I was browsing on Mike Condren's website and came across this picture showing SLSF239 in 1968: http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/Frisco Catalog/Others/FR561.jpg Does anybody know the story behind the large Black on yellow coonskin on the side of this caboose? Did the coonskin survive past the application of a 4 digit number later in 1968? (I believe 239 should have become 1239). It looks like it is in TOFC service, was it assigned to that service, or is that just a coincidence? Does anyone know if other cabooses were painted in this scheme? Thanks, Paul
I think it is a panal off a tri-level. I have a friend who has one that looks like the one in the photo and he said it was off a tri-level.
http://www.cbu.edu/~mcondren/Frisco Catalog/U25Bs.htm Check this site, and go down to photo FR323. The panal is on a tri-level on the next track.
You are correct, this is definitely a seperate panel, and it may have come from an autorack, but that doesn't answer any of the questions I asked in my original post. I'm just trying to figure out whether the use of the coonskin of this size was unique to this caboose, and durring what timeframe the large coonskin is appropriate for the side of the caboose. Paul
There was a silver m/w caboose with a similar coonskin, though smaller (Nick Molo's book, page 121 #101166). Could those "signs" have been done with Scotchlite?? They look more "manufactured" than painted. Tom
Since some more photos of SLSF239 have been posted to this thread: http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=409&page=2 I thought I'd bring up my questions about SLSF239 again.... Was the use of the coonskin of this size unique to this caboose, and durring what timeframe is the large coonskin appropriate for the side of the caboose. (I'm hoping it made it into the 1970s, as SLSF1239, so I can use it on my layout). Paul
Paul, I think I have a photo of the 1239 in the seventies. Let me check at home for the date and location. It still had the "yellow" panel coonskin on it. Nick
Nick, were the International WV caboose cupolas with wide side-window spacing unique to Frisco? Didn't you offer castings in HO for them at one time? If so, are they still available? Doug
Doug, In addition to the Frisco, at least the St. Louis Southwestern (SSW or Cotton Belt), a Southern Pacific subsidiary, and the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range (DMIR) also had similar cupolas. All had the higher "western" style cupola. Hopefully, we can induce Nick to add these higher cupolas to his product line. The Atlas model has the shorter "eastern" close clearance cupola. Mark
Mark, You are correct that the Cotton Belt and DM&IR had similarly spaced cupola windows, although not totally the same. The DM&IR were smaller square 20x20 windows (and the panels were riveted like early versions of ICC cupolas), whereas the Cotton Belts were 20x24 sizes which differed slightly from the Frisco 20x26. Doug, at the moment I don't have plans to produce these cupolas, since as you can see above would be really for one railroad or not so accurate for another. The other cupola I produced with wide set windows was for the N&W and GN ICCs, two larger roads and well-patronized in buying models. NIck
