I can remember growing up next to the railroad tracks here in town and watching the Frisco red and white diesels go back and forth all day long. Back in those days, the yard here was full all the time and the switcher here worked all day long. Had I known then what I know now I'd have appreciated it more. Now we see black and green engines come through. And it does me good to know that some of those black and green BN engines have a Red and White heart!
Don't you wish that the railroads today would paint a few engines and boxcars in the old fallen flag schemes? People are really into nostalgia today and that would be a good thing for the railroads to do. How would you like to drive along the BNSF tracks in Missouri and see a Frisco engine going up the tracks. I can't imagine how exciting that would be. My grandparents house in Seymour, Missouri was very near the tracks - too near by today's standards. When I was a kid in the late 60's and early 70's I would play in the yard and the trains would fly by. It was like an earthquake, we were so close. I remember those days fondly and wish I could turn back the clock if only for a few minutes. ------------------ Ship It On The FRISCO!
I think you have something there E-8. The big mega RR's today are having a numbering problem. I have thought about what you said before about painting some of the fallen flags RR's I think this would give them away around that problem. Like paint the units assigned to Springfield, Tulsa, Memphis back to the old Frisco colors and numbers. Also my heart skips a beat each time I work thru Eugene Or. and I see some of the short line rr's engines sitting at the roundhouse they are painted like the old Frisco orange and creme but, without the FRISCO of course.
I also miss the FRISCO. It would be great to see BNSF paint a couple of locomotives in the SFSF scheme. Some time ago while driving by the yard in Monett, MO I suddenly noticed a locomotive painted in mandarin and white just like the FRISCO scheme. Closer investigation revealed that the locomotive was lettered for the Colorado & Wyoming RR, but it sure got my blood pressure up for a few moments!
Welcome in Kermit. I can imagine that must have been quite startling. I remember fondly watching the mandarin and white locomotives pulling long trains along U.S. Highway 60 in Southern Missouri. I used to watch them all the time from my grandparents house and also my aunt and uncles house. They both lived near that tracks. What I wouldn't give to see that again. Now it's just a hodge podge of BNSF units plying back and forth O to turn back the clock ..... ------------------ Ship It On The FRISCO!
Yes the other night when I tied up my Amtrak train in Eugene sitting right next to us were 2 orange and creme units. They didn't have a pyle lite in the nose and they had corp under the cab window. But they sure brought back fond memories of times back in the midwest. When the Frisco was the class act of Railroads.
I still have memories of the QLA ripping through Afton in the predawn hours on its way to Tulsa.....the old F units finishing their days in local service, tied up in Afton yard for the night....trying to figure out what the heck that funny-looking high-nose 800 unit was (found out later it was a U25B).... watching a brace of Uboats throttle up, heading train 138 north out of Afton toward Kansas City....my first cab ride on the Ft. Smith North Switcher, in GP15-1 number 100... the Bicentennial caboose (1776) on the end of a fast freight... Granted, BN increased traffic and runs stack trains & pigs, but it ain't the same with the "goat boat" schemes. I console myself with the fact BNSF stands for Been Nothing Since Frisco ------------------ Ship IT on the Frisco! Bob T.
Oh yeah Bob keep me dreaming. QLA queen of the fleet. It wasn't the only hotshot that ran in the mornings thru north eastern Oklahoma. We used to call it the parade or fleet. Usally started with advanced 437 then 437 and QLA and some times and advance QLA. If I remember right the 437's were pigs, auto racks and parts from the midwest via St Louis and the Q was Pigs and other hot freight from the southeast to the LA area. Most all the trains in the parade were lite tonnage flyers. They were what we wanted to catch out of Springfield. Usally go to work at 1 to 3 am be getting off in Tulsa at 7 to 9 am. A lot better catch than the monster BTX. Boy I could go on and on.
Bob, can you provide any more information about Afton, OK especially any yard facilities there. I've passed through there on my way to Tulsa enroute to train shows, etc. There doesn't seem to be much there other than the main line and of course the junction east of town. I noted a large elevator, but it doesn't appear to get any rail traffic which is sad. Thanks. [This message has been edited by Kermit (edited 29 March 2000).]
Kermit, Afton has only a couple short yard tracks and the co-op spur. The grain elevator ships almost totaly by truck. The east leg of the wye has been removed so you can't run to Springfield from the north unless you do some running around.
If you send me your snailmail address via my Email, I'll send you what I remember of Afton back in the day when it was a Frisco town, including the sites of the roundhouse, turntable, and coaling tower, and the station. I can be reached at friscobob_2000@yahoo.com. ------------------ Ship IT on the Frisco! Bob T.
Hello all-- Being new to this forum, I figured I'd put in my 2 cents'worth on remembering the Frisco. I've lived (by coincidence) in many Frisco towns, including St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Springfield, and Dallas... My fondest memory was a ride in a swithcher in the Lindenwood yards at about age 10 (1975). That switcher was orange and white, but I saw several units still in the black and yellow. As a youngster, I often wrote to the Frisco offices, and they kindly replied, often sending old timetables, tickets, etc.. I've been a career school teacher for about 12 years now, but I had a brief foray as a dispatcher with the BNSF (forgive me!) A current interest of mine is the QA&P--I've read the "Quanah Route" and explored some of the old roadbed. Anyone out there have any info/comments/stories on the QAP?
Testing 1-2-3... I'm new to this forum--just posted a reply to the "remembering the Frisco"---it seems to appear in "topic review, but not on the main list of entries under this topic--is there a delay in its positioning on this list?
Welcome aboard TexChris. There is no delay in your post showing up. You should see it within a few seconds after you post it. Thanks for sharing with us. I have The Quanah Route too and that is a great book although I have not completely finished it. Hope to see you around often Charlie ------------------ Ship It On The FRISCO!
