Grand Opening CelebrationSeptember 25, 1993

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1993

VOLUME 8 September-October, 1993 NUMBER 5

Phase INew Springfield, Missouri Facility

Grand OpeningCommemorative Issue

Gone But Not Forgotten 3"No Frisco in Springfield! It won't be. You'll be remembered, just waitand see." An introductory article to our commemorative issue.

Our proud and appreciative honor roll of Frisco Folks and Friscofriends whose leadership, hard work, and financial support havemade the opening of Phase I of our Springfield facility possible.

Phase I Photo Scrapbook 6A brief photo feature showing various stages of construction andfinished displays in our new museum facility.

The Old North Yards 9A diagram and photos show the old North Springfield Yards andshop facilities that were adjacent to our new museum building.

A map showing the location of our new museum facility as it relatesto the major streets and highways in the Springfield area, circa.1946.

Steam To Springfield 14

Frisco Folk Vince Griesemer describes his Ride of a Lifetime on boardFrisco steam locomotive 1522, traveling from St. Louis to Springfield for the museum's grand opening.

ABOUT THE COVEROur cover this issue features our newly completed Phase Imuseum building and serves as the after photo of a before& after sequence, with the cover photo on the August-September, 1992, All Aboard.

New Articles and our regular AU Aboard features will returnin the November-December issue.

Alan SchmittCharles E. Mahaffey

Saundra SchmittWarren Hall

Richard NapperLouis GriesemerGuy S. Pollard

Arthur LindemanJohn Sanders

Two days before grand opening, Frisco Folk John Sanders (right of photo)puts finishing touches on a display signal, with local news media looking on.

Museum Board member Art Lindeman, General Manager Donna Wagner, andAdministrative Assistant Rachel Schmitt served as official greeters duringour grand opening.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN"We've been together many

a year, and each one seems to growmore dear.

So when it's time for you togo, we're going to miss you, ole Frisco.

We've weathered wars,rejoiced in peace, and strikes weresettled before work ceased.

Moved from St. Louis withmany a frown, and fell in love withyour Springfield town.

You're being courted, one andall, by a railroad headquartered inSt. Paul.

We all know 'twas love atfirst sight, and we wish you luckwith all our might.

No Frisco in Springfield! Itwon't be. You'll be remembered,just wait and see."

So wrote Frisco employeeFern Beck in 1979, on year beforethe Frisco/ BN merger. Little didshe know that fourteen years later,her prophetic words would becomea reality when on September 25,1993, The Frisco Railroad MuseumInc. celebrated the grand opening ofPhase I of its new Springfield, MOfacilities. And what a day it was!

It rained, and rained, andrained, up to fourteen inches insome areas. The entire slate ofgrand opening activities had to becancelled, Frisco steam locomotive1522 almost didn't make it (seeSteam To Springfield, pp. 14-19),our newly renovated buildingleaked, three of our members(including museum president AlanSchmitt) spent part of the daypumping water out of theirbasements and businesses, and allwho attended had a great time! AsFrisco Folk Rick McClellan

remarked, "Man, this is like one bigFrisco party!"

Despite the less thandesirable conditions, over 1,300Frisco Folks, rail fans, and localresidents braved the elements toattend our opening. Many of ourFrisco Folks museum family werein attendance, some of which drovelong distances to be there. StanleyBonifay traveled from Huntingburg,IN, Thomas Moody came fromPensacola, FL, and Ron Yates droveall night from Ft. Worth, TX, only tobe able to spend a few hours beforemaking the return trip home thatafternoon.

Reflecting on the events ofthe day, museum founder andpresident Alan Schmitt commented,"This is truly a grand and gloriousday of celebrating... celebrating thecompletion of Phase I of our newSpringfield facility... celebrating thehard work and financial commitmentof a lot of people... celebrating family,our special Frisco Folks family... agrand and glorious day of celebratingthe Frisco!"

It was indeed an excitingday as our Frisco Folks and Friscofriends gathered together to publiclyaffirm that the Frisco is GONE BUTNOT FORGOTTEN!

Railroad Museum Inc.Springfield Relocation Project

Phase I Honor Roll

Lee BuffingtonWillis MelgrenLouis GriesemerGuy S. PollardArthur LindemanGlenn MartinJohn SandersAlan Schmitt

•Matthew CollinsDon NiewaldKen DeckGloria NiewaldCharles E. MahaffeyJim QuarlesPaul MeigrenSaundra Schmitt

OfficersPresident

Alan SchmittVice-President

Charles E. MahaffeySecretary

Saundra Pearce SchmittTreasurer

Louis GriesemerBoard of Directors

Alan SchmittCharles E. MahaffeySaundra Pearce SchmittLouis GriesemerGuy S. PollardWarren HallRichard E. NapperArthur LindemanJohn SandersRichard C. Grayson

Louis GriesemerGuy S. PollardArthur LindemanGlenn MartinJohn SandersAlan SchmittRon GarlingBill LoveRichard C. GraysonC.C. RobertsJim PettyjohnLarry BurnsFred PalmertonJim JonesSam KaunleyAnnette KayCliff RickettsGeorge Clinkenbeard

Burlington Northern T. Deacy C. Kollmeier L.W. MenkRailroad Jim Marsh M. Champion Louise Pearce

William T. Kemper C.F. Wooten L. Cantrell Don KenneyFoundation Lloyd Stagner C.W. Hemmingway Rachel Schmitt

Community Foundation R. Zona J. Bergmann Sarah Schmittof Springfield A. Hungerford D. Spellman Ron Williams

Springfield Kiwanis R. Clary F. DeBerry Lee MonroeClub North Bill Love L. Bader L.A. Reed

Art Lindeman Don Niewald D. May Jack McCulloughC.B. Pearce Matt Collins Lawrence Pakula Ron YatesLouis Griesemer D. Gillespie Larry ShanklesPledgesLarry Freund P. Cox Michael HoltC.C. Roberts J. Raposa John Sanders Jim HartnessMartin Pomphrey S.J. Raiter Alan & Saundra Schmitt William CrightonL. Davidson J. Dillon Tim Kubat John JonesM. Rich N. Keen Fred Palmerton Vince GriesemerD. Dailey Chuck Lapp Jones & Co. Gary McCullahW.T. Rutherford J. Martin Griesemer Stone Co. Rick McClellanW.F. Thompson C. Webb Guy S. Pollard Larry CroweS. Kennard E. Gilmore Richard Napper Bonnie TrailE. Stein Tom Moody George Clinkenbeard Steve ManhardD. Dawson M. Neale L. FreundB. Goodman Charles Brand R.C. Grayson

Art LindemanMatt CollinsSusan CollinsJohn SandersBob PloughStan Mayfield

Mark DavidsonWalt StansburyRaymond WellsChuck MahaffeyScott MahaffeyDonna Wagner

Bill WolfeAlan SchmittSaundra SchmittRachel SchmittSarah SchmittJim Warfield

The Officers & Board of Directors would like to give special recognition to the followingbusinesses and organizations for their invaluable assistance in the completion of Phase I of ourSpringfield Relocation project:

Burlington NorthernRailroad

Land & BuildingCommerce Bank of

SpringfieldConstruction FinancingWilliam T. Kemper

FoundationFinancial Grant

Community Foundation ofSpringfield

Financial Grant

Weddle DesignGeneral Contractor

Griesemer Stone Co.Construction Materials

1522 UnderwriterConco Concrete Co.Construction Materials

Jones & Co.1522 UnderwriterWilson Survey

Site Survey

Collins EnterprisesConstruction Services

Palmerton & Parrish, Inc.Geotechnicall Environmental

ServicesSt. Louis Steam Train

AssociationFrisco Steam Locomotive 1522

Commercial Club ofSpringfield

Advertising Support

The Officers & Board of Directors would like to give special recognition to the followingindividuals for their invaluable commitment of volunteer time and labor to the completion ofPhase I of our Springfield Relocation project:

Because our official grand opening ceremonies wererained out, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commercesponsored a local ribbon cutting on November 10.Strategic Planning Committee Co-Chairmen Guy S.Pollard (left with hat on) and Louis Griesemer (right) holdthe ribbon as City Councilman John Wilson does thehonors.

Museum President Alan Schmitt addresses a VIPbreakfast on board the Chouteau Club car, the only partof our grand opening ceremony that was not rained out.

Railroad Museum Inc.Springfield Relocation Project

Phase I Photo Scrapbook

Our new museum is housed in a building originally constructed by the Frisco in1943 for use as a Centralized Traffic Control command center, and is located atStation 238 on the Frisco's old Lebanon Sub-Division, Eastern Division.

West of this marker 480 feet a construction trainof the South Pacific Railroad (Frisco) pulled into anew town of North Springfield at 3:00 P.M., April21, 1870. So states an historic marker, locatedat our facility, commemorating the arrivalof the first Springfield railroad.

Rare 1950 photo of southeast corner, second floor, of ournew museum building, showing the Frisco's C.T.C. machinewhich handled train movements from Pacific to Monett,MO. This corner is currently being used as the location ofour publishing department and executive office.

Entrance area (to right), ticket window(center), and gift shop (to left), July, 1993.

First floor station agent/REA display area,July, 1993.

Entrance (right) and ticket window, September,1993. As this photo shows, your visit to ourmuseum begins, as it would have many yearsago at the local depot, by purchasing yourticket at our ticket window.

First floor station agent / REA display area,September, 1993. One can easily imagine abusy day down at the local depot, including theclickity-click of the telegrapher's sounder, whileviewing our re-creation of a Frisco depot agent'sand REA express office.

Gift shop looking southeast, September, 1993.Our gift shops carries a wide selection of Friscomemorabilia and quality railroad souvenirs.

Gift shop looking southeast, July, 1993.

First floor main display area, looking north,June. 1993.

First floor main display area, looking south,June, 1993.

First floor main display area, looking north,July, 1993.

First floor main display area, looking south,July, 1993.

First floor main display area, looking north,September, 1993. As the above photo shows,our new our museum includes a mock up of anold wooden passenger coach with one sectionfurnished as a Pullman compartment andanother section displaying Frisco dining carchina and related items.

First floor main display area, looking south,September, 1993. This photo shows ourpassenger car mock up to the right, generaldisplay area to the left, and our new gift shopat the rear of the photo.

First floor main display area, lookingnortheast, June, 1993

Frisco Transportation Company display area,July, 1993.

First floor main display area, lookingnortheast, July, 1993.

Frisco Transportation Company display area,September, 1993. The FTC was the truck andbus subsidiary line of the Frisco railroad.

First floor main display area, looking northeast,September, 1993. Our new museum has ondisplay over 2,000 items of Frisco and Friscorelated memorabilia, representing a wide rangeof operations, equipment, and services.

Relive the excitement of being a locomotiveengineer while ringing the authentic brass Friscolocomotive bell, on display in our new museum.

North Classification Yards, Springfield, MO, looking southeastDecember, 1946. Arrow indicates old CTC building, now the home ofThe Frisco Railroad Museum Inc. Frisco photo

Red Devil engine coaler, North ClassificationYards, Springfield, MO, May 22, 1948. Arrowindicates location of coaler. A. Johnson photo

North Codification Yards, Springfield, MO, lookingwest, December, 1946. Arrow indicates old CTCbuilding, now the home of The Frisco RailroadMuseum Inc. Frisco photo

North Shop facilities, Springfield, MO, looking west, December, 1946. Arrow indicateslocation of roundhouse. Frisco photo

Location of new Springfield facility

The hundreds of feet of wire and the dozens of relays in even the simplest Centralized Traffic Control Board makesmoving it an almost insurmountable problem. When men of Frisco's Communications and Signals Department werefaced with the job of relocating three of them from the old Eastern. Division Building (site of new museum) in Springfieldto the new office building at the West Yard there, April 26 (1950) however, they solved it with ease. So reported theMay, 1950, issue of the All Aboard newspaper which included the above photo of the C & S department removinga C.T.C. board through the front second floor window of our new museum building.

Steam To SpringfieldThe Ride of a Lifetime?

ByVince Griesemer

Crew call is for 5:30 a.m.The walk-up call from the motelfront desk comes as planned at4:00 a.m. My brother and I shakeourselves awake, dress, and packthe few items we have out after ourarrival the night before. We're in St.Louis. He drove up from Springfieldthe night before to meet my flightfrom Denver to rendezvous for thetrip of a lifetime. Today, we aregoing to ride the cab of a 1925Baldwin 4-8-2 on a trip down theformer Frisco, now BurlingtonNorthern, mainline to Springfield,Missouri.

The steam engine, Frisco1522, is owned by the NationalMuseum of Transport in St. Louisand is operated under lease by theSt. Louis Steam Train Association.This group of dedicated volunteersworked over a period of three yearsto bring back to life one of theFrisco's finest passenger classMountain type steam engines. Theexcursion planned for this weekendis to run 1522 to Springfield for theGrand Opening of the new FriscoRailroad Museum's Springfield fa-cility. My brother Louis and I areboth supporters of the museum andhe has arranged to sponsor the tripthrough his quarry business,Griesemer Stone Company. Assponsors, we have been invited alongfor the ride.

We grab a cup of coffee anda quick breakfast before headingout to Lindenwood Yards. Louishas scouted the route the nightbefore so we know how to get to theprivate car track where our train iswaiting. The early morning sky isjust starting to brighten and we cansee low heavy clouds that are ob-viously threatening rain. I had beenhoping for a quick moving front tomove a large moisture system to theEast. Now I change my hopes for

drier weather as our train movesWest since it looks like St. Louis isgoing to get yet another soaking ina record setting flooded year.

When we arrive, 1522 issitting at the head end of a shorttrain consisting of 1522's tenderand extra water car, a baggage carthat carries support equipment, anda combination baggage and crewdormitory that carries more sup-port equipment and has sleepingcompartments for the crew. Thelast car is the Chouteau Club, aprivate car lounge diner that oftenaccompanies 1522 and adds a touchof class and comfort as a place toeat and relax for the crew and anyguests.

There are some rain dropsto dodge as we climb on board theChouteau Club and find a place tostash our overnight bags. BobMeier, Vice-president of the St. LouisSteam Train Association, greets usand introduces us to other mem-bers of the crew. For the first leg ofour trip, 1522 will be under thecapable control of Don Wirth, anexperienced engineer and HO scalemodel railroader. We have to waitfor a BN pilot engineer and con-ductor before moving. Our earlystart was planned so we could beata freight out of town and not have tofollow it to Springfield. Everyone isanxious to get along.

I win the draw for who getsthe first turn in the engine cab.Before climbing on board, I glanceat 1522's running gear and listen to

the hiss of the pop valves and chuffof the air compressor. Steamengines are fascinating to mebecause as machines, they seem tobe built inside out. All of theinteresting working gear is fullyvisible. On engines like 1522, it isall so massive. I climb up into theengine and join Don and Bob Meier.Willie Lazier, our fireman, has beencontinuously busy all this timekeeping 1522 at full steam with afull boiler.

Our BN crew arrives. Ourfirst move will be to hook up to somefreight cars to give us brakingcapacity and tonnage for 1522 towork against. Burlington Northern,while not hostile to steamexcursions, is not very receptive tohosting railfan and passengerexcursions. Our trip will be a freightrun except for the crew. We arelucky in that our consist even lookslike a steam era train. We have astring of old gons, a 40 foot box car,and a couple of hoppers. The onlycar that doesn't fit is a green whaleof a BN cylindrical hopper. We evenhave a caboose! The BN conductorhad a FRED to hook up to the endcar but the mounting hole on thecoupler of the caboose was plugged.After determining that the airpressure fittings and lights on thecaboose still worked, he decidesthat our caboose will make a fineFRED. It is starting to rain.

