Hopper 88731
Hopper 88731 in August 1988 (Bob Dye).
Hopper 88731 in August 1988 (Bob Dye).
GP7 533 at Lindenwood Yard, St. Louis, Missouri (date unknown).
NW2 258 at St. Louis, Missouri (date unknown).
The photograph was taken at Lindenwood Yard. This is the Mechanical Department’s service tracks area northeast of the diesel shop. In this view is the facility’s sand tower with its distinctive northeast side two-arm branch.
There are several interesting locomotive details in this view. On top of the cab is a yellow light for identifying its location from a distance. Above the engineer’s side window is a canvas awning shade. Inside the cab the upper portion of the front arched center windows have been painted interior green as a permanent light shield visor.
Hanging on brackets under the cab is a re-rail frog. On each car body side there are modified doors with louvers to better ventilate the main generator, visible to the left of the “F” in Frisco on this side. At the front, below the radiator are an angled crossover grab iron and below it on the deck an added box for flagging supplies (flags and fuses).
The view is looking east.
Special thanks to Mark Davidson.
U25B 807 at Springfield, Missouri (date unknown).
The engine is sitting on the east end of the diesel pocket track. The tracks in the foreground lead to the service tracks, and further west the diesel shop. The track in the distance is the Clinton Subdivision, also known as the High Line. The power pole with transformer sits beside the wash rack pump house.
Special thanks to Mark Davidson.
GP7 592 (date and location unknown).
SW9 312 (date and location unknown).
AT&N Shops at York, Alabama (date unknown).
GP7 518 at Irving, Texas in January 1972 (Rail Junction Slides).
Boxcar 12050 at Aurora, Missouri in December 1979 (Bob Dye).
SLSF 12050 is one of 200 similar loader equipped boxcars (XL) in the series 12000-12199. The cars were built by Pullman-Standard (PS) at their plant in Bessemer, Alabama in early 1970.
These 77-ton cars had an inside length of 50 feet 6 inches with a capacity of 4,952 cubic feet. The interior featured Evans DF-2 (damage free) loader belts, style G floor clips and Azee loading anchors. Originally they had 10 foot smooth surface plug doors.
Unlike similar cars built by American Car and Foundry (ACF) these cars were not equipped with cushion underframes. It is believed that this was due to their primary assignment hauling paper, particleboard and plywood; commodities which are generally less susceptible to impact damage. Many of the cars were assigned to MacMillan-Bloedel Limited for service at their mill plant at MacMillan, Alabama.
The cars were originally delivered in yellow paint with black lettering, outline coonskin heralds (yellow background) and the “Ship IT on the Frisco!” slogan. The slogan featured the “IT” in white with a contracting black background.
During a class program maintenance visit to the shop most of the cars received new exterior post plug doors. At this time they were also repainted red with all white lettering. The photo here features the latter door and paint scheme.
Special thanks to Mark Davidson.
FA-1m 5218 at Springfield, Missouri on August 7, 1965 (Mike Condren).