4-8-4 SLSF 4524 Several Pictures of 4-8-4 SLSF 4524, Grant Beach Park, 1300 North Grant Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804. Photos taken November 22, 2000.
4-8-4 SLSF 4524 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 with an eastbound freight train on the Rolla Subdivision at Valley Park, MO, MP 17.9. Photograph dated August 1947. Photographer unknown, but may have initials RS or FFA. These appear on the envelope the image came in without explanation.
Hello Frisco Folks, Here are some photographs of Frisco Northerns 4-8-4 SLSF 4522 and SLSF 4524. Enjoy, Rich Ship it on the Frisco!
Here is a great article on 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 in the Springfield News Leader. http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/LIFE/607140339/1093 FM
There could be no longer any doubt. Steam on the Frisco is dead! The biggest and best are being stuffed and mounted for display in museums and municipal parks. In shots taken during the fall of 1953, the 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 awaits more sprucing-up before she heads for retirement. Sans lettering, a big locomotive looks even larger. At least the SLSF 4524 will escape the torch, and she will spend her days at Grant Beach Park, Springfield, MO. Sadly she has spent more time in the park than she did producing ton-miles for the Frisco. As is known by devotees of Frisco steam, she made the trip to her final resting place under her own power so to speak. Her boiler was charged with compressed air and she "steamed" east down Calhoun Street, after departing the West Belt. Just several sections of panel track provided the temporary route to the park. As I recall the details, the track had been cribbed through a low spot on Calhoun Street in order to provide a more tolerable vertical curve. As the SLSF 4524 negotiated the sag, she almost went over. Had that happened, she probably would have been cut up on the spot.
They misquoted us on a lot of things! 24 tons is the correct weight. Come and see us if you are in this area. Bill Houser
SLSF 4524's move to Grant Beach Park The folks that caretake the 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 have acquired some color, home movies of the locomotive's move to Grant Beach Park, and burned it to a DVD. The quality is just average, but the content makes-up for any deficiencies. There are a few surprises on the DVD as well.
12" to the Foot Frisco Brass Looking as if she has just come from the importer's foam-filled box, 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 has the appearance of a 12-inch-to-the-foot brass locomotive. These shots were taken during January 1987. Delivered to Springfield's Grant Beach Park in the Frisco basic black, the SLSF 4524 remained in that scheme until 1987, when she was sand blasted and primed for her new coat. I believe that this may have been her first repainting since her arrival at the park. Clark Hungerford was no longer on the scene, and the 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 returned to her Frisco Faster Freight livery.
4-8-4 SLSF 4524 Today at Springfield, MO. Click the link below to see the museum and locomotive. http://www.rrhistoricalmuseum.zoomshare.com/
The old girl looks nice, but could somebody PLEASE paint over the whitewalls and counterbalances with some good old black paint?
This is a really neat shot of 4-8-4 SLSF 4524, published in one of Lucius Beebe's books. It was later perpetuated by Howard Fogg, who did a color painting based on the photograph. This is the painting on the cover of Lloyd Stagner's book Steam Locomotives of the Frisco Line. Many of Fogg's wonderful locomotive paintings were based on earlier photographs. One of the unusual things about this 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 picture can be seen in the background. Off across the Meramec River lowlands, you can see freight cars on the parallel Missouri Pacific Railroad. Ken
I have been told by someone close to the project that 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 is receiving a fresh paint job. That is the good news. The bad news is that "The Board" has made the decision to paint the tires and counterbalances silver as someone had done before. I just cannot understand why you would go to the trouble to repaint the engine, put the FFF logo back on and then ruin it by painting it like a circus engine. Forgive me for ranting, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves with display equipment. There has to be a way to start a letter writing or emailing campaign to stop this total lunacy. People of Friscoland, rise up and overturn this travesty.
Don, Could you take a look at my post on the paint scheme of the 4-8-4 SLSF 4524. Also, if you are close to Springfield come out and help us. Bill Houser President Railroad Historical Museum Springfield, MO
Don, Thanks for replying about the paint on the 4-8-4 SLSF 4524 with a private message. But if you go to the trouble to indicate that its LUNACY and a TRAVESTY about the paint scheme on the SLSF 4524 posted on this forum, then your reply should have been done on the forum as well. We are taking into consideration painting the smoke box back to as close to factory as possible but the pictures we have will make it a challenge. I also feel that no matter what scheme we use someone will not like it or say its not the right colors. We have a web site so if the people need to contact us it will be easy to do so. www.railroadhistoricalmuseum.zoomshare.com Once again we are always looking for people to volunteer and help us at the museum. And we are open to ideas that will improve the museum as we are trying to preserve railroading history. Bill Houser President Railroad Historical Museum Inc. Springfield, MO
Bill, here is the PM that I sent. I apologize for the Lunacy and Travesty remarks, but I have seen so many of these projects go sideways because someone who has no idea of what the locomotive should look like in order to resemble what it was in its glory decides to put some outlandish paint job on it, such as the 4-8-2 SLSF 1527. Re the smokebox and firebox, a flat(ish) black would closely resemble what she looked like as delivered and in service. I have never measured the numbers on the tender with the FFF logo, but they appear to be about 3" too tall, but that is a minor thing. Once again, we all appreciate the effort you folks are putting into the restoration, just as we appreciate the 4-8-4 SLSF 4500 and SLSF 4502 restorations recently done. Here is the PM: Mr. Houser, We are all appreciative of all the hours that have been put into the cosmetic restoration of the 4-8-4 SLSF 4524. I for one can appreciate your efforts as I was involved in the original restoration to operation of the 4-8-2 SLSF 1522 and served as its Chief Mechanical Officer and one of the three FRA certified engineers from 1988-2002 so I know what you have done. My comments about the paint job are from a viewpoint of authenticity. I am sure you know the 4524 never sported whitewalls or painted counterbalances in her career. She only had two different paint schemes from 1943 until her retirement. As delivered, she had the attractive FFF logo on the tender and stripes. After Clark Hungerford became president of the Frisco he decreed all the fancy paintwork would be eliminated at the first shopping or painting, resulting in SLSF 4524 being painted plain black with 30” high numbers centered on the tender. Painting of “Park Engines” can and has reached extremes. Worst case I have ever seen is Frisco 4-8-2 SLSF 1527 in Mobile, AL. It looks like whoever painted the engine was high on acid. The drivers are bright red with whitewalls and it goes downhill from there. I am sure the engine and former Frisco folks in Mobile are embarrassed by it. The 4-8-2 SLSF 1501 in Rolla, MO for a time had a circus train paint job until someone came along and did the job correctly, although with whitewalls. It sounds like your mind is made up, and family health issues prohibit me from coming down to help, so I wish you the best with the restoration. Don Wirth
