Steam & Excursion > Gone but not forgotten

Hearing about SOO 1003 coming out of service reactivates the sad feeling from when we shut down 1522.
Here's a nice sunrise shot at North St. Louis in the old CB&Q yards at Humboldt St. just prior to leaving for points north in May of '95. I'm not sure, but think this was the trip when we had the whistle of a Burlington 2-8-2 on her. I posted video of her with the Q whistle some time back. It was a raucous 5 chime.
R.J.Foster would have approved of this shot.

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Very nice image. Why did the Frisco 1522 go out of service? Guess I'm a little late on this information



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/10 14:17 by jhouchen.

Well, as far as I'm, concerned; the so-called "royal family" of the St Louis Steam Train Association, simply decided that they "didn't want to do it anymore"! Thus, the "working class" guys where left out in the cold and the locomotive went back to the St Louis museum, never to run again.

Damned shame!

Well, in all reality 1522 was out of time and due for her 15 year FRA work. Insurance had gone through the ceiling, we either had to run under Amtrak auspices or the sponsoring group would have to go "car shopping". Amtrak wasn't cheap either. Ticket sales were mediocre for several years except for the farewell runs. The MOT was not really enthusiastic about another tear down/rebuild/etc tying up resources and the railroad's attitude was cooling toward special movements.
The 15 year work was going to involve extensive wrapper sheet work over the crown sheet due to corrosion. It would have been a very expensive endeavor so the decision was made to go out on a high note. There are still some minor unsolved running gear issues to correct also, but that is doable.
Last year, the idea of restoration was revisited by several of us, the Museum and the TMA and it was decided that due to the high cost, it would be best to leave things the way they are. So unless Warren Buffett or Bill Gates has a sudden desire to see a Frisco 1500 run, I wouldn't stand by the line waiting.
None of us were really happy about the decision, but sometimes you just have to be realistic. I think in time, the worker bees have come to realize that we are all 8 years older, the talent pool sort of burned out and times have changed.
Nothing lasts forever.

I do not feel bad. I have some wonderful memories of the SL-SF 1522. I am thankful for the time that I got to spend with the 1522. wag216

amen to the above. we are all grateful for those that made it happen/
who can forget that 3 day trip to Birmingham???

unfortunately I have never seen 1522 run, so unless some magic happens one day I guess I never will.
What a beauty. At least she was left looking good and under cover. I saw her at the museum and she looked like she could pull the entire museum roster out of there no problem. She sure is a highly prized locomotive. I hope things change back one day and she gets a second, or rather third chance like SR 4501 might.

On that subject, it would be nice to see the Frisco 4501 run as well.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> Hearing about SOO 1003 coming out of service
> reactivates the sad feeling from when we shut down
> 1522.
> Here's a nice sunrise shot at North St. Louis in
> the old CB&Q yards at Humboldt St. just prior to
> leaving for points north in May of '95. I'm not
> sure, but think this was the trip when we had the
> whistle of a Burlington 2-8-2 on her. I posted
> video of her with the Q whistle some time back. It
> was a raucous 5 chime.
> R.J.Foster would have approved of this shot.

I got the pleasure of photographing and riding behind the 1522 in 2001 when it came to Texas for the Employee Appreciation trips. It went by my house in Haslet after every trip to be wyed at Lake Wanda.

Here are several shots from the 2001 trips.

1. SB at Haslet, Texas

2. SB at Crawford, Texas (You know who has a ranch here)

Nomosantafe
Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West Begins"

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2 more

3. NB between Justin and Ponder. Texas

4. NB at Lambert, texas

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