Frisco 1522 On Freight

We look back at St. Louis & San Francisco 4-8-2 #1522 on the mainline with freight cars in tow in 1991 and 1992. The first segment covers a pair of break-in runs in October, 1991. The locomotive suffered a mechanical failure in 1990 when the axle bearings on the pilot truck overheated. Attempts to repair the problem were unsuccessful, and the St. Louis Steam Train Association decided to rebuild the truck and convert it to roller bearings.

Following the rebuild, Burlington Northern hosted the locomotive to break in the new bearings. The first run was a short trip from downtown St. Louis to suburban Valley Park. With the first run being a success, the next day saw the locomotive pull an all day round trip down the former Frisco mainline to Newburg, Missouri. On both days, the train consisted of the locomotive’s water canteen, crew and tool car Firefly, and a string of freight cars with a caboose bringing up the rear. The 1926 Baldwin put on a quite a show over the two days, and two videographers filmed the action.

The following May, the 1522 was invited to appear at Railroad Days in the former Frisco shop town of Springfield, Missouri. In the consist was the water car and tool car, along with a couple of passenger cars followed by a string of loaded ballast hoppers. The train was filmed on the run to Springfield. Following the deadhead run, we see the locomotive on display at Springfield before following the train back to St. Louis.

This program will be a welcome look back for steam fans and those who fondly remember the excursion career of Frisco 1522.