Frisco Paint Shop:
Switchers

Under Construction

The Frisco began its dieselization with the purchase of Baldwin VO1000s and Davenport 44-ton switchers. Thus the switchers as a whole have resulted in the broadest spectrum of paint schemes among Frisco diesels.

Paint Schemes:
The first switchers delivered were in a very patriotic paint scheme of blue car body with broad white stripe running horizontally around the middle of the unit with red lettering. The trucks and underbody were in a light gray or aluminum color. There are two variations in the lettering scheme.

FR-S1a
Variation FR-S1a had Frisco Lines in Roman lettering and was applied only to the Baldwin VO1000s that were delivered beginning in 1941.

Louis A. Marre Collection
Figure 1. Scheme FR-S1a: was applied to the first diesels bought by the Frisco.

Louis A. Marre Collection
Figure 2. Another view of VO1000 #219 in the FR-S1a scheme showing how the white stripe wrapped around the cab end of the unit.

FR-S1b
Variation FR-S1b had Frisco Lines coonskin herald lettering and was applied only to the 44-ton units that were delivered beginning in 1942.

Louis A. Marre Collection
Figure 3. Scheme FR-S1b: was applied to the first 44-ton units bought by the Frisco for use in outlying terminals. This scheme used Frisco Lines coonskin heralds on each short hood as there was not room for the spelled out Roman lettering. The unit number with SL-SF appeared on the side of the cab under the window. Note the boiler tube pilot in this view taken in Springfield in 1948.

FR-S2
A blue interim paint scheme between the blue with white stripe and the later black with yellow safety stripes. This scheme retained the Frisco Lines conskin heralds on both hoods.

Louis A. Marre Collection
Figure 4. The only Whitcomb locomotive on the Frisco roster wore the FR-S2 scheme in this 1947 photo taken in Joplin, MO.

FR-S3
The black with white safety stripes scheme came next. This scheme retained the Roman Frisco Lines at first with conskin heralds on the front of the hood containing the unit number.

slide to be scanned
Figure 5. FR-S3 Baldwin VO1000 #226 shows the black with white safety stripes scheme and Roman Frisco Lines in white.

FR-S4
The black with yellow safety stripes scheme came next. This scheme retained the Roman Frisco Lines at first with conskin heralds on the front of the hood containing the unit number. Later the Lines was dropped. Still later the lettering changed to a block style. The number of safety stripes changed over the years, not necessaily with the lettering style.

Mike Condren
Figure 6. FR-S4a EMD NW-2 #258 shows the black with full set of yellow safety stripes scheme with Roman Frisco.

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Figure 7. FR-S4b EMD NW-2 #256 shows the black with reduced number of yellow safety stripes scheme with Roman Frisco.

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Figure 8. FR-S4c GE 44-ton #7 shows the black with full set of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco inside the coonskin.

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Figure 9. FR-S4c Baldwin VO1000 #213 shows the black with full set of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco.

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Figure 10. FR-S4c FM H12-44 #283 shows the black with full set of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco.

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Figure 11. FR-S4d GE 44-ton #4 shows the black with limited number of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco inside the coonskin.

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Figure 12. FR-S4d Balwin VO1000 #213 shows the black with limited number of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco.

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Figure 13. FR-S4d EMD NW-2 #252 shows the black with limited number of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco.

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Figure 14. FR-S4d FM H10-44 #279 shows the black with limited number of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco.

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Figure 15. FR-S4d EMD SW7 #304 shows the black with limited number of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco.

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Figure 16. FR-S4d EMD SW9 #310 shows the black with limited number of yellow safety stripes scheme with block Frisco.

FR-S5
To increase visibility the Mandarin Orange and White scheme was adopted, first on F-units and then the second order of GP35s in 1965. The main color was the orange with a wide white stripe mid car-body. The lettering was in orange on the white stripe. Eventually white frame stripes were added for visibility.

Mike Condren
Figure 17. FR-S5a EMD SW1500 #346 shows the as delivered Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering without frame stripes.

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Figure 18. FR-S5a EMD SW7 #302 shows the Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering without frame stripes.

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Figure 19. FR-S5a EMD MP15 #365 shows the as delivered Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering without frame stripes.

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Figure 20. FR-S5a EMD SW-1 #10 shows the Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering without frame stripes. This unit was obtained from the BN prior to the merger into the BN system.

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Figure 21. FR-S5b EMD NW-2 #251 shows the Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering with frame stripes. Most units had the frame stripes pointing down toward the front of the unit.

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Figure 22. FR-S5b EMD SW9 #313 shows the Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering with frame stripes while sister #312 is without the frame stripes. Most units had the frame stripes pointing down toward the front of the unit.

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Figure 23. FR-S5b EMD NW-2 #258 shows the Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering with frame stripes. Note that the frame stripes are pointing down toward the rear of the unit.

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Figure 24. FR-S5b FM H12-44 #286 shows the Mandarin Orange and White unit with block Frisco lettering with frame stripes. Note that the frame stripes are pointing down toward the rear of the unit. This is an ex-D&RGW unit.

FR-S6?
In the mid-60s the Frisco incorporated the Okmulgee Northern and North East Oklahoma shortlines. Their engines were simply renumbered and relettered

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Figure 25. FR-S6a GE 70 ton #12 is a former Okmulgee Northern unit.

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Figure 26. FR-S6a ALCo S-2 #295 is a former North East Oklahoma unit.

Data from the roster provided by the following sources:
"Frisco Power" Joe G. Collias
"Frisco Diesel Power" Louis A. Marre and John Baskin Harper
"Frisco in Color" Louis A. Marre and Gregory J. Sommers
Photographs in personal collection
and personal observations

Errors in this roster are the sole responsibility of its author.
Mike Condren
January 2, 2010