THE DISPATCHER Newsletter for the Central Oklahoma Railfans Association Editor Address other club Lawrence Gibbs correspondence to: 623 McFarland Jack Austerman Oit ft Stillwater, OK 2613 NW 66th 74074 Oklahoma City, OK — C&LE FREIGHT MOTOR - HAS LEFT OKLAHOMA (Editor's Note: this was written by one of our newer, but most dedicated members who drives in from out of town for monthly CORA meetings. Mac's address is P.O. Box 585, Sulphur, OK., 73086.) By E. Macdougall Palmer The last fleet of electric interurban package freight motors to be built in the United States were built by the Cincinnati Car Co. in 1930. The 15 cars in that order went into service on the Cincinnati & Lake Erie Railroad with numbers 635-649. By November 1937, freight operations were ending on the C&LE and the 15 "new" steel freight motors were out of service and for sale. There was little market for such used equipment and it wasn't until READY TO GO — Cincinnati & Lake Erie Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, 1939 that the first three cars Railroad 648 (Tulsa, Sapulpa Union Railway Maine, on Nov. 2, 1976. (E. Macdougall were sold to the Illinois 202) sits on flatcar in the Sand Springs Palmer photo) Terminal RR to become non- Railway yard awaiting shipment to the powered trailers. They The body of C&LE 641 (TSU present a manageable task. Windsor, Ontario, on the car remained in service on the IT 203) was scrapped in 1974 with Alone in Oklahoma with only ferry. At 4:45 a.m. on Nov. 24, it until 1956. the trucks and other electrical personal hand tools it seemed was reported eastbound Three others went to the equipment being saved for use insurmountable. With the help through London, Ont., on the Central California Traction for in the restoration of a Lehigh of various Katy officials, and Canadian Pacific, and out of service between Sacramento Valley Transit passenger Museum president Santarelli in Montreal at 7 a.m. on the 26th and Stockton. Seven cars were interurban car body at the Boston, we were able to enlise headed for St. Johnsbury, Vt., sold to American Aggregates Dushore Car Co. in the help of the Armco Steel where the Maine Central would Co. and converted to diesel Pennsylvania. Corp. The Sand Springs take over for the final distance operation by putting engines In February of 1976, the Railway agreed to move 648 on to Portland, Maine, where it and generators in the cargo Seashore Trolley Museum of its own wheels the half-mile or arrived by Nov. 29. space. There went to various Kennebunkport, Maine, so to the Armco mill despite Plans are to restore C&LE 648 locations in Ohio, Michigan and purchased C&LE 648 (TSU 202) missing coupler knuckles and to operating condition. One of New York. from Borg for its scrap value. thin flanges. That move went the "Red Devil" high speed The two remaining cars — The job of preparing it for smoothly. light weight passenger cars C&LE 641 and 648 — were sold shipment to Maine fell on this When I arrived at Armco on from the C&LE is already at the to the Sapulpa Union Railway in writer as the only active Monday morning, Nov. 1, 648 Seashore Trolley Museum. It 1941, becoming number 203 and member of the museum located was sitting inside the was also built by the Cincinnati 202. SU Ry. became the Tulsa- in Oklahoma. Between March warehouse under a craneway Car Co. in 1930. That car, 118, Sapulpa Union Ry. in 1943. and October several trips were with a 60-foot Canadian Pacific came to the museum in Nos. 202 and 203 handled some required to Sand Springs, first flat car next to it. Before long it operating condition from the LCL freight, but were used to remove trolley poles, bases was sitting on the flatcar. Chuck Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Ry. mostly to haul interchange and hooks from the roof, and Rearden, Armco's supt. of in 1953. railroad cars between West controllers and other parts from maintenance, made the loading Even with the special Tulsa and Sapulpa, and the body — that might and tie down a training exercise shipping rate from the railroads remained in use on the TSU disappear in transit. for a group of apprentice and the help of Armco in the 'intil about 1957. The roof was in very bad millwrights. I was able to work loading, this has already been When the Sand Springs Ry. condition, but we wanted to along with the Armco group and an expensive operation. converted to diesel operation preserve what we could to serve when the time came for the Rebuilding will reguire more phout 1957, they sold two as patterns for