Loco #2205 - Full Size | The Wabash Frisco and Pacific Railroad Association, Inc.

Back in December I got a phone call from Ed Powers, who works part time for Terry doing various repairs on the locos and painting them. Terry is partial to Illinois Terminal green on his engines. Ed, who has received my WHISTLE TALK newsletter for the better part of 15 years and knows that I have a 55 year active role on the WF&P, mentioned that as a lark why don't "we" have a WF&P logo put on the side of this diesel. He said it would probably be parked over there for about two years. [This was all with Terry R.'s consent.] I right away "hit on the idea" of getting more potential riders by putting the "WFPRR.COM" on its sides to gain attention both on the web and from the many railfan photographers. I had forgotten about my "creation", "the uncommon carrier", but Ed remembered and applied this also onto the loco on Sunday, January 27, 2008. It is also ironic that the loco is numbered 2205 as we have an ALCO FA (in 12 inch gauge of course) that is numbered as Frisco # 5205. If you want to venture further the web site has all sorts of photos of all of our locos and cars and operations.

A further development, just 6 blocks east from this location, will be the site of a 10 acre private passenger car "park". Since St. Louis' famed Union Station "shopping center" has now dis-owned its allowing private car owners from using its facilities a place was needed in the vicinity for these people. Ben Butterworth, owner and restorer of these types of cars on the site of the former Chicago & NorthWestern yards in Madison, apparently is working with the city of Granite City, Illinois to have a private car "park" near to the junction of many area railroads at the former WR Tower of the TRRA, now just the usual "metal box full of electronic marvels". This site is also just across the tracks from the old, famous Commonwealth Steel Company, maker of tender trucks and cast steel frames for steam locomotives The show piece of this site is to be the former CB&Q's General Pershing Zephyr train and the possibility of a (Rochelle, IL) railfan overlook. This "park" will only be a 10 minute ride across the Mississippi River from St. Louis via the newly opened (formerly Illinois Terminal) McKinley Bridge. I try to be brief, but then all the historical details come "tumbling out".

Dave Neubauer...djn
Photographs provided by N. A. Maze and J. A. Greathouse

A "brief" rundown is that the TRRA used this slug at their Madison, Illinois hump yard. It is basically a box on wheels. While it has no engines (prime movers) or controls its traction motors can be tied into the main locomotive (MU). This unit is beleived to only have brakes (no traction motors) and was used to team up with other units on the hump to provide additional braking. It apparently was a Canadian Pacific GP-35 in its origin. It has the name of Dofalco on its trucks. I don't have the particular(s) on the unit. Terry Respondek, who has locos running on various shortlines and switching roads, was in the market for and bought an SW-1200, # 1235 from the TRRA and was "persuaded" to haul this "thing" away at the same time. He has several units stabled at the old Granite City Army Depot. His company, Respondek Railroad Corp., does the switching there for several industrial tenants. This site is only about 2 miles from the Madison Yard.	Full Size 2205 in WF&P Scheme Photo from web by N. A. Mize
Back in December I got a phone call from Ed Powers, who works part time for Terry doing various repairs on the locos and painting them. Terry is partial to Illinois Terminal green on his engines. Ed, who has received my WHISTLE TALK newsletter for the better part of 15 years and knows that I have a 55 year active role on the WF&P, mentioned that as a lark why don't "we" have a WF&P logo put on the side of this diesel. He said it would probably be parked over there for about two years. [This was all with Terry R.'s consent.] I right away "hit on the idea" of getting more potential riders by putting the "WFPRR.COM" on its sides to gain attention both on the web and from the many railfan photographers. I had forgotten about my "creation", "the uncommon carrier", but Ed remembered and applied this also onto the loco on Sunday, January 27, 2008. It is also ironic that the loco is numbered 2205 as we have an ALCO FA (in 12 inch gauge of course) that is numbered as Frisco # 5205. If you want to venture further the web site has all sorts of photos of all of our locos and cars and operations. A further development, just 6 blocks east from this location, will be the site of a 10 acre private passenger car "park". Since St. Louis' famed Union Station "shopping center" has now dis-owned its allowing private car owners from using its facilities a place was needed in the vicinity for these people. Ben Butterworth, owner and restorer of these types of cars on the site of the former Chicago & NorthWestern yards in Madison, apparently is working with the city of Granite City, Illinois to have a private car "park" near to the junction of many area railroads at the former WR Tower of the TRRA, now just the usual "metal box full of electronic marvels". This site is also just across the tracks from the old, famous Commonwealth Steel Company, maker of tender trucks and cast steel frames for steam locomotives The show piece of this site is to be the former CB&Q's General Pershing Zephyr train and the possibility of a (Rochelle, IL) railfan overlook. This "park" will only be a 10 minute ride across the Mississippi River from St. Louis via the newly opened (formerly Illinois Terminal) McKinley Bridge. I try to be brief, but then all the historical details come "tumbling out". Dave Neubauer...djn Photographs provided by N. A. Maze and J. A. Greathouse
Photograph provided by J. A. Greathouse	Photograph provided by N. A. Maze
Photograph provided by J. A. Greathouse	Photograph provided by J. A. Greathouse
Photograph provided by J. A. Greathouse	Photograph provided by J. A. Greathouse
Photograph provided by J. A. Greathouse	Send us your photos

The Wabash Frisco and Pacific Railroad Association, Inc. "The Uncommon Carrier" 636-587-3538

The Wabash Frisco and Pacific Railroad Association, Inc.
"The Uncommon Carrier"
636-587-3538