GP15-1 102
GP15-1 102 at Wichita, Kansas on June 11, 1978.
GP15-1 102 at Wichita, Kansas on June 11, 1978.
Caboose 876 at Wichita, Kansas on February 26, 1977.
GP7 632 at Wichita, Kansas on May 4, 1977.
GP7 630 at Birmingham, Alabama in October 1967.
The locomotives are in the Mechanical Department’s locomotive service tracks area at East Thomas Yard. The locomotives are sitting southwest of the turntable and former steam engine roundhouse converted to diesel shop. The building in the background is the crew locker and shower room. Across the parking lot to the northeast is the yard office and tower.
GP7 630 was built on February 20, 1952 and delivered to the railroad on March 1, 1952. This unit was among 96 similar units built at EMD’s Cleveland, Ohio plant. The Frisco’s other 32 GP7L units (128 in total) were built at EMD’s plant in La Grange, Illinois. The unit would ultimately be repainted in the mandarin orange and white scheme. It was retired on December 18, 1979. This locomotive was among the last 20 GP7L units on the roster when the remaining group was sold to Precision National Company (PNC). It was ultimately scrapped.
Behind the subject locomotive is an unidentified NW2 phase V unit (SLSF 260-265). The significant spotting features in this view include the single taper hood top to the cab front and the absence of side sill frame falsies inboard of the step wells. Frisco’s other NW2 units were phase IV (SLSF 250-259). These units featured a two-step hood top (taper then horizontal) to the cab front and had side sill frame falsies, downward extensions, inboard of the step wells.
We can narrow the identification of this specific locomotive to most likely unit 262, 263 or 265. Photographic evidence indicates units 260 and 264 had small flagging equipment boxes on the walkway below the front radiator intake. Unit 261 spent almost its entire life assigned to Wichita, Kansas.
The view is looking north.
Special thanks to Mark Davidson.
This letter was donated to the Frisco Archive by Fred Pavey. He commented: I have two typed letters written to my father (Frisco employee in Wichita) by another Frisco employee working in Joplin. The first letter is dated 12/19/51 and in the three page letter he talks about what is happening on the Frisco in Joplin. He talks about his seniority, he lists six engines that are to be knocked down and towed to Springfield for scrapping, he elaborates about diesels replacing steam and how he is concerned for his job (Hostler), he talks about young college educated men being hired in and how inexperienced they were regarding railroading. There is much more to this letter about operations on the Frisco in and around Joplin.
Special thanks to Fred Pavey for this donation.
Caboose 11601 (Frisco 1273) at Wichita, Kansas on March 6, 1982 (Allan Ramsey).
GP15-1 102 at Wichita, Kansas on September 5, 1977 (Allan Ramsey).
GP7 584 at Wichita, Kansas on June 11, 1978.
Caboose 11711 (Frisco 1776) at Wichita, Kansas on September 7, 1981 (Allen Ramsey).
NW2 261 at Wichita, Kansas on February 10, 1973 (Allan Ramsey).