RS-1 104 at Springfield, Missouri (date unknown) (R. Wallin).

The subject locomotive is in storage on the north of two tracks at the Springfield Stockyards. The stockyards are west of North Broadway Avenue, at the east end of Springfield Yard. The yard is also known as West Yard or Kansas Avenue Yard. The stockyard tracks sat on a rise south of the Frisco’s main tracks, yard leads and locomotive service tracks area.

Coupled to the front of the locomotive is another RS-1, 105. The Frisco Archive also includes an afternoon photograph of that locomotive taken in 1969.

The date helps establish timeframe context to explain several factors in this image. Records indicate both locomotives, along with sister RS-1s 103 and 108, were retired in November 1969. That is why the units are in storage outside the Mechanical Department’s area. The units are in just before being shipped to Electro-Motive Division as trade-in for new locomotives.

In the distance to the right of the road switcher’s pilot is the lattice boom of a crane. This is the timeframe when construction was started on the improvements at the service tracks area and the city began constructing the new North Kansas Avenue viaduct. Also visible are locomotives at the service tracks area. The service tracks are just east of the Springfield Diesel Shop.

The view is looking northwest.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson.