Frisco #4524 - Springfield, MO - Locomotives on Waymarking.com

In the early 1940s, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco for short) ordered 25 of these massive 4-8-4 ‘Northerns’ from the Baldwin Locomotives Works in Philadelphia. These were among the most technologically advanced steam locomotives ever produced, capable of pulling enormous loads at very high speeds. (Their speedometers reached 90 mph, though I doubt any actually achieved that speed.)

Numbered 4500-4524, these locomotives were immediately put to use pulling the Frisco’s crack passenger train, ‘The Meteor’ (St. Louis-Oklahoma City). But their real purpose was to efficiently handle the increased tonnage brought about by the United States’ involvement in World War II. For the Frisco, this was predominantly troop movement and petroleum from the Gulf of Mexico.

The Frisco had two main lines: St. Louis to Oklahoma City and into Texas, and Kansas City to Birmingham and Mobile, AL. (In spite of its name, the closest the Frisco ever got to San Francisco was Floydada, TX, about 1500 miles away.) These two main lines intersected at Springfield, MO which became Frisco’s headquarters. In fact, you could say that the Frisco put Springfield on the map as it was the city’s largest employer at one time. (The railway line did put the town of Frisco, TX on the map since it was actually named for the railroad.)

Unfortunately, these locomotives arrived on the scene right at the end of the steam era and by the early 1950s, they were being retired. Most were scrapped but four of these 4500 series locomotives are preserved at various locations. The city of Springfield wanted Frisco #4524, the last 4-8-4 delivered, to be a permanent display in their historic Grant Beach Park. But moving the massive locomotive presented quite a challenge. It took crews ten days laying temporary track down the city’s streets and operating the locomotive with compressed air to get it to its current position. After years of neglect, #4524 was recently refurbished and now looks as new as the day it rolled out of Philadelphia. As part of Springfield’s Railroad Historical Museum, the locomotive is open for closer inspection on Saturdays during the summer.

Locomotive Type: (required): Steam Do you need to pay an entrance fee to view this locomotive? (required): No How accessible is this locomotive display? (Required): Cab access is allowed. If "other" what is the engine type? (optional): Not listed If a fee is required what is the approximate cost for admittance? (optional): Not listed

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