Please see the following link for a trackside view of the Le Flore, OK depot. http://www.depotmaps.com/Images/DepotOK/LeFlore[SLSF]OK.jpg The depot's agent / operator bay faces ?. Can anyone confirm the specific address / location? Leflore is on the Arthur Subdivision at mile post 468.6. To date I have been unable to locate an original site address, orientation, or other historical information on this structure. Any help in obtaining photographs, measurements, field notes or other documentation and posting it to this site would be greatly appreciated. The depot is in need of extensive restoration. Fortunately, the roof has been covered with corrugated sheet metal which will in the short term help preserve the structure. The depot address is believed to be near Line Street (a/k/a Main Street or County Road 159) and the former railroad right of way. It is currently being used for a farm storage building. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Frisco depot from Le Flore, Oklahoma is now owned by and at the Oklahoma Railway Museum. It is currently under restoration.
Thank Joe and Ozarktraveler for the like. The depot was in really sad shape and the road trip from Lefore to the ORM did not help it but it made it. The bay window area was trashed, had to be removed and has been replaced. I am currently assisting in the rehab/rebuild and its getting better. In all honesty the thing was nothing more than firewood and a new one could have been built for cheaper. But that being said it is now water under the bridge. It has a completely new roof and unlike the original will have a bathroom added in so the people who will be working inside will not need to go find a privy. The original when built in 1908 never had facilities inside and the restrooms at the museum are a short distance away from where the depot sits. So I will take some shots this weekend and try to get them posted so everyone can see it and its current state and know its still in existence. There is a photograph on line of when it was sitting in Lefore still and it was very derelict looking.
Forgot to add it has company as we have the old Oakwood, Oklahoma depot that was originally on the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient line (ATSF after 1929). It was moved here and restored back in the early 2000s.
In the one shot you can see the 100 foot turntable bridge from Frisco's Oklahoma City East Yard behind the depot. It was originally installed in Sapulpa, Oklahoma in 1920 but Frisco moved it to OKC in 1929 to replace the OKC 82 foot turntable. The turntable bridge weight is 215,000 pounds.
Hurrah! It must have been a challenging move and now comes the restoration phase. Looking forward to pictures, etc.
The move was a nightmare but that is behind us now. Still a few nightmare issues ahead but we will persevere.
Actually had mushrooms growing on some of the woodwork, hundreds of mud dauber nests and a few snake skins here and there. No treasure of any sort other than old rectangular iron nails.
The turntable move was relatively smooth and painless. Now getting it in place when the pit is done will be a chore but that is a way down the road yet.
Sorry, dang fingers have a mind of there own. Will post more pictures as the restoration progresses. Karl
I first laid eyes on that depot off in the field at Leflore back in 1979 I think. I was in the process of following the tri-weekly southbound freight, loosely called "the Southman" by the Frisco crews, and had made a stop at Leflore. It was within eye shot of the rails. Over the decades since, I have seen it a few times. Of course, each time it was further deteriorated. Cool that it is going to be restored. Never mind it is like the "same" axe that has had the head replaced twice and the handle four times! Looks like you all are doing a good job. Andre
Well it is no longer rotting away into oblivion. Did more work today to start covering windows and doors to help keep dust and moisture out. Will have heat and air installed before long to keep interior under climate control. This will help dry things out as the dampness has not been kind to the interior wood. We want it dry when we refinish and paint interior.
The east side of the depot has the small single window which provides light into the freight room area It is the only window for the freight room. It will be swapped out with a large, taller window from the north wall office window in order to provide more natural light into the freight room. So other than the 2 windows swapping places, the addition of a single restroom added in the freight room area and the addition of heat and air to the building, it will be as close to original as possible. The roof shingles are not the same as original when built I think that the original style shingles did not last the life of the depot anyhow. It probably ended up with different shingles later in its lifespan. Some critics may not be happy with these minor differences but then again the thing could have fallen down given a few more years abandoned and derelict, became a fire victim or have been torn down. Just food for thought. Everyone should be thankful that it still survives, It will now be seen by thousands of people in a much more pristine state rather than a few just stumbling across in its derelict condition when train watching or by happenstance.
