U25B 814 at Springfield, Missouri (date unknown).

The subject locomotive is westbound entering Springfield Yard. It one of four locomotives in consist that include U25B 829, F9B 5146, and U25Bs 814 and 805. The lead unit is in mandarin orange and white paint, while the following units are in black and yellow paint. All of these units are equipped with dynamic brakes.

An interesting note; when the Frisco acquired its first five-unit order of F9Bs (5140-5144) in January 1954, they did not own any cab equipped control units with dynamic brakes. This changed in February when two wreck-damaged former F3A units (5005 and 5007) were rebuilt and delivered by EMD. They now featured F9A car bodies, equipment and dynamic brakes.

An additional order of nine dynamic brake equipped F9B units, (5145-5152), followed in April and May 1957. However, no new dynamic brake control units were added. This would change in 1961 with the arrival of the first General Electric U25Bs. Subsequent GE and EMD were largely ordered with this brake option.

Visible in the distance to the left, and above the locomotive’s nose, are the Springfield Stockyards. The stockyards were on south of the Frisco’s tracks, located between North Broadway Avenue on the east and North Kansas Avenue on the west.

The view is looking southwest.

The Frisco Archive includes additional photographs of this train. Please see these related images: 1, 2, 3.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson.