Folks, With the turn of the century locomotives Andre's been posting recently, I could not help but snag this one from the September, 1931 Frisco Employee's Magazine. The caption is included. Best Regards,
Great picture! Thanks for sharing! Question arises, where is Mansfield, MO? Is it on the original Kansas City Ft. Scott and Memphis (KCFS&M) line? Andre
Mansfield is east of Springfield, MO. So yes, it would be part of the KCFS&M system, specifically the section that ran between Springfield and Memphis. Ethan Edit 4/12/2024: Mansfield, MO, MP 248.9, is on the Willow Springs Subdivision. Mansfield is railroad south of Springfield, MO, MP 202.1. Added the mile post and subdivision for Mansfield. MKD
A couple of interesting notes. First, the hyphens in the lettering on the tender. I guess I never noticed that on Memphis Route engines before. Second, Mansfield, MO is home of Laura Ingalls Wilder who wrote about her childhood experiences in a book series called "Little House on the Prairie". Bob
Bob, Look closely, all painted lettering on the engine, except the headlamp number plate, has been retouched by the photographer. As stated in a previous thread, often times certain colors did not "burn" the emulsifiers adequately enough for the actual letters to show. Thus the hand lettered attempt on the negative prior to printing. Therefore, the hyphen may have been added by the photographer. Granted, he may have been duplicating what was actually there, or maybe not. During my years of research into various early era railroads, I have seen scores of prints depicting engines with photographer's hand lettering on them. Yet another reason I have learned over the decades that researching this era is a significant challenge. Andre
My wife and I have visited the Wilder home and museum twice. Mmy wife is a true Little House on the Prairie fan. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about going to Cabool, MO to meet friends at the depot. We sure have some odd town names in this region: Arab, Cabool, Zalma, and so on.
