Frisco West Shops
Springfield, MO

The Arnold Engineering and Construction Company of Chicago got the contract to construct West Shops in 1907. They officially opened on July 5, 1909. When built the Power House delivered both AC and DC electricity to the shop buildings. This occured before the city of Springfield had wide spread electricity. The power house was easily spotted by the 217 ft. tall concrete smokestack. There was also a 150 ft. tall water tower.

Frisco Man Magazine April 1909, Springfield, MO Public Library Collection
View of the West Shops under construction. Scroll down to Page 11

From Frisco Museum All Aboard Vol. 5 No. 1 pg. 9
This is the layout of the shop building when they were built in 1909.

Frisco Man Magazine Feb. 1914, Springfield, MO Public Library Collection

Frisco Employees Magazine March 1928, Springfield, MO Public Library Collection

Frisco Employees Magazine March 1928, Springfield, MO Public Library Collection

This aerial view of West Shops was taken in April of 1934. Lake Frisco was located in the lower right corner of this scene. These facilities were originally intended to be maintenanceonly facility for Frisco motive power, passenger cars, and freight equipment. The receiving, storage , and car classification operations remained at the North Shops a couple of miles east of this location.

The coach shops were always innovative. In 1935 they unveiled a couple of new welded sleeper-buffet-coaches. At the time only one other railroad was building passenger cars by welding instead of riveting. The two cars were the Memphis and the Pensacola.

From All Aboard Vol. 4, No. 3
In this view two buildings have been added from the original layout shown at the top of this page. One is in the center of the south side. (Can anyone identify the purpose of this building.) The second is in the upper right corner. This building was later called the lunber or supply building.

Key: 3. Paint shop 4. Coach shop 5. unknown 6. Machine and erection shop 7. Boiler shop 8. Power house, smoke stack and water tower 9. Store house 10. Forge shop 11. unknown

One of three examples, 1018, 1026, and 1031, of streamlining applied to engines for the streamstyled Firefly in 1938. This shows the quality of the work of the shop forces in the 1930s. At the same time, the coach shop was rebuilding some heavyweight cars for this streamlined train.

From the Springfield/Greene County Library, Frisco Collection
Over the period of 1937 to 1941, the 1060-class of Pacific locomotive, 4-6-2s, were converted by the West Shops into Hudsons, 4-6-4s, with the same numbers. In 1940, engines 1060, 1061, 1063, 1066, 1067, and 1068 received a less flashy version of the Firefly streamlining.

From the Springfield/Greene County Library, Frisco Collection
In 1938, Mountains 1503 and 1504 received the less flashy version of the streamling.

This is another example of the work of the erection shops. The boiler of this engine began on a 2-10-2. The erection shops placed that boiler on top of the frame of a new high speed 4-8-2.

Mike Condren Photo
Business car #3 started as a coach built by ACF in 1912. In 1942 the West Coach Shop converted the coach into "soldier diner" #648. In 1948 it was converted by these shops into business car #4. In 1954 it was renamed Springfield. In 1963 it became #3. In 1966 it was sold to a private individual. A more detailed description appears in All Aboard Vol. 2 No. 1 pg. 4.

From the Springfield/Greene County Library, Frisco Collection
