[Ted Ferkenhoff]

I have this one in my collection….

MP 863002
Port Reading, NJ
02-15-1987
Bill Guoff

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Hello J,

Here is some basic info on each of the 3 locomotives shown in that group of photos. I have not found any specific assignment information other than for #133 in 1940.

#6425 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotive. Oil burner. Built between 1910 and 1913. Off roster by 1956.

#133 2-8-0 Consolidation type steam locomotive. Coal burner. Built by Brooks in 1910. Off roster by 1956. Shown assigned to the Bonne Terre TSE job (traveling switch engine) in a survey made 4-17-1940 for General Supt. Of Transportation W. F. Kirk.

#582 F7 diesel locomotive. Built by EMD 9-27-1949. Later renumbered to 801. Retired 1970-71.

Ted Ferkenhoff
MPHS Digital Archivist

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

There is now a preliminary schedule for the Ft Smith annual convention posted on the convention page.

http://www.mopac.org/annual-convention/220-2019-ft-smith-ar-train-scheduled-to-depart

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Illmo Beanery

Prior to the early 1960’s, crews operating between Dupo and Poplar Bluff, and Dupo and Paragould, AR, changed at Gale, IL. In June 1950, a previous agreement (dating to 1927) was revised outlining separate crew pools for trains running through Gale. A side letter to this agreement stated that MP would continue the practice of furnishing crews “on trains first and second 67, 65, 361, Gulf Coast Blocks 360, 72, and 60 with two meat sandwiches, pie and coffee or milk not to exceed a cost of 80 cents, when the engines of such trains do not have to be serviced at Gale or the train does not have to be switched.”

In the early 1960’s (prior to 1964 but I do not have an exact date), MP elimated Gale as a crew change point and established the beanery at Illmo to provide lunches to crews operating Dupo-Poplar Bluff and Dupo-Paragould. At this time, lunches were handed up to all trains. This service was for MP only, it did not involve Cotton Belt. When the C&EI was folded in, crews in the Salem-Poplar Bluff pool also got lunch. The practice continued into the UP era until the implementation of the St. Louis Hub Agreement in November of 1999, when it was specifically written out of the agreement. In 1993, the owners were Bob Camp Jr and BL Wheeler. Camp was a 43-yr employee with MP and UP before retiring in 1988. Wheeler was a retired engineer.

Crews phoned their orders in at Poplar Bluff or Dupo, giving their train symbol. As southbound trains came over the Thebes Bridge, or northbound trains crossed the Frisco at Rockview, they would call their symbol and location over the radio on the road channel. The beanery staff were listening to the road channel with a scanner. The lunches were prepped, bagged and put into baskets, which were set onto the swinging platforms as seen in the photos. Headend and rear end crews snagged the baskets, extracted their lunch bags, and tossed the baskets to the ground.

I cannot provide photos with MP locos getting lunch at Illmo, but here are two of my photos of a northbound UP train picking up lunch in 1991. This should help illustrate the operation. Also an uncredited photo from Facebook taken on a Mopac train in the 1970s.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

This is fantastic film from the late 1940s. From 17:10 to 25:00 time are operations through the entire process at the Herculaneum, MO, lead smelter. Also of interest is the method of loading lead concentrate into boxcars (later to be replaced by gondolas). This film also has some of the only footage I have found of the large caverns in some of the Old Lead Belt mines, where one could see mine trains on 3 working levels at once. Missouri Pacific and Missouri-Illinois served many of the Old Lead Belt mines and the smelter at Herculaneum.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Swiped from Tom Austin’s FB post….touch the photo to see a crisper view.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

I would like to know how you folks modeled the marker light brackets at the front corners of the hood. A distinctive feature of MP switchers.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Joe Pauley, would you post the track diagram here please?

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

That is disappointing that the kits are sold out already, as I was hoping to try kitbashing one of the cars modified for Armco coiled wire rod service. (Not wire, as it is often misidentified.) The Tangent models bulkhead side cutouts, both in size and quantity, and do not match the Armco cars I have photos for.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Those are certainly good observations Kevin. Here is some additional info….

You are correct that the “UMS” and “SMU” symbols were not being regularly used in 1970….those trains were 201 (south) and 202 (north). Interestingly enough, the 9/1970 Circular 61 freight schedules for this pair of trains shows “201 (UMS)” and “202 (SMU)” on the schedule titles, so at least from a service planning perspective, the UMS and SMU symbols existed as far back as 1970.

These schedules also note “This train is operated in conjunction with Southern and Union Pacific with locomotives operating via all three carriers.” So at this time, there was a locomotive run-through agreement in place.

When the MP converted to a mostly all-letter symbol system in 1974, the run through agreement with UP and Southern was not in effect, and so the UMS/SMU symbols did not show up until 2-15-1978, when run through schedules were re-established.

You have a good eye for freight cars….the 1970 schedule for #202 shows it picking up a block of cars at Memphis destined “Crane-Carthage, MO”, to be set out at AA Siding. (You will have to remind me what AA Siding was renamed.)

As to the MP local operating over the Frisco between Aurora and Springfield, the first run was June 4, 1972, using GP7s 211 & 213. This is based upon notes from Steve McVey.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Here is a Steve McVey photo from the same angle, December 1, 1974.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

What year are you looking for? As we discussed in this forum back in February, I have the 1980 spotting book for Natchez and I can post the other maps that were not posted earlier.

Also, please sign your posts so that we can know whom to address with a reply.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

The Drury in Mt Vernon was excellent. The evening kickback was another opportunity for conversation with fellow MPHS members.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Here is diagram from a 1980 ZTS book.

[Ted Ferkenhoff]

Pat – your previous thread on the Bayou Teche incident says it was #133 that went into the drink. EuDaly’s diesel book shows a retirement guess of “1975-1979” which does not really offer any useful leads. Do you have any printed references (newspaper, etc.) to the Bayou Teche incident?

The Morley bridge incident involved a GP35 and GP38. There is a previous thread on that one that diverged from Pat’s original thread.

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