restoration. railroad to inspect the load, expenditures. As a non-profit Jaldwin-Westinghouse steeple Eventually it was covered with they accepted it without any educational organization, all cab electric locomotives to TSU chicken wire to hold all the loose change. contributions to the Seashore and the ex-C&LE motors were pieces in place. All windows The loaded height of 1.7 feet, 4 Trolley Museum are deductible removed from service. They were closed with plywood. Since inches required a change of on the federal income tax. remained in Sapulpa, stored out no power was available near planned routing and the Support for this car that once of service until about 1960 when 648, everything was pre-cut in concurrence of other carriers in operated in Oklahoma is TSU also abandoned electric Sulphur and taken to Sand the special "section 22" rate needed. Send contributions to operation in favor of diesel Springs in my VW bus. published for this move. Seashore Trolley Museum, P.O. power. It all fit. C&LE 648 on the flatcar Box 220, Kennebunkport, At that time, all four electric Finally the problem of finally left Sand Springs on Nov. Maine, 04046. locomotives were sold to Borg loading 85,300 pounds of old 15, moving to the MKT at Home Compressed Steel Corp. for trolley on a flatcar had to be Jet. scrap. The Baldwin- faced. In New England, where a It arrived in St. Louis on Nov. Westinghouse locomotives were crew of other museum 18 and was transferred to the soon cut up, but for some reason members and a truck load of Norfolk & Western by the the ex-C&LE freight motors beams, blocking and jacks TRRA. N&W moved it to Detroit 6-LE were left intact. could be mobilized, this would in a day and it crossed to and decided to inform me that Needless to say, almost all of - AFT IS VANDALIZED - - ROUNDHOUSE RUMORS - in November, Southwestern the 53 cars were derailed upon After visiting nearly 150 cities (This is a regular monthly Electric Power Co.'s new coal impact. Ah, yes, railroading across the United States, the feature of The Dispatcher and is unit train commenced operation can be fun ... Freedom Train has experienced written by Frank Tribbey, Rt. to Welsh, Tex., on the L&A. Another recent rumor states its first serious vandalism. A 13, Box 403, Tulsa, OK. 74107 — Three trains per week are that MoPac will close Henryetta brass gate on the rear of the — sometimes known as Frisco routed via BN-Kansas City- station at year's end. Allegedly train was stolen early in Frank) KCS-Shreveport—L&A. Each the local duties will be November at Raleigh, N.C. One current rumor that has train has 110 hoppers that are consolidated in the Frisco The gate, with vertical rods waxed hot in recent days is that owned by Southwestern Power station. inside a frame about three feet Frisco will lose its General (SWEPCO), which is currently On Dec. 9, a total of 13 GP-38s square, cost about $1,000, but Motors contract at year's constructing a car repair shop were found in a two-to-three officials consider it irreplacable beginning. Exactly who will in Alliance, Neb. hour period in RI's El Reno because President Ford stood have it thereafter has not yet The first train arrived with yard. Even several blue and behind it when the train was been revealed. four BN units. Presumably KCS white rebuilt Geeps were dedicated nearly two years ago. But the rumor continues that units will not be used on these present. A plaque noting the dedication Frisco will lose $3 million — trains. So, you ever-lovin' That alleged inspection train was attached to the gate. yup, three million dollars in photographers, add these to steadily degenerated, John E. Manning, a former" revenue as a result of the loss of your list for future references. I incidentally, into nothing more FBI agent who serves as this very lucrative automobile can picture now those green and than two business cars (100 and security chief and public business. The rumor continues black BN units down through 101) on the rear of eastbound relations officer for the train, to state that part of Frisco's the scenic settings of the Ozarks No. 38 on that same Thursday could not understand how recently-announced plans for and Ouchitas. afternoon. No. 100 is solid blue someone could board the rear expansion of Cherokee Yard On Nov. 30, Frisco's No. 739 now while No. 101 remains platform of the train and includes additional was highballing south through stainless steel. disconnect the brass gate enlargement of the yard's Ravia when it derailed a grand The latest rumor from the without being noticed.