2 Responses to GP7 506 and F7A 33

  1. Paul Bender says:
    February 5, 2017 at 1:16 PM

    I am almost positive this is the same train shown here:

    http://frisco.org/mainline/2016/01/22/gp7-505/

    So the third unit would be GP7 505

    Paul

  2. Mark Davidson says:
    April 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM

    Location is Enid, Oklahoma.

    Locomotives in this consist include GP7L SLSF 506, F7A SLSF 33 and GP7L SLSF 505. Train is approaching the road grade crossing with North 4th Street. It is westbound on the Beaumont Subdivision. Interesting to note that for most of its existence the Frisco’s Perry Subdivision used the Beaumont Sub for 1.8 miles between Steen, mile post 583.9, (Perry Sub MP 543.1) and Enid. Enid is just ahead at MP 585.7 (Perry Sub MP 544.9).

    With the decline in importance of the Beaumont Subdivision, and pending abandonment as a through route, the subdivision roles reversed. Effective January 1, 1975, the Beaumont sub began using the Perry sub between Steen and Enid. In either period, a timetable exception was made that did not require a clearance at Steen. The exception stating a clearance was not required at this location was because Steen was a “blind” or unmanned station without personnel in a depot, tower or other structure.

    The locomotives have just passed the railroad crossing at grade, with automatic interlocking, with the C.R.I.P. (Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad) at MP 585.0. This is just southeast of the large Pillsbury Company flour mill and its 2,500,000 bushels elevator. The mill complex dates from 1928. It is located at 1301 North 4th Street, Enid, Oklahoma 73701. The photographer is northwest of the diamond crossing.

    The track in the lower left corner of the photo leads to the 2 tracks on the west side of the Pillsbury mill. The next track up leads to the 3 tracks on the east side of the mill. Approaching from the southwest is a switching lead to drill these mill tracks and the Rock Island connecting track is north of and parallels the Frisco main track. The drill track starts just east of Beaumont Subdivision 110’ open deck pile trestle (ODPT) bridge 585.5 (Perry Subdivision mile 544.6) over Boggy Creek.

    Beside the trailing locomotive, GP7L SLSF 505, the drill track diverges, turns northeast and becomes a connecting track to the Rock Island main, north of their SLSF interlocking. On the Rock Island the SL-SF crossing is MP 340.5. This is their north / south mid-continent main line from St. Joseph, MO through Topeka, Herington and Wichita, KS, Enid, El Reno, and Duncan, OK to Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston and Galveston, TX. Rock Island’s main local yard is to the north (left) at North Enid, MP 338.6. To the south is their Enid, MP 341.8, passenger depot at 115 East Market Street / East Owen K Garriott Road.

    Enid honored one of its natives by renaming Market Street for astronaut Owen Kay Garriott. Garriott (11/22/1930 – 4/15/2019) was an electrical engineer (BS, MS, PhD), Navy veteran, university professor and NASA astronaut during the Skylab, Spacelab and Space Shuttle era. His missions into space included 3 extravehicular activities (EVA) or space walks. After his time at NASA, he consulted with several aerospace companies. His scientific and research endeavors included developing the U.S. laboratory for the International Space Station (ISS) and trips to Antarctica to retrieve meteorites for scientific study.

    Above the train on the photo’s left edge, left of the first telegraph pole, are windows on the horizontal gallery above the round silos of Union Equity’s Elevators A. Elevators A, built starting in 1931, has a storage capacity of 7,600,000 bushels. Further east (right) above the cab of GP7L SLSF 505 is the vertical head or work house of Union Equity’s Elevator B. Construction on this elevator started in 1946. Its storage capacity is 11,000,000 bushels. Elevator B was the first elevator constructed to use a then innovative space saving design with hexagon shaped uniform capacity storage silos.

    Of note in the locomotive consist is F7A SLSF 33, former SLSF 5033. This unit has an open nose door at its front crossover step. These doors were somewhat difficult to operate due to the sloping angle of the nose, door weight and low height clearance relative to the adjacent coupled locomotive. In addition, next to the headlight there is an open access door for the multiple unit (MU) controls electrical receptacle connection. A connecting jumper cable drops down then up to the adjoining receptacle connection next to the crossover handrail stanchion on the rear of the lead unit. Both of these features are seldom photographed or modeled.

    In addition, note the variety of horns in the three locomotives consist. The lead unit has a five chime, short trumpet, Nathan M5. The second unit has a mixture of horns. On the engineer’s side is a Leslie SuperTyfon S5T and on the fireman’s side a rear facing Leslie Tyfon A200. The trailing unit is sporting a five chime, with forward and rear facing bells, Leslie SuperTyfon S5T. Great stuff for Frisco fans, historians and modelers!

    View is looking northeast.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark

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