Merriam, Moss, Eads, and Hillsdale. Between East Tulsa and Sapulpa there was a center-passing track at Bowden. See page 52 of Frisco Southwest for a Preston George photo of 4149 taken at this location. The terrain at Bowden is in no way similar to Larry’s photograph, so the previous assessment that his photograph was taken between KC and Paola. It’s definitely was not taken at Merriam nor Moss, and since there was at set of curves at Eads, that leaves Hillsdale as the most likely location. The pole line on the KC Subdivision between KC and Paola was location on the east side of the track, so the train in the image is southbound 117. But at first glance something is amiss. It would seem that the shadow of the train has been cast on the fireman’s side, which would make this an afternoon shot which is much too late for The Firefly or even The Texas Flash. What gives? If we examine other aspects of the photograph, I think that we’ll come to a different conclusion. See the attached file. The apparent shadow is straight, and not shaped like the anteater nose of the locomotive. The east side of the rails on the southbound main line is in sun. The west side of the rails on the passing track is in shade. The locomotives running board steps and skirt in sun on the firemen’s side; they are in shadow on the engineer’s side. The snout’s shadow on the pilot apron is centered, which indicates a “high” sun. The top half of the snout is lit; the bottom half is in shade. Again, this indicates a “high” sun. Lastly, if we tweak the exposure and contrast (see page2 in the attached file), it becomes more apparent that the sun is high on the fireman’s side of the train, which makes this a late morning shot. So unless the train is running late, it is likely that Larry’s photograph is of The Texas Flash, which places the date at late summer 1946 or the spring of 1947.
