This unit has been sitting outside Kansas City's Union Station for several weeks now. KCS # 34. I don't know anything about this unit. Can anybody clue me in? Special thanks go out to Mike Haverty that's for sure.
I was fortunate to be allowed to tour the Southern Belle, including that unit when KCS brought the corporate train to Meridian, MS for a celebration a few years ago. I was told that the body, prime mover, and most of the running gear of the Southern Belle's locomotives were still more or less original. But that the original control systems had been totally replaced with modern control systems that were the same as the controls on KCS's current heavy road locomotives. The controls were set up this way so that any qualified road engineer and conductor could volunteer for crew assignment to the train when it was scheduled for business or public relations trips. This assignment was heavily sought after, and the two-man/woman crew were selected by lottery. I think they said that each assignment was for no more than a week at a time, then the next crew on the list would join the train. On the other hand, the rest of the onboard personnel including tour guides were assigned from Headquarters as their permanent job and stayed with the train throughout its trip. During the trip, all personnel lived aboard, did their own cooking and cleaning, and from what I could see, thoroughly enjoyed the assignment.
there was an article in trains magazine a month or two back. I believe that #34 is going to the Union station museum in KC as a display piece. The article has quite a write-up on it. Frisco Bob may also be able to shed some light.
Now that's a classy paint scheme. I hope this is somehow the original unit? Not just a unit picked up from a bone yard, and then paint slapped on? Anyone have more info? Boxcab E50
The KCSHS roster lists four Southern Belle locomotives with only F9A #4 out of service, but the engine in the photo is #34? I wonder if #34 is a fifth Southern Belle engine?
the article i was referring to is in trains magazine, feb. 05, pg 76 & 77. i looked at their website, but no link
That is indeed an ex-Via FP9. I can't remember if it was painted in the "Southern Belle" scheme or not prior to its being selected for being stuffed & mounted, but it IS wearing the freight scheme. It's also a more-or-less permanent display at the depot. I'd like to see some sort of shed placed over this diesel to help preserve the paint, & pretect it from the sun, snow, rain, etc.
Well, the colors are classy. So it's just basically a "dummy" unit? I'd also hope they'll get it under cover! Boxcab E50
That certainly is a beautiful paint scheme, Hope it gets protection to keep it in that superb condition.
The big difference is that the F-unit at Decatur is a slug, converted by KCS. Only other F-unit slug I know of stuffed & mounted is in Hugo, OK, just outside the Frisco Depot Museum. It was delivered to Kiamichi RR in January 1990, and mated to fellow KCS refugee GP7 705 as a road-switcher. The slug was painted in the road's burgundy & white colors, and renumbered SL1. This is the livery it wears today, when it was donated to the museum.
go to www.ttbrm.com for info on train town also go to www.unionstation.org these sites will have alot of info about the f unit
