Train No 131 - Kansas City-Springfield - Motive Power And Caboose - 19th Street Yard - 7/20/1968

From Richard Crabtree on Frisco Rails Across Missouri:
Here we see Frisco No. 600, 519, 523 & 543 EMD GP-7s (built between 1950-52) await their next duty call, Kansas City, Missouri, July 20, 1968 courtesy Joe McMillan.

Karl Brand
This four-unit consist has a caboose tacked on the rear, and its on the way to Rosedale to get its train.

John Grady
One year before I was transferred to KC as a Terminal Trainmaster. All of our southbound trains left the 19th Street 'Roundhouse' and brought a caboose with them to Rosedale Yard to get their train. Switch engine would take the caboose and put it on the north end of one of the long tracks on the west side of the yard next to Turkey Creek while the engine would continue to the south end of the yard and when the train was completed the ole yardmaster would have them step over on the train, carmen would give them an air test and when it was "Time" they would depart. We always tried to get #'s 131, 137, 139 out ON TIME. The exception was FSE who came from the UP and some times we added cars and a Frisco caboose or sometimes just the caboose. Rarely was FSE able to RUN THROUGH without something being done to it.

David Lindquist:
Were FSE and NWF the hottest trains at the time?

John Grady
Some people seemed to think so but in my opinion 131 was the hottest as it was a 'hanging meat' train with fresh meat for Memphis, Birmingham and beyond. NWF was probably the hottest north bound train.