Caboose SLSF 12?? - 2000 Caboose SLSF 12?? - Frisco City, AL. Photograph dated 3/31/2000. Administrator Note: This is caboose SLSF 1257.
The number on the Mt. Vernon, MO caboose is 200. I was in Mt. Vernon about four years ago on the way to a Boy Scout camp near Joplin, MO. I took a photograph of this same caboose.
I have been in the caboose in Mt. Vernon, MO that is numbered 200. It is in great shape. I was not able to verify that this is the original 200 that was delivered in 1957 but it is certainly from that class. The branch to Mt. Vernon, I believe, was still worked at the time of the SLSF takeover of the BN in 1980. There was a concrete customer, a lumber yard, a grain elevator and a Carnation Milk plant. Not sure if the Carnation plant was in service at 1980 but it was on the track charts. I seem to recall Charlie Dischinger saying that they would pull an occasional SLSF gondola of scrap metal condensed milk cans out of the Carnation plant once a week or so in addition to the cars of condensed milk, presumably in food loading, XF, boxcars, XMs. Late in the 1980s or early 1990s the track was removed so much so that it is difficult to tell that a railroad was ever there. Anyone with better knowledge on the area, please correct my failing memory. The branch to Mt. Vernon was at Aurora and would make an interesting branch for operations. I cannot remember if the local up the branch was operated as a separate local or if it was in combination with local service to Aurora. The latter would make the most sense. Ship IT on the Frisco! Rick
The Mt. Vernon Branch was a remnant of the Aurora Branch. which ran from Greenfield, MO to Aurora, MO. It used to be on the Ash Grove Subdivision, Northern Division. It was built as the Greenfield and Northern Railroad. I will have to dig up the date. An engine house and turntable were maintained in Greenfield and Aurora. An interlocker protected the crossing with the Ash Grove Subdivision at South Greenfield. The Springfield-Greene County Library digital collection of the Frisco employee magazines has an article about the Carnation Milk plant at Mt Vernon. Please see the May 1926 issue. According to my father, toward the end the Frisco spent a little money to improve the track. However, Carnation changed its mind with regard to rail service, and switched to trucks which sealed the fate of the branch.
Rick, That is the view held by most of those in the know from 1980. Lou Menk wanted the SL-SF management team. Lou was the operator at Jerome, MO at one time. Doug
I believe this is caboose SLSF 1259. I think it may be in North Dakota, but I am not sure. I did a google image search under the title "North Dakota Caboose" and this image popped up after a page or two of other images. The website it is from is called spiralcage.com. However, the website is several thousand images and I did not find a caption for this one. Anybody know where this caboose is located? Cool to find another surviving 1200 class caboose that I did not previously know about.
Here is one in Underwood, MN,. I like it when previously unknown survivors are discovered! Fun stuff. Found the image on a BN group page on Facebook. Caboose sits in the middle of town and is well maintained even today, some nice current images of her on google earth. I am going to see if I can find a train enthusiast on Facebook near Underwood and see if they can look inside for a number. Fun stuff !
The caboose recently discovered at Underwood, MN makes 25 of the 200/1200 class cabooses currently accounted for. I wonder how many others exist that are waiting to be discovered?
Luke Hansen is the man who posted the image to Facebook. He knows some people in Underwood, the population is only 345. He is going to get access to the interior and see if a road number is still there! I shared with his permission. Hopefully he will find one.
It would also be helpful if Mr. Hansen could get a photograph of the trucks on the caboose. Assuming they are still the originals, that would help narrow down the possibilities to either the 1200-1274 series, or the 1275-1292 series. The two had some subtle differences in window placement and other details, but the more obvious difference was with the style of caboose trucks they rode on. The 1200-1274 series were equipped with General Steel Castings (GSC) outside swing hanger trucks with regular bearings, while the 1275-1284 and 1284- 1292 series came with the more common Barber-Bettendorf trucks with roller bearings. Both classes were built by International Car Company (ICC). Ken Edit: I just expanded the photograph, and it looks to be fitted with the GSC truck. Therefore, this appears to be a 1200-1274 (200-274) class caboose. Assuming these are the original trucks.
Ken, Mr. Hansen agreed to get a lot of images for us, he is a real nice guy. The full width stairs and short sill plates definitely put her in the caboose SLSF 1200-1274 series group.
This ex Frisco caboose is sitting in Forks, Washington. Posted on a caboose forum. Shared with photograph owners permission. Unknown number, looks like a residence.
Finally someone posted a photograph of the 1200 series caboose at East Camden, Arkansas. Judging by the roof vents I believe it could very well be Caboose SLSF 1252. More evidence needed.
No Keith, he never did reply. I have been keeping an eye out for photographs of a 1200 series caboose with a patch panel under the far left window on the 3 window side. No luck yet.
