The Museum Of The American Railroad In Frisco Texas

Being a resident of Frisco Texas has its rewards. It is the fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 220, 000 people.

Now for a little bit of history of Frisco Texas. Frisco is located where the Chisolm Trail started in Texas in the 1860's. Cattle drives originated from this point on to rail heads in Kansas and Missouri in the late 1860's. A great motion picture to see about this part of the country is Red River starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift (1948). It is often seen on cable TV.

 In the last two or three years The Museum Of  The American Railroad was built and now resides in the center of Frisco Texas. They do have one of the last remaining Big Boys  #4018 that has been fully restored. It traveled from Lake Park Texas to Frisco in the past six months on BNSF tracks where it is on display. It is a magnificent piece of equipment and is fully restored

                                          Photo # 1  UP "Big Boy" #4018 On The Way To Frisco Texas From Lake Park Texas. Photo Taken By Ken Fitzgerald Of Dallas Morning News

    Photo 1A UP "Big Boy" #4018 On The Move To Frisco Texas

  Photo 1B UP "Big Boy"  #4018 Is Almost Home In Frisco Texas

   Photo 1C UP "Big Boy" #4018 Finally Makes It Home To Frisco Texas

                  Photo 1D The Crew Of UP "Big Boy" #4018 Can Now Finally Relax

                                          Photo #2 UP "Big Boy" #4018 Number Board

Valerie Wigglesworth reported on the move of UP "Big Boy" #4018 to the National Train Museum in Frisco Texas.


Update at 2:15 p.m. July 19: Officials with the Museum of the American Railroad said today that the Union Pacific Big Boy will move on Sunday.
An exact time has not yet been set. But expect the task of towing the largest steam locomotive ever built to take most of the day.
Crews with the Dallas Garland & Northeastern Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad will handle the move. There will be five railroad cars in front of the 1.2 million pound Big Boy followed by another five cars behind it for braking capacity. All will be pulled by one locomotive.
I will be following the locomotive’s 55-mile journey from Fair Park to Frisco on Sunday. Keep an eye out for details at www.dallasnews.com.


Update at 9:20 p.m. July 20: Moving day for the behemoth locomotive has finally arrived. A crew from the Dallas Garland & Northeastern Railroad is scheduled to arrive at Fair Park at 7 a.m. Sunday, July 21, for final preparations of the Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotive.
Big Boy’s departure is scheduled for between 8 and 8:30 a.m. I’ll be following the locomotive as it makes its 55-mile trip north to Frisco. You can follow along on Twitter and join the conversation using #BigBoyTrain or at www.dallasnews.com/friscoblog.
Officials with the Museum of the American Railroad welcome rail fans to watch this historic event but urge people to keep safety in mind. People should not enter railroad property or board rail equipment at any time during the move. They also ask that people respect the personal, private property of surrounding homeowners and businesses and don’t trespass.


Update at 2:30 p.m. July 21: Big Boy’s move planned for today was canceled. “Due to last-minute concerns arising from the need to wye the Big Boy in southeast Dallas, today’s move of the engine has been postponed,” museum officials said in a statement.
Museum president and CEO Bob LaPrelle said that the Union Pacific Railroad was reluctant to put the Big Boy on its main line without an inspection. Even though the Big Boy has already undergone several inspections by other railroads, UP officials wanted to take a more cautious approach. “It’s the nature of the business,” LaPrelle said.
Dozens of people turned out at Fair Park early Sunday to watch the move. The historic steam locomotive had been coupled with two diesel engines and 11 other cars for what’s called a hospital move, which travels at less than 10 mph. It waited for several hours for clearance before the move was canceled and the Big Boy was parked back in its spot in Fair Park.
Museum officials hope to try again next Sunday. Stay tuned here for updates.

Published: August 16, 2013 6:01 am

The Union Pacific Big Boy locomotive is the only museum piece left at Fair Park.

The move of the historic Union Pacific Big Boy locomotive is scheduled for this Sunday, officials with the Museum of the American Railroad said Thursday.
Logistics, including bridge repairs, track upgrades and inspections, have delayed the move several times already.
The Big Boy is the last piece in the museum’s 40-car collection that remains at Fair Park, which has been the museum’s home since the early 1960s. The museum is moving to a larger site in Frisco.
At 1.2 million pounds, the Big Boy is the largest steam locomotive ever built. Only eight such locomotives still exist, and rarely do they travel on the tracks. The locomotive’s move is expected to generate crowds when it hits the rails.
Departure time will be between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Sunday from Fair Park. The move is expected to take most of the day. Stay tuned here on the Frisco Blog for details.
Museum officials want to remind folks coming out to view the historic move to keep safety in mind and not trespass on private property.
Good viewing spots include Fair Park, Union Station and the museum’s new site along the Dallas North Tollway off Cotton Gin Road.
In Frisco, access to the end of Cotton Gin Road and the area immediately to the north is prohibited. A tented viewing area will be set up just inside the museum’s fence for the public to gather. Parking will be available at the Frisco Discovery Center. Access to the Museum’s site will be through the contractor gate along Cotton Gin Road. Parking along Cotton Gin Road is prohibited.
Click here to learn more about the museum and its move to Frisco.


