SW1 10 at Mobile, Alabama in May 1980.

This is on Blakeley Island at the head of Mobile Bay. This view is looking southwest. The switch engine is coupled to one of the Frisco’s idler flat cars. These cars were used to keep the weight of the locomotive off the car float apron bridge.

The equipment is sitting on the track leads to the Frisco’s car float apron. Located just to the west on the Mobile River, there were two tracks on the apron bridge. This bridge’s outer end height could be adjusted relative to attached car floats to account for changes in their displacement which changes during loading and unloading, river depth and ocean tide cycles.

The Frisco Railway owned two car floats. They were named for the two islands serviced by the railroad, the Blakeley and the Pinto. Key railroad served industries on these islands included asphalt processing, ship building, oil refining and storage.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson.