Rick McClellan's Northern Division

Attached are some photos of the Northern Division of the 19th St. engine facility. As you can see, it is still a work-in-progress but gives you the overall feel of the structure. I was able to use the prototype length (approx 172') but had to compress the width to fit my limited space. I think it gives the essence of the structure.

Lots of work went into the basic structure including packages and packages of those Rix concrete wall sections. I think they look really close to the concrete block walls of the structure. I used Evergreen roofing with the ribs every scale foot and it took an evening and a half to get all of them on. Rix roof vents on the ridge look similar to those on the prototype soooooooo I used those too. The roof comes off and I may add lighting later.

Windows have been a challenge. I have had to modify some Micro Engineering windows to work in the concrete wall sections and still need to find something close for the windows serving as sky lights on what appears to be a section floor.

I decided not to model the engine pits at 19th St. I had a big challenge getting styrene cut close and smooth enought to look like poured concrete for the fueling pad. Still need to add details to the area but I think it is starting to look like the prototype. Also need to get the darned thing painted but it looks ok for now. Can't forget the concrete retaining walls behind the alley track. My initial effort is ok but needs to be finished and need to get started on some sort of back drop.

More photos to follow. . . .

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

Rick, looks great - even that RS-2 in the foreground. I only remember once growing up in Dixon when the MWF local had an Alco instead of a GP-7, and I didn't know the difference between RS-1's and RS-2's back then. I just noted the different sound and asked the switchman working the ground if it was an Alco.

Do you have a sound module in it?

Can you post a photo of the prototype engine house at 19th? Your model is very impressive. Doug

 

Thanks for the kind words, still a lot of work left to do but it is ALL GOOD.

I should have added my disclaimer that since backdating, I may edge a little forward with my motive power such as the GP7Ls and the RS in Frisco paint. As the earlier models come available they will be added to the roster. Beggars (me) can't be choosers. I see why everyone likes this period. Passenger trains, oil tank trains, stock cars, express cars, different railroads, etc. I had to rework my paperwork so we have the CGW instead of the CNW, the Wabash instead of the NW, etc. This is great! Almost like a new layout.

No sound yet, going to do that one engine at a time.

AND those RSs belong to Mr. Mark Davidson, they are just logging time on my layout until he gets going . . . .

I may have a Richard Napper photo of the 19th St engine house I can post. Richard, don't shoot me.

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

Rick:
In that last photograph, notice the colors of the locomotives. B E A utiful ain't they?
Ha Ha!
Bob

 

Yes Bob, Orange and White is a great (high visibility) paint scheme. But then so is black & yellow. One of my life's goals is to convert you to Black and Yellow too. Gosh after seeing the photos, I want to get more done on this building before I shoot it again.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to put in the roundhouse and turntable for 1947. No room. I believe the single track run-through engine house was built in or about 1950 so it is too new but this is one of the compromises I have to live with to do 1947-50 and 1975-78.

We have a wye to the viewer's right to turn the steam engines. Most of 'em are oil burners. I have been pleasantly surprised by the outstanding performance of my Proto 2000 0-6-0 #3803. With a Back EMF decoder, it runs better than the diesels and they run great.

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

Very nice modeling Rick! I may have have missed this (And I'm not really familiar with the Frisco facilities at KC), but when was that structure built? I've seen it photos for years, but never really knew...

Tom

 

Doug asked about a prototype photo of the 19th St engine house and I have a few from the 1970s shot by the late Jan Jester. The photo attached to this message shows the south (engine door) side and the west side with all the windows. On the far left is what I believe is the crew locker room. I didn't have room on my layout to add the locker room.

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

Attached is another shot from Jan looking north at the 19th St Engine House. This is a better shot of the fuel pad and shows the sand tower. It also clearly shows the tank cars in their concrete cradles. I believe the black tank had a Lube Oil stencil on it but the silver tank remains a mystery. If anyone knows the significance of the silver color, please advise.

Wish someone made those 1970s Suburbans . . .

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

This final shot I call "The Backside of the Moon." We train nerds rarely get the backside of buildings but not this time. This shot shows all the windows on the east side of the building. Mark Davidson and I measured this building and the window spacing noting that the windows were spaced unevenly the entire length of the east side. No good ideas why either. This building is a chance to forget all the measuring rules you learned.

Also present is the Lube Oil storage tank and the alley track. It appears that an asphalt road ran beside the alley track.

I like the rail bumping posts and have added those to the facility as well.

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

Rick, if you don't already have the NMRA Prototype Model AP certificate, you're close. Doug

 

Chris,

Karl's picture is the north side of the engine house and it shows the unique sanding apparatus and tank. It sure looks to me like the window arrangement for the north side is the mirror image of the south side.

E8s at the fuel pad? Absolutely! If #2022 hadn't been on the Florida Special at the time, you would have seen her fueling and sanding on the fuel pad.

Since I don't have room for separate steam facilities, steam engines will take on fuel oil just south of the diesel fuel pad. If anyone knows how the Frisco made the transition from steam to diesel facilities in KC, I would sure like to know. I can't locate my documentation yet but I believe that the new engine house was built about 1950. If my memory serves me correctly, steam engines were still in service and the time. I think I also have heard that the new engine house occupies the same space that the turntable occupied.

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

Does anyone know when that engine house was built? Diesel era? Or earlier?

Tom

 

It's strictly a diesel-era structure.

I can't find anything with a hard date, but certainly no earlier than 1950 or no later than 1958. Remember the July 1951 flood that put the West Bottoms under water. After the flood a lot of buildings in that area had marks that people had placed on them to note the highest water level. If the shop has such a mark it would date it before the flood. Of course the lack of a a mark doesn't prove anything. A post flood rebuilding would certainly be a good time to build a new structure

I am off to Springfield for a long weekend, will see if I can find more later.

 

Thanks to Karl for the information about 19th St. Wish I had room for one of the turntables. . . . .

I am going to invoke Rule 1 and go without the roundhouse too. Just no room, a common problem for us modelers. Fortunately, I have friendly operators.

We had a Northern Divsion shakedown session last night and I am happy to report that almost all went well. We found a bad throttle and a few cars will need some TLC from the car repair shed. All in all, a pretty good night. Had lots of favorable comments about the 1947 time period and all the black and yellow (and red race horse E8). I have to say that it is NEAT to see some of those B&W photos from my Frisco books come to life as oil tank trains, F3 ABBA lashups, passenger trains, etc. Looks like the Northern Division is back in bidness after being down since February 25.

Since Chris brought up the E8s at the fuel pad, I thought I would add a couple of shots of 2022 with the Florida Special in Merriam and Lenexa. In the first photo, 2022 is just past the Johnson Drive grade crossing in Merriam. The children in the Woody are probably standing up in their seats to watch the engine blow through town. We were able to jump on KC Road and made it to Pflumm in Lenexa in time to see 2022 again and get this shot from the shadow of the depot. The 2022 will be on the 19th St. fuel pad in the next day or so, so look for a photo or two of her as she is serviced.

Ship IT on the Frisco!

Rick

 

Rick--You almost reproduced the art on those Frisco matchbooks--A "Racehorse" and a "Cutworm" side by side. "5000 Miles In Nine States."

Tom

 

Tom,

If I did, it was by accident. I just checked by meager matchbook collection and did not see one like you described. I will keep my eyes open for one of those.

Thanks.

Rick