Below is a photo of The Museum Of The American Railroad Site Plan

PRR GG1 #4903

                         Joe Bohannon Took Both Photo's Of The PRR GG1 #4903

Build Date: 1943
Builder: Pennsylvania Railroad
Current Status: Static
Road: Pennsylvania Railroad
Configuration: GG1

The GG1 was designed and built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to pull 12-14 car passenger trains such as the famed Broadway Limited on its high speed electrified Northeast Corridor between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New York City, and Washington, DC. Its unique center cab design was intended to provide safety and visibility for the crews, but industrial designer Raymond Loewy refined the design with an all welded carbody and distinctive paint scheme with 5 gold stripes. The locomotive drew power from the 11,000 volt AC current transmitted in overhead electrical lines and developed 4620 horsepower, easily allowing speeds of 100 mph. After more than 50 years of operations, the last of the 139 GG1s built were retired in 1983, with 16 remaining in museums today. The example displayed is notable as one of the locomotives (then numbered Penn Central 4903) which pulled the funeral train of Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy from New York to Washington on June 8, 1968 when thousands gathered trackside to pay their last respects. Amtrak later renumbered 4903 to 4906. The locomotive was obtained in a trade with the New York Central Museum in Elkhart, Indiana.

   Frisco #4501 4-8-4

Build Date: 1942 Builder: Baldwin Locomotive Works Current Status: Static Road: St. Louis - San Francisco Railway Company ("Frisco") Configuration: 4-8-4 The 4501 was among the last group of steam locomotives built for the Frisco. Because of World War II, the War Production Board limited  production of most new diesel locomotives other than switching locomotives used in rail yards, and severely limited steam locomotive development by requiring the use of existing designs. Frisco's 4500 class was constructed based upon the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's O-5b class. Numbers 4500-4502 were built for passenger service on the "Meteor," an overnight train between St. Louis, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The new locomotives were delivered in a paint scheme of zephyr blue, white and gray, with "Meteor" spelled out on the side of the tender in bold, red letters. While the passenger locomotives were built to be fired with cleaner burning oil, locomotives 4503-4524 were built as coal burners for freight service but were also used in passenger service. New diesel locomotives arrived in 1947 to power the streamlined "Meteor" and "Texas Special," demoting the 4500s to trains such as the "Will Rogers" and "General Wood." Still wearing it's colorful Meteor scheme, 4501 powered a portion of President Harry S. Truman's July, 1948 whistle stop campaign through Missouri. Several of the 4500-class engines were rebuilt and stored near the end of steam in 1952, but remained behind St. Louis' Lindenwood roundhouse until scrapping or donation. The 4501 was donated by the Frisco in September 1964.            Frisco #4501 Has Arrived  (From Every Day Frisco)  The Museum of the American Railroad’s Frisco steam locomotive #4501 arrived in Frisco from Fair Park at 11:00pm on Sunday, May 26 2013, and performed flawlessly. Some background on the #4501: The St. Louis-San Francisco “Frisco” Railway steam locomotive #4501 pulled one of the line’s premiere passenger trains during a pivotal period in the nation’s history. Built in 1942 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA, #4501 provided motive power for the overnight Meteor between Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and St. Louis. One of three locomotives designated for the route, #4501 could be found traveling at speeds of up to 90mph pulling the “Zephyr” blue Meteor. The train provided a vital connection between Texas, Oklahoma, and St. Louis – a gateway to destinations north and east to cities such as Chicago, Washington, and New York. The locomotive was a regular sight at the massive, bustling St. Louis Union Station, the eastern terminus of the Meteor. Painted in a patriotic red, white, and blue scheme, the #4501 represented the state of the art in steam locomotive design, but enjoyed a relatively short career. The locomotive operated during the twilight period of steam. Following World War II, diesel-electric locomotives replaced steamers as railroads introduced sleek, new streamlined passenger trains. By 1947, just five years after delivery, #4501 was bumped from passenger service and repainted in Frisco’s basic black scheme, then relegated to freight service. In 1952 Frisco became an all-diesel line and the locomotive was placed into storage at the Lindenwood, Missouri shops. This was a common practice among railroads as a way to maintain a reserve fleet of locomotives to cover traffic surges. Few steam locomotives were ever reactivated, however, and their next stop was usually the scrap line. The #4501 is one of the few survivors. Frisco #4501 was a “Northern” type steam locomotive, having a 4-8-4 wheel arrangement. This configuration was widely used throughout North America, and was at home pulling freight or passenger trains up mountain grades or running at high speeds over the prairie. Despite #4501’s relatively short career, the locomotive was a sound design, providing safe and reliable service on the Frisco railway. After over 10 years of storage, #4501 was officially retired in 1964. Later that year following a letter writing campaign by one of the Museum’s founders, Everett L. DeGolyer, Jr., the #4501 was gifted to the Museum. In 1965 the locomotive was moved dead-in-tow to Fair Park where it was placed on display at the Age of Steam Museum (now the Museum of the American Railroad). Ironically, the #4501 passed through the small town of Frisco on its way to Dallas in 1965. The locomotive will travel in the opposite direction to the Museum of the American Railroad’s new home in Frisco, now a thriving city. The line through Frisco, Texas is now part of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, which acquired the Frisco Railway in 1980. Frisco locomotive #4501 was recently repainted in the line’s striking Meteor scheme, based on research of original drawings and plans. The locomotive is resplendent in its original appearance when steam locomotives reigned supreme at the head end of the nation’s flagship passenger trains.

The roster also includes four diesel electric locomotives,  10 passenger cars, one freight car and numerous railroad artifacts.

The latest restoration project is a ATSF F-7

In 2000, the Museum embarked on an ambitious plan to recreate the iconic diesel-electric locomotive that once adorned Santa Fe’s great fleet of Chief streamliners.  While the railroad used several different models of locomotives to pull these trains, the General Motors Electro-Motive-Division F-7s were the most popular and successful versions.  Santa Fe’s Texas Chief of 1948 to 1971 was no exception when it came to the dominant form of motive power being EMD’s model F-7.  Along with the rest of Santa Fe’s famous Chief streamliners, the Chicago-Houston Texas Chief could be found with up to six of the locomotives on the head end in cab or booster form.  The iconic Warbonnet paint scheme just seemed to lay naturally on the curved features and stainless steel flanks of the F-7.  After several months of searching for a good candidate for acquisition and restoration, Canadian National F-9A #9167 was located at National Railway Equipment Co. (NREX) of Dixmoor, Illinois.  No original F-units survive from Santa Fe’s passenger service with the exception of a cab and booster unit now on display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.  CN #9167, originally built as an F-7, was an ideal candidate, having the same carbody features as the Santa Fe versions.  Following purchase from NREX, the locomotive was shipped to Texas on its own wheels via Chicago and St. Louis.  Funding for acquisition was made possible by a lead gift from the Hillcrest Foundation, which enthusiastically supported preservation and restoration of the unit.  The locomotive was painstakingly restored, with extensive body work and painting completed in 2005.  The scope of work called for the unit to be cosmetically restored back to the 1952 appearance of an F-7.  This required only modest changes to the exterior, which had been remanufactured to F-9 specifications in the early 1970s.  Work included the application of stainless steel panels to the exterior of the locomotive’s carbody at the location of those on original Santa Fe passenger units.  Paint and graphics were applied using DuPont’s Imron Polyurethane Enamel.  Restoration of the locomotive was made possible by a lead gift from the Muckleroy Foundation.    The locomotive received mechanical repairs including extensive work on its 16 cylinder 567C 1,750 hp diesel engine, and replacement of the four D-77 traction motors that had been removed by NREX.  The F-9 mechanical upgrades, performed by GM of Canada, were left intact.  Restoration was completed in 2006.  The unit is now in serviceable condition and operates periodically at the Museum and at special events offsite. We wish to thank the following organizations and individuals for making Project F-7 possible: ACQUISITION Hillcrest Foundation – Founded by Mrs. W. W. Caruth, Sr. (Lead Gift) Eugene McDermott Foundation Mr. E. Lee DeGolyer Bill & Angela Barrett Mr. & Mrs. Otto Wetzel Robert & Tracey Willis Mr. Elton Vaughan Jerry R. & Nancy Stricklin Willis Jerry C. Willis & Family David & Lisa Gilmore John L. & Mary Radovich Mr. Joe Huffman Mr. Robert LaPrelle Stanley & Yvonne Smith Scott & Cathy Luedke Mr. & Mrs. Joel Price Mr. Paul Kurilicz Mr. Bud Weatherson Union Pacific Railroad CSX Railroad Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad RESTORATION Dani Muckleroy – in Honor of Dr. Robert Muckleroy (Lead Gift) Metal-Rehab, Arlington Texas Mr. Gerald Cochran, NRE, Chicago Mr. Mark Williams, Kansas City Southern Railroad Mr. Barry Bledsoe, Bledsoe Brace Systems Mr. Bob Lavry – Fort Worth & Western Railroad Mr. Bruce Meyer Dr. John B. McCall Mr. Stan Kistler Mr. Walter Gray, State of California Parks Service/California State Railroad Museum Mr. Doyle McCormack Dale & Richard Brand – Brand Sheetmetal Mr. Dave Eyerman Mr. Doug Nichols Mr. Ron Chamberlain Mr. Jeff Phelps Mr. Ted Phelps Mr. Roger Meyer Mr. Richard Wainscott – CMO, Museum of the American Railroad PROJECT MANAGEMENTRobert H. “Bob” LaPrelle, CEO, Museum of the American Railroad Robert A. Willis, Trustee, Museum of the American Railroad

Link For The Museum Of The American Railroad

http://www.museumoftheamericanrailroad.org/