FP7A SLSF 43 Two photographs of FP7A SLSF 43 in Mandarin orange and white. Location is presumed to be somewhere in Kansas. Photographer unknown. Both are dated December 1969.
FP7A SLSF 43 Train No 730, the daily train, from Ft. Smith usually arrived at the Springfield / Kansas Avenue / West Yards during the wee hours of the morning. On this fall day during 1974, my brother and I chased a westbound freight to Monett, MO. Number 730 surprised us at Monett, as she waited for the westbound to clear. We chased it back to Springfield. Here it is in the Springfield Yards. The shot was taken between Kansas Avenue and Broadway. During this time, covered wagons and GP7s usually handled No 730 and No 731. Given the grades encountered on the Ft. Smith Subdivision, I was surprised that newer, dynamic-brake equipped powered was not used. The ETT's stated that even 900s could operate to Ft. Smith. I have never seen a photograph of one though on the Ft. Smith Subdivision.
