At Kirkwood, Missouri, January 2, 1935:

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?f ... sf1519.jpg

Nice photo! Kind of interesting that the SLSF saved a number of its 1500 class passenger 4-8-2's but not a single example of its 4300 or 4400 class "Mountains" which the FRISCO had rebuilt in their own Springfield shops. In this case it couldn't have been because the 1500's were lighter than the 4300's and 4400's thus less scrap to "throw away" because the railroad also preserved four of their big 4-8-4's. Perhaps the explanation is that the 1500's were still on the roster as protection power at the end whereas the 4300's and 4400's had already gone to scrap. Anybody know for sure?

Les

Notice the abandoned tunnel in the background. This is probably near the old Meramec Higlands station.

The depot still stands, remodeled into a home for a new development in the area appropriately called "Meramec Highlands." The common ground for the development included the land around the tunnel portal.

You can check the development out at: http://www.agapeconstruction.com/sub%20divisions%20meramec.htm

I could think of a couple other classes the Frisco could have preserved, such as one of the 4-6-4s, a 4200,4300 and 4400, but for a road their size, they preserved quite a few. Look at the MP and NYC.
I'm glad they saved the 1522 because it let me live a dream for over a decade.

I am not critisizing the Frisco's steam preservation policy. They did a very nice job in preserving steam. This included saving the very last new steam locomotive built for them (4-8-4 #4524) and a pretty good cross section of types (the forementioned 1500's and 4-8-4's, plus some of the USRA 2-8-2's and three of the 2-8-2's that they rebuilt from older Consolidations.) In addition to this formal preservation policy, they also sold a number of steam locomotives elsewhere and some of those engines (0-6-0's, a 2-6-0, 2-8-0's and "Russian" Decapods) got preserved later.

And for the record, I think the 1500's were perhaps the prettiest 4-8-2's built. And that 1522 sure could talk it up! Miss not having her in steam, but glad she had her later "moment in the sun."

Les

I think the Frisco removed the asbestos lagging from most of the engines it donated before placing them in parks, with new galvanized boiler jacketing applied over steel bands around the boilers. This saved decades of corrosion and I'd like to know more about how they did it from anyone who has worked on a Frisco engine.

The stainless bands had "spacers" welded to them before they were placed on the boiler. The spacers were the same thickness as the lagging. This didn't eliminate corrosion, but it sure cut it way down. We had to deal with a good bit of it on the 1522 and had to replace quite a few sleeves. Most of them were repaired using half sleeves.
I looked at the boiler on the 4500 several years ago and it was pristine! I guess Frisco had their head on straight when it came to the cosmetic restorations, and thank God, what with all the asbestos regs nowadays.

Clem -

Are you going to re-apply that "METEOR" paint scheme to the tender? I sure hope that's what the future plans are!'

BTW, great website!

Les

Les,

I am in Albuquerque and part of another group. I had stumbled across that link a while back and had saved in my favorites since it showed the banding that Frisco used under their jackets. I would love to see it put back to the Meteor scheme too.

I got to ride behind the 1522 when she came through North Texas for BNSF's Employee Appreciation Special... What an exhaust!

The 4501 is preserved at the former Age of Steam RR Museum in Dallas. Of all of their steam locomotives, that one always seemed to be the most "captivating". I sure would like to see her under steam again...