Glad to be a member of this forum and learn more about the Frisco. I'm 60, retired from both the Air Force and state government in Missouri and am still working part-time for the Highway Patrol. I've had a lifelong interest in trains and am also working on my family genealogy. My grandfather, John Harvey Wilson, began working for the Frisco about 1900 out of Newburg, Missouri. He was a Fireman who mainly ran freight on the mail line to St. Louis and back. He retired about 1945 and lived in St. Louis until his death. In retirement, he ran a boardinghouse (sometimes called flophouse) near the rail-yards that provided overnight sleeping accommodations for railroaders ending a shift and heading out the next morning. I remember as a child of about 5 or 6 going with him to clean them each day. My father, Leslie Clay Wilson, also worked for the Frisco. He started about 1941 in Rolla, Missouri as a Fireman and later was promoted to Engineer. Most of his career was working out of St. Louis on long haul freights. When the Frisco opened up the Viburnum line in 1966, we moved to Cuba, Missouri where he made daily runs from Cuba to Viburnum to the Doe Run mines at the St. Joe Mining Company. He like that route because he was home every night and the trip ran through some very scenic country full of forests, rivers and game. He did the short-haul runs until he retired in 1972. I'm hoping to learn more about the Frisco in Missouri, find some old pictures and help further my genealogical research. Hello to all !
Wow! What a legacy. Great story! Welcome aboard. Tons of information here. Settle in and enjoy the ride.
Since ya get relatives who worked for the Frisco, this source maybe useful - http://thelibrary.org/lochist/frisco/magazines/ Do a name search and maybe one would show up.
Welcome aboard, Thomas. There's lots of good stuff on Newburg here, including photos of Don Wirth's Newburg Layout in HO-Scale; Don's handle is frisco1522. Best Regards,
