A Pacific type locomotive said to be ex-SLSF 1014 is being unloaded today off a truck at Keizer Station, a shopping center in Keizer, Oregon. Keizer is a suburban community of Salem, the state capital of Oregon. The engine will be on permanent display at the shopping center. The news release states the engine was built by Baldwin in 1904. Does anyone know its history from 1904 to the present? Supposedly, the engine spent some time in Mexico. I'd like to know more about its travels over the past century. Bob Melbo State Rail Planner Oregon Department of Transportation - Rail Division Salem, OR (503) 986-4137
My diagram book has retirement dates for the four engines in the 1011-1014 Class group as follows: 1011 ret 3/30/49 1012 ret 7/30/49 1013 ret 12/27/50 1014 ret 9/20/51 It's surprising that this Baldwin class of 1904 lasted until the last days of steam on the Frisco. There is no mention of a sale to another RR. It would be nice if you could post a picture. BTW the builder's number for 1011 was 23751
I think the engine you saw the article about is a Mexican 4-6-0, narrow gauge. The little Frisco pacifics were modernized in the late '20s-early '30s with front end throttles and other trinkets. I think they hung around Springfield and Kansas City till they were scrapped.
There's a photo in an article on the steam locomotive here: http://www.keizertimes.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=11271 I can't tell from the photo whether this is a standard gauge or narrow gauge locomotive, but it doesn't have a trailling truck attached, making it a 4-6-0. The angle is bad for doing any additional identification. Paul
looking closely at the picture, it is a 4-6-0. however it looks like theirs room under the cab for a trailing truck and there are what looks to be trucks for the tender already on the ground just behind the locomotive. It does make you wonder though, how many FRISCO steam survivors are there out there that nobody has discovered yet? I remember working for CSX out of Baltimore. Going out toward the bay from curtis bay yard to service industry there was an old wrecked steam engine sitting about 75 feet off the tracks surrounded by tall weeds that looks as though it was just knocked off the tracks and forgotten about. The weeds and stuff were too tall for me to ever be able to tell ya'll what type if steamer it was. It was just sad to see it there allowing time and rust to remove it slowly from existance. Maybe someday someone might come to her rescue.
A lot has been posted on this Mexican narrow gauge on Railway Preservation News and Trainorders.com. It was built as a 4-6-2 and was converted to a 4-6-0. If you want to know more I will post the links. Steve
