Extra 43 South

Discussion in 'Action Photos' started by Karl, Aug 5, 2008.

  1. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    By the winter of 1971 passenger cars were surplus equipment, and even the big boys were unloading this type of rolling stock.

    Uncle Pete found a buyer for some of its surplus passenger rolling stock in the rail-traveling Ringling Brothers, Barnum, and Bailey Circus.

    The Frisco handled the approximately 20 car, Florida-bound train between Kansas City and Birmingham. We chased the train to Paola, and we had a difficult time keeping up with it since it approached passenger train speeds. It made a gorgeous sight navigating the reverse curves through Lenexa at 95th Street.

    Drawing two covered wagons for motive power, the train looked as if passenger trains had returned to the Frisco. The only thing that spoiled that illusion was the 1200-class, wide-vision caboose, which was tacked on the rear.

    One shot was taken at Merriam and the other at Lackman.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 15, 2024
  2. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Karl,

    Neat photographs, thanks for posting.

    I bet that was fun to chase. Pulling passenger cars was something FP7As were designed to do!

    I'm surprised UP let the cars go to the circus without red-lining their name on each.

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 15, 2024
  3. gbmott

    gbmott Member

    And even an FP7A at that!

    Nice!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 15, 2024
  4. gbmott

    gbmott Member

    This probably needs to transition to a different thread, but as I think about it SLSF 5043 alternated with SLSF 5048 as the regular power on Monette-Paris trains No 709-710 for a period in the 1950s.

    I have always assumed that being on a two day cycle meant that the full cycle was Paris-Monett-Wichita-Monett-Paris as otherwise a single unit could make the turn on just the Paris train.

    But does anyone know for sure?

    Gordon
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 15, 2024
  5. pbender

    pbender Member Frisco.org Supporter

    So some more info related to this train.

    The web site utahrails.com has a page on the UP cars sold to Ringling and it includes the following note:

    Please see.

    https://utahrails.net/pass/ringling-ex-up.php

    So that may give us an idea of what cars were in the consist in Karl’s photos.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 15, 2024
    Karl likes this.
  6. pbender

    pbender Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I’ve been wanting to replicate this train since I first saw Karl’s photos.

    With Intermountain finally releasing their orange and white F7s, I finally had my opportunity to do so. I posted a video to YouTube of the train I cobbled together. It’s too short, and it’s an F7A instead of an FP7A, but it has the right feel.



    Paul
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2024

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