H-10-44 273 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (James Primm).

Location is Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The locomotive is spotted outside the west end of the diesel shop at East Yard. The Fairbanks-Morse locomotive fleet was concentrated in Oklahoma, with the shop in Tulsa as the primary maintenance shop. This permitted the Frisco to concentrate maintenance expertise, special maintenance equipment and parts supply at a single location. The Tulsa shop was equipped with special high level platforms to work on the F-M units.

The 16 unit F-M fleet was primarily used in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Muskogee. To help facilitate movement of the locomotives between station locations the Frisco equipped the F-M locomotives with class lights. These were mounted high on the locomotive’s nose. This permitted the locomotives to “display signals” to operate over the road as extra trains.

Note also the oil well derrick in the distance beyond the right front handrail.

View is looking northeast.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson.