U25B 816

by Frisco.org Posted on November 15, 2018
U25B 816 at Memphis, TN(date unknown)
U25B 816

U25B 816 at Memphis, TN (date unknown).

The train is departing on the south yard lead out of Tennessee Yard, mile post 496.4 (MP 496.4). The train is south bound entering the Tupelo Subdivision. Also in the locomotive consist are a General Electric (GE) high nose U25B, a third U25B and an unidentified General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD) general purpose (GP) unit.

The lead locomotive is on the overpass over East Shelby Drive. The west bridge guardrail is to the left of the locomotive’s pilot. In the far distance above the guardrail note the grain elevator. It sat west of the middle of the yard bowl, adjacent to the passenger main, near the diesel shop and service tracks area. This elevator will be demolished to make room for the modern day intermodal hub center facilities.

In the foreground are the thoroughfare, hump lead and hump bypass tracks. The bypass track was used for explosives, livestock and other commodities unsuitable for humping operations. On the right is the yard office with attached hump crest tower. The silver tank south of the tower holds journal oil. Just before the hump crest is an inspection pit and equipment to spray lubricant into car journals.

Just above the hump crest, to the left of the hump tower near the north end of the yard is the roof of the Mechanical Department’s car repair facility. There are three 760 feet long car repair tracks. The shop is 80 feet wide by 460 feet long and can accommodate under cover 45 cars. This shot also shows many of the 17 floodlight structures to illuminate the yard facilities. Included are six 120 foot fabricated steel towers and eleven 100 foot steel poles.

View is looking northwest.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson for description.

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U30B 835

by Frisco.org Posted on November 14, 2018
U30B 835 at Lindenwood Yard St. Louis, Mo (date unknown)
U30B 835

U30B 835 at Lindenwood Yard St. Louis, Mo (date unknown).

The locomotives are sitting on the ready track at the southwest corner of the diesel shop at Lindenwood Yard. Interesting to note on SLSF 835 is the temporary all white nose and electrical cabinet on the walkway behind the fireman’s side of the cab. The all white nose is the result of the locomotive being rushed back into service after the repair of collision damage. Time was not taken to mask and paint the Mandarin orange lower stripe. On a later visit to the shop this would be corrected.

Also visible in the image is the front half of U30B 839. Note the contrast in how the nose of this unit is painted compared to the temporary all white nose of SLSF 835.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson for description.

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Caboose 1718

by Frisco.org Posted on November 9, 2018
Caboose 1718, Kansas City, Missouri in August 1976
Caboose 1718

Caboose 1718, Kansas City, Missouri in August 1976.

Location is Kansas City, Missouri.

This is the Mechanical Department’s caboose track in 19th Street Yard, mile post 0.0 (MP 0.0). In later years this caboose track was the former coach yard track 5 ½. It was located near the southeast end of the yard, just south of the diesel shop. It sat adjacent to the company’s four diesel fuel tank car unloading spots. In this view note the four dipping fuel unloading standpipes. To unload a tank car the flexible upper inverted V-shaped section was extended over the track centerline and lowered through the car expansion dome to suck out the fuel load.

The overhead horizontal pipe is a steam line for heating the pump house and storage building on the right. It is also used during cold weather to warm and improve the flow characteristics of fuel and lubricants. The pipe extends southward from the boiler room in the southwest corner of the diesel shop. The red building on the left houses firefighting equipment. Typical equipment inside included a large capacity wheeled foam fire extinguisher and a wheeled hose cart with at least 100’ of 2 ½ inch firehose.

Originally there were 11 tracks in the 19th Street coach yard. The tracks numbers increased to the east toward the bluff. The Frisco was one of two Kansas City railroads that operated their own coach yard facilities. The other was the Acheson, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF). All other area railroads relied on the KCT’s coach yard facilities and services near their roundhouse on Southwest Trafficway. On the adjacent track, NP 8962 is a 40’ general service (XM class) boxcar sitting on the Frisco’s former coach yard track 6.

Additional cabooses visible in the image include SLSF 1342, 12?5, 1708, 1213 and 1339. Cabooses in the 1200 series (SLSF 1200-1292) and 1700 series (SLSF 1700-1725 and 1776) are road / pool service cabooses. The cabooses in the 1300 series (SLSF 1300-1345) are terminal / transfer service cabooses.

Frisco’s 19 Street Yard is located in the West Bottoms or Central Industrial District. This area is located below downtown Kansas City which sits high on a bluff to the east. To the west is the Kansas River near its confluence with the Missouri River at Kaw Point. The roadway bridge in the far distance below the horizon line and above the silver maintenance of way car is 23rd Street / Avenida Cesar E. Chavez. To the west, just across the state line and Kansas River this roadway becomes Kansas Avenue in Kansas City, KS.

Further in the distance, seen below the 23rd Street bridge and to the right of SLSF 1339, is the east approach to the Kansas City Terminal (KCT) Railway’s double deck, four track (two tracks on each deck level), hydraulic lift span bridge over the Kansas River. This bridge is located between KCT’s interlocking towers at Santa Fe Junction, Tower 3, and Adams Street Interlocking, Tower 14. Both interlocking towers are on the lower ground level. On the elevated upper deck level the bride is located between State Line Junction and Hi-Line Junction.

View is looking southwest.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson.

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