We make a hook and testthe air. We're ready to go but bynow a long string of triple autoracks is rolling out of the yard behinda group of ATSF run through diesels.This freight is headed down theRiver Division to Memphis. Notlong after the freight clears the yardladder tracks, we get the word fromthe dispatcher, "High Ball 1522,Extra 63!"

My seat in the cab is a short

bench on the front of the oil tank onthe tender. I try to absorb everythingthat's going on around me. This isa real steam engine running on areal railroad. It certainly is loudenough. The stack bark echoes offthe industrial buildings along thetracks as 1522 climbs a short gradejust outside the yard. The bridgeplate between the locomotive andtender is under my feet and is inconstant motion as the engine rocksalong down the track. Everythingseems to be hot. The gloves I broughtand the ear plugs I got from the creware necessary equipment. My safetyglasses are needed when we sandthe flues.

Blasting out of town on thewestbound lead, we start pickingup speed. It's hard to see forwardfrom my seat but there is room tostand and peek out over thefireman's side. I try to listen to figure out what's going on. This trip thumbs up and agrees that this isradio exchanges between our crew was not publicized but nobody can more like it. We slow briefly as weand the dispatcher. Mostly, I try to run a steam engine down a mainline pass the track gang working on thestay out of the way. It's raining without drawing an audience. Even washout on the westbound lead.harder now and we shut the vent in in the now pouring rain, there are Some rocks and mud have slid downthe roof of the engine cab. people waving and taking pictures an embankment and part of the

Our orders for the trip at every place the track nears a road roadbed shows some gullies. It isinclude a long list of slow orders at or parking lot. still raining.various mileposts along the track Back in the yard, we cut Rolling through the suburbsahead. The first section of 10 m.p.h. away from our freight cars behind of St. Louis, we do a lot of whistlingrunning is just ahead. There are the lounge car. We pull forward and at grade crossings. Two longs, asome radio exchanges and we slow move back into an available yard short, and a long with Don Wirth'sto a stop. We wait. We've barely track. More hurry up and wait. The special signature at the end. Theremade five miles when the dispatcher BN pilot engineer speculates are still lots of railfans at thegives us the first bad news of the whether he'll go dead on the hogger crossings even though it isday. law before we get to our crew change continuing to rain hard.

A washout has been point at Newburg. After a while the Our tracks start to parallelreported just ahead of us on the switcher arrives, pulls the ballast another pair of mainline tracks towestbound lead. The Lindenwood cars our of our train and heads out the north, the Union Pacific (formerdispatcher is trying to arrange for a the westbound lead with hoppers in Missouri Pacific) line to Kansas City.switcher to take some loads of ballast tow. Our double track runs to Pacific,out to the section crew to stabilize We hook to our train and get Missouri, the original terminus ofthe track. After a long wait we get ready to go again. Now there is a the Pacific Railroad, which was theword that they've realized that they delay while we wait for a track ancestor to both the Frisco and thehave sent the ballast cars they need warrant to go out the eastbound Missouri Pacific. The Frisco andout with our train and now they lead. We have time to pay a visit to MP shared this line until the Friscowant them back. Our orders now the Chouteau Club and grab lunch. built its own line into St. Louis toare to return to the yard so the Our train is now six hours late. avoid paying for trackage rights.hoppers can be switched out of our Finally the pilot engineer Beneath the bridges wetrain. Luckily there are no grade comes out of the yard office waving cross, the creeks are running bankcrossings behind us that we'd have our new orders. We get the high ball full and muddy. As we roll intoto flag through as we make our again and head out of the yard, this Pacific there is an increase in radiobackup move. time on the eastbound lead. When traffic. We're supposed to meet an

The railfans strung along we roll past our previous stopping eastbound Santa Fe freight at PacificInterstate 44 parallel to the tracks point, everyone in the cab exchanges and we slow to a stop at the signalare scratching their heads trying to _ _ _ guarding the start of the single track

Frisco 1522 pulls a consists of heavy weight passenger equipment, circa.1945. Frisco photo

Santa Fe has been using this linefor run through freights to St. Louisfrom its connection to the Friscolines at Avard, Oklahoma. As wewait, the bad news starts to tricklein.

The Santa Fe freight hasbeen stopped on the mainline by asection crew that has spotted awashout between us and the freight.We're in the Meramec River valleyand the river is obviously runningabove flood stage. The news the daybefore had been all about the Amtrakwreck on the Mobile Bay Bridge.Nobody on 1522 is very interestedin going swimming with a steamengine and we're all glad that thetrack crew found the washoutinstead of us.

The dispatcher atLindenwood keeps us on hold whileshe talks to the section crew aboutoptions to clear the mainline. Shecalls 1522 and asks if its possible toback a steam engine all the wayback to St. Louis. The pilot engineerisn't optimistic about flagging all ofthose grade crossings. Off the radio,the crew talks about moving 1522to the rear of the train and using thelight on the tender as a headlight forthe backup move. Its starting tosound like our only options are tobackup or store the train at Pacificuntil the line can be reopened.

A more immediate problemsurfaces though when the 1522 crewdetermines that with all the delays,1522 may not have enough water tomake it back to St. Louis or to theplanned watering stop at Newburg.A search party is sent out to find thenearest fire hydrant.

A hydrant is found nearbybut it is on the other side of theUnion Pacific tracks and across asmall creek. We discuss alternativesof moving the engine to a moreconvenient hydrant. There areenough fire hoses in the equipmentcar to reach the nearby hydrant sowe break out picks and shovels todig the ballast from between the tiesso we can pass the hose under therails of the UP tracks. A rope is usedto pull the hose across the creek.With many hands helping out, wesoon have the hoses hooked up and

the water pouring into the tender.While all this is going on, we

notice that we are attracting a crowdof spectators. It's a half mile to agrade crossing but there is aconstant stream of people walkingdown the track to see this visitorfrom the past. The St. Louis SteamTrain members are a resourcefulbunch and have hung a souvenirsign at the door of the baggage car.You have to sell a lot of T-shirts tokeep a steam engine running. Thereare also free visits to the engine cabfor kids with photo opportunitiesfor their parents.

It all gets a little nervewracking when a UP ballast traincruises through on the parallel setof tracks. We had passed severalstopped UP trains and its obviousthat high water has closed down theUP line to Kansas City. All availabletrack material is getting sent to thesection crews. Its a good thing wetook the time to run our hosesunder the rails.

I climb into the crew car tolisten to the radio traffic and to getthe latest news from our BN pilotcrew. The rain has let up but ourproblems continue to pour down.The hours of service law has hit ourBN crew. They are gettinginstructions on where to meet the

van that will take them to Springfieldwhere they're needed for crewassignments after a required rest.Without a crew, it looks like ouronly option is to store the train atPacific until the line can be opened.

Then the radio crackles tolife with exchanges between thedispatcher, the Santa Fe freightcrew, and someone on the groundthat is helping to flag the train backinto Rook siding. I hear someone inthe crew car exclaim, "That'sDischinger, what's he doing there?'

Pretty soon, the explanationstarts to trickle in. CharlieDischinger, an SLSTA member, BNengineer, HO scale modeler andMaster Modeler #186 has been ableto reach the section crew at thewashout and coordinate their planswith the dispatcher and crews ofthe Sante Fe freight and 1522. Theroad into the area around Rook wasreported flooded, but somehow hegot his Ford Explorer through. Hisfirst step was to help get the SantaFe freight into the hole at Rook.

Through Charlie, we hearthat the section crew plans to movethe track at the washout over acouple of feet to get it over the stablepart of the fill. They think that canstabilize things enough to get usthrough. Charlie has gotten word

Frisco 1522 waits patiently at Pacific, MO, for the line ahead to be clear.September 23, 1993. Vince Griesemer photo

to the dispatcher in time and whenthe van arrives to take our old pilotcrew, a new crew is on board to taketheir place.

All of this starts to soundtoo good to be true and the lastthing I expect happens when I'mtold to get back in the engine cabbecause we're getting ready to go.

This time my brother Louisand I are in the cab. We learn thatthe plan is to proceed up the trackto the area of the washout and thenmove at "walking speed" past thewashout. It is getting close to sunsetand we're hoping that we can getthere while there is still enoughlight to be able to get a good look atthe track. I have a hard time notthinking about what it might be liketo jump from a steam engine.

We get a clear signal to enterthe single track beyond pacific. 1522leans into the load and we steamout of town. It is several miles ofrunning to where the section crewis waiting and we count down thedistance using the milepostmarkers. We're in the MeramecRiver bottom and there is flood wateron both sides of the track. We crossthe river on a truss bridge and lookdown nervously at the swollen,muddy river that is much to close tothe bridge girders for comfort.

Before long, we spot thesection crew ahead on the fill. Perinstructions, 1522 is running at acrawl. Each chuff from the cylindersechoes in the trees on either side ofthe embankment. Our crew strainsto get a good look at the trackahead. As we get closer, we can seea big gash on the right side thatcomes right up to the new ballast ona short section of track. As we rollslowly past, the section crewwatches for any signs of the trackbed giving way.

We made it! Once the rest ofour train clears the washout, westart to pick up a little speed. Ournext obstacle will be to pass thedead Santa Fe freight that is in theclear at Rook siding.

The CTC controls at Rookhave been disabled because of someflood related damage. To get throughthe OS section, we will have to

override the switches at either end.As we arrive at East Rook, our pilotengineer gets ready to climb downwith his switch key and unlock theswitch. The engines for the SantaFe freight are sitting just clear of theswitch and are dark and apparentlylifeless. After setting the switch forthe main, the override procedurerequires 1522 to stop on the switchwhile our pilot engineer resets themanual control and returns theswitch to CTC control. He climbsback on board and we drift down toWest Rook where the procedure isrepeated.

Once past Rook, we have nomore slow orders. We start to pickup speed and the green target at thenext block signal confirms a cleartrack ahead. Don and Willie call"Clear Block!" to each other acrossthe cab.

The sun has set and it isgetting very dark because of theovercast. When we pass through anarrow cut, I can see the flash of thereflection from 1522's fireboxagainst the rock walls. As the trackstarts to straighten out, Don pullsback on the throttle. Soon he has1522 rolling along at track speedand from my position behind him Ican see the speedometer needlecreeping up to 60 m.p.h.

My brother and I grin ateach other. This is quite a ride!Built for passenger service, 1522'srunning gear is balanced for 60m.p.h. running. The ride seems tosmooth out as we reach that speed.We watch the track ahead and noticethe block signals wick from green tored as they flash by the engine. Wequickly roll past town after town,whistling for the grade crossings inSt. Clair, Stanton, Sullivan, andLeasburg.

All too soon, we start to slowup for our arrival in Cuba, Missouri.This is a planned crew change pointfor the steam engine crew. It is alsosomeone else's turn to ride in thecab, so after the train stops, mybrother and I head back to thelounge car to grab a late dinner.

The Frisco mainline fromSt. Louis to Springfield is a rollercoaster through the hills of CentralMissouri. Even with all the ups anddowns, the grades were kept to aminimum except where the line dipsdown into the valley of theGasconade and Little Piney rivers.Here is where you find the 1.5%ruling grades on the route withRolla hill on the east and a ten milerun up Dixon hill on the west. As weleave Cuba, I position myself at thedoor of the crew car so I can watch

the show when 1522 attacks Dixonhill.

After we pass Rolla, we rolldown the long grade into Newburg.Once a center of activity for helperson the grades heading either wayout of town, Newburg is now a muchquieter town. It still hosts theswitching activity down the branchline to the U.S. Army base at Ft.Leonard Wood. It is also ourwatering stop and we break out thefire hoses again to fill 1522's tenderand auxiliary water car.

Not long after we steam outof Newburg, the show begins on thelong march up Dixon hill. Evenwith our short train, this will be agood challenge for 1522. The enginethrows up a tall stack plume andthe noise is still deafening even twocars back in the crew car. 1522maintains track speed all the wayup the hill but it still takes a whileto cover the ten miles. We knowthat we've reached the summit whenthe stack talk tapers off at the top ofthe grade.

It's now after midnight andI've been awake since four in themorning. There is a vacant spot ona couch in the lounge car and Isettle in to try and catch some sleep.

In what seems like minutes, I'mawakened by a crash. The coffeepot in the lounge car has managedto work its way off the counter andis now in pieces on the floor. It isobvious from the rocking motionand clickety-clack of the wheels thatwe are moving over a stretch ofjointed rail. I glance at my watchand notice that I've slept for anhour. That's enough, it time towatch the show again.

Back in the crew car, I canget a good view of 1522 and thetrack ahead. We pass a whistle postwith a W5 on it and soon we'reroaring through Lebanon, Missouri.Our engineer keeps the whistlescreaming as we speed through fiveclosely spaced grade crossings.

By early morning, we arerolling along parallel to Interstate44 again. This time there are norailfans, only semis with driverswho wonder whether the apparitionthey're seeing is a real or a sideeffect of their No-Doze. On theoutskirts of Springfield we passWally siding and the limestone pilesat Griesemer Stone. Pretty soon,we start to slow down as weapproach Teed Junction where themainline to Memphis joins our route.

The city not awake yet as weroll past North Yard and the oldCTC building on Commercial St.This is the site of the new FriscoRailroad Museum Springfieldfacility. The CTC building wasprovided by the Burlington Northernand has been refurbished to serveas temporary housing for themuseum displays and archives.Long term plans call for a new largerbuilding that will have the bottomfloor dedicated to displays and thetop floor reserved for model railroadsof the Frisco in HO, N, and 0 scales.After the new building is completed,the CTC building will be used forthe museum offices and archives. Arestored Frisco caboose is alreadysitting our front.

Out train rolls to a stopbefore entering the main yard. Someof the crew will remain behind toturn the train and move it to thetrack just behind the FrisccMuseum. This is the end of the tripfor my brother and me so we catcha ride to where he's left a car. Ourlast action before heading home fora bed is to drop some of the 1522crew off at the BN crew hotel.

We made it! Although therain tried to damped the museum

Visitors of all ages stand in line awaiting a peek into the cab of 1522

grand opening festivities on theweek-end, having 1522 parked nextto the museum resulted in a steadystream of visitors. Overall, themuseum had a successful openingcelebration due in part to the extraefforts of the railroaders that madesure Frisco 1522 could steam toSpringfield.

EPILOGUE:

The original plan called forme to ride 1522 back to St. Louis onthe following Monday. That weekend

another seven inches of rain fell inCentral Missouri. We got final wordSunday night. The line to St. Louiswas closed because of washoutsand high water. 1522 would have tostay in Springfield for at least aweek.Since my plane ticket back to Denverwas for St. Louis, my best alternativewas to rent a car and drive back soon Monday I headed up 1-44. WhenI got to the Newburg area, theinterstate had just reopened afterbeing closed due to high water. TheBig Piney river was out of its banks

and had flooded the valley. I couldsee the Frisco line from the highwayand the tracks were under water inplaces. A set of hopper cars wasparked on the truss bridge acrossthe river to stabilize it. No trainswould be passing through here for awhile.

Back in Colorado the nextweekend, I called my brother to geta status report on whether 1522had returned to St. Louis. He toldme the railroad had been reopenedand 1522 had made its return tripthat Sunday. Much to my regret, Iwasn't on it.

St. Louis Steam Train Association"Black Gold" Baggage Car, used tocarry support equipment for the1522.

St. Louis Steam Train Association"Firefly" Baggage & Crew DormitoryCar, used to carry support equipmentand provide sleeping quarters forthe 1522 crew.

"Chouteau Club" Lounge-Diner owned and operated by Daniel & JaniceMaguire.

Frisco 1522 with consists, on display at The Frisco Railroad Museum Inc., Springfield, MO, September 25, 1993. Ken Talent photo