This photo was taken from the Arsenal street bridge looking east of the Lindenwood Yard. Note the unusual 2 domed tank car. Nick Molo posted a photo from the same spot on June 26, 2015.
RS-1 107 at Springfield, Missouri on October 31, 1965 (Arthur B. Johnson).
The locomotives are on the diesel pocket track.
This track is used for longer term storage of shop bound locomotives. Units located here typically require an above average length of work time in the shop. They are rotated into the shop as space, materials and personnel could be scheduled. Note the locomotives are tied down based on the wedge shaped wood chock blocks under the locomotive’s wheels. In addition to the hand brake, these help prevent the locomotives from rolling down the grade to the west.
The diesel pocket is east of the Springfield Diesel Shop and Kansas Avenue. It is northeast of the Mechanical Department’s service tracks area. The “new” turntable would be installed just to the north of this location. The turntable was relocated and installed in the late 1970s after the new diesel shop and service tracks area was built at Cherokee Yard in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The track in the foreground forms the east end of the diesel shop lead. The diverging turnouts lead to the east end of the service tracks area. The track beyond the locomotives is the Clinton Subdivision. This route leads to the West Shops area, ribbon rail plant, Benwood Yard, tie treating plant and out of town to Clinton and ultimately Kansas City. The yard floodlight tower stands between the diesel pocket track and the Clinton Sub track.
Visible on the rise in the distance, between the locomotive noses, are parts of the conveying systems at Ozark Hardwood Company. On this spur track the Frisco served this industry as well as Springfield Plywoods, Inc. Further east toward Broadway Avenue, off a separate spur is Barclay-Love Oil Company.
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.
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 location is the diesel pocket track east of the Springfield Diesel Shop. This is near the bulk sand storage tank and unloading shed. The track to the north, behind the engines, is the High Line. Today, the “new” turntable sits further to the northeast.