There have been several recent posts asking for information on Frisco #4500, a 4-8-4 at Tulsa, OK. The engine is owned by the City Of Tulsa, who displayed it under a shelter at "Mohawk Park", the city zoo on the north side of the Tulsa area. Back about 15 years ago, the city was approached by the Sunbelt RR Historical Trust, which is the railroad museum affiliated with the Sunbelt Chapter NRHS in Tulsa. Sunbelt wanted to organize restoration and operation of 4500. They signed a lease with the city, and organized movement the engine from the zoo to a small yard on the SKOL railroad at Owasso, OK, north of Tulsa. After some initial disassembly and inspection, the restoration stalled and there has been no progress for several years. The city regarded Sunbelt as not upholding the terms of the lease, and recently instigated some legal moves to reclaim #4500 and then either sell or donate it to some other group.
Sunbelt RR Historical Trust has had some problems for several years, and in November 2003 closed the doors at their museum. Most of the material owned by Sunbelt has been donated to the 'Railroad Museum of Oklahoma (RMO)', which is operated by the Enid Chapter NRHS. RMO has spent the last several weekends moving display material and documents from Tulsa to Enid. The property donated included a near-roadworthy ex-LIRR coach, which will be moved on its own wheels soon to Enid. The Enid group is meeting tonight (Jan 20) and will vote on the question of accepting the rest of the Sunbelt collection.

Of course, Sunbelt did not own 4500, and any donation of it will be at the direction of the City of Tulsa. At last report, both the RMO and the Oklahoma Railway Museum (ORM), operated by the Oklahoma City NRHS chapter, have expressed an interest. As far as I know, the city of Tulsa has not yet made a decision.

The RMO at Enid is housed in the former ATSF freight house at 702 N. Washington street, north of downtown. Exhibits include cosmetically-restored Frisco 4-8-2 #1519, an operable GE centercab, an Amtrak Lounge car, a BN RPO, eight cabooses, and ten vintage freight cars. The RMO offers seasonal excursion rides, usually the first saturday in May and the first Saturday in October. The usual consist is the eight cabooses operated on the Grainbelt Railroad, with a Grainbelt GP9, southwest from Enid to either Drummond or Okeene.

The ORM at Oklahoma City is located near the NE 36th street exit from Interstate-35. Exhibits include ATSF FP45 #90, near-operable BN F9A #814, an Alco RS-1, an operable GE centercab, four passenger cars, two cabooses, four freight cars and an ex-US Army Porter 0-6-0T waiting restoration. Structures include a nicely restored ex-ATSF exx-Orient depot, and an Orient section house. The ORM offers seasonal train rides using the GE centercab and a caboose, starting in April on the third Saturday of each month.

Dan

dan-rohrback@cox.net

About the thought of operating the Frisco 4500...From the pics that I've seen of it, the locomotive would be a nice one to run, but several questions come up in my mind.
One, is the city going to let all of the money the is donated to the project go to the locomotive restoration?
Two, who is going to operate it?
Three, is there going to be enough money from the operation of it to support somebody to maintain it?
But some of yall might be thinking about having volunteers do it all, well thats a good thought, but what if it needs a major part replaced?
Sure the volunteer can do it, but if the money is not there to replace the part, it might be doughtful if the city of Tulsa is going to "help out", if they do not deem it to be helpful to the city!
And is there a more economical locomotive that the city can try to run, as a "test"(if you will!)locomotive?If so, then try out that and see how it goes, and if it does fine....then go ahead with the 4500! I would personally like to see it run!!
Good Luck!

> There have been several recent posts asking
> for information on Frisco #4500, a 4-8-4 at
> Tulsa, OK. The engine is owned by the City
> Of Tulsa, who displayed it under a shelter
> at "Mohawk Park", the city zoo on
> the north side of the Tulsa area. Back about
> 15 years ago, the city was approached by the
> Sunbelt RR Historical Trust, which is the
> railroad museum affiliated with the Sunbelt
> Chapter NRHS in Tulsa. Sunbelt wanted to
> organize restoration and operation of 4500.
> They signed a lease with the city, and
> organized movement the engine from the zoo
> to a small yard on the SKOL railroad at
> Owasso, OK, north of Tulsa. After some
> initial disassembly and inspection, the
> restoration stalled and there has been no
> progress for several years. The city
> regarded Sunbelt as not upholding the terms
> of the lease, and recently instigated some
> legal moves to reclaim #4500 and then either
> sell or donate it to some other group.
> Sunbelt RR Historical Trust has had some
> problems for several years, and in November
> 2003 closed the doors at their museum. Most
> of the material owned by Sunbelt has been
> donated to the 'Railroad Museum of Oklahoma
> (RMO)', which is operated by the Enid
> Chapter NRHS. RMO has spent the last several
> weekends moving display material and
> documents from Tulsa to Enid. The property
> donated included a near-roadworthy ex-LIRR
> coach, which will be moved on its own wheels
> soon to Enid. The Enid group is meeting
> tonight (Jan 20) and will vote on the
> question of accepting the rest of the
> Sunbelt collection.

> Of course, Sunbelt did not own 4500, and any
> donation of it will be at the direction of
> the City of Tulsa. At last report, both the
> RMO and the Oklahoma Railway Museum (ORM),
> operated by the Oklahoma City NRHS chapter,
> have expressed an interest. As far as I
> know, the city of Tulsa has not yet made a
> decision.

> The RMO at Enid is housed in the former ATSF
> freight house at 702 N. Washington street,
> north of downtown. Exhibits include
> cosmetically-restored Frisco 4-8-2 #1519, an
> operable GE centercab, an Amtrak Lounge car,
> a BN RPO, eight cabooses, and ten vintage
> freight cars. The RMO offers seasonal
> excursion rides, usually the first saturday
> in May and the first Saturday in October.
> The usual consist is the eight cabooses
> operated on the Grainbelt Railroad, with a
> Grainbelt GP9, southwest from Enid to either
> Drummond or Okeene.

> The ORM at Oklahoma City is located near the
> NE 36th street exit from Interstate-35.
> Exhibits include ATSF FP45 #90,
> near-operable BN F9A #814, an Alco RS-1, an
> operable GE centercab, four passenger cars,
> two cabooses, four freight cars and an ex-US
> Army Porter 0-6-0T waiting restoration.
> Structures include a nicely restored ex-ATSF
> exx-Orient depot, and an Orient section
> house. The ORM offers seasonal train rides
> using the GE centercab and a caboose,
> starting in April on the third Saturday of
> each month.

> Dan


SOUTHERN630@HOTMAIL.COM

Dan, Please contact me at the above email. Tonight if possible. Thank You, Mike Morgan

michaelcmorgan@sbcglobal.net