Daily Archives: November 15, 2018

Business Car 2

by Frisco.org Posted on November 15, 2018
Business Car 2 in 19th St Yard, Kansas City, Mo in August 1976
Business Car 2

Business Car 2 in 19th St Yard, Kansas City, Mo in August 1976.

Photograph was taken in 19th Street Yard, mile post 0.0 (MP 0.0). The business car is sitting just south of the access road to the Mechanical Department’s service tracks and diesel shop area. In the distance to the right of and partially hidden by the tree is the southeast corner of the single track diesel shop. The shop is located at 1900 Allen Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64108.

Standing above the caboose roof is one of four standpipes for unloading diesel fuel tank cars. The horizontal pipe is a steam line from the boiler room in the southwest corner of the diesel shop. Just south of the diesel shop are two repurposed tank cars each mounted on a concrete saddle cradle. The tanks hold lubricants and waste oil.

There are several interesting features of note about the business car. The car has been turned in preparation for a trip south from Kansas City. The steam line connection to the left of the coupler has been removed. The underbody piping remains; however, by this time the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were entirely self-contained on the car. Note the various underbody battery boxes, fuel tank holders and equipment between the trucks.

Starting from the rear of the car the side windows include 2 in the observation lounge, 4 along the hall, 2 in the dining room, 1 at the steward compartment and 1 in the kitchen. On the roof are multiple antennas for radios, telephones, televisions and a couple of kitchen ventilators. Also, someone has left a Coca-Cola can on the car’s end buffer.

View is looking northeast.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson for description.

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U25B 816

by Frisco.org Posted on November 15, 2018
U25B 816 at Memphis, TN(date unknown)
U25B 816

U25B 816 at Memphis, TN (date unknown).

The train is departing on the south yard lead out of Tennessee Yard, mile post 496.4 (MP 496.4). The train is south bound entering the Tupelo Subdivision. Also in the locomotive consist are a General Electric (GE) high nose U25B, a third U25B and an unidentified General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) general purpose (GP) unit.

The lead locomotive is on the overpass over East Shelby Drive. The west bridge guardrail is to the left of the locomotive’s pilot. In the far distance above the guardrail note the grain elevator. It sat west of the middle of the yard bowl, adjacent to the passenger main, near the diesel shop and service tracks area. This elevator will be demolished to make room for the modern day intermodal hub center facilities.

In the foreground are the thoroughfare, hump lead and hump bypass tracks. The bypass track was used for explosives, livestock and other commodities unsuitable for humping operations. On the right is the yard office with attached hump crest tower. The silver tank south of the tower holds journal oil. Just before the hump crest is an inspection pit and equipment to spray lubricant into car journals.

Just above the hump crest, to the left of the hump tower near the north end of the yard is the roof of the Mechanical Department’s car repair facility. There are three 760 feet long car repair tracks. The shop is 80 feet wide by 460 feet long and can accommodate under cover 45 cars. This shot also shows many of the 17 floodlight structures to illuminate the yard facilities. Included are six 120 foot fabricated steel towers and eleven 100 foot steel poles.

View is looking northwest.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson for description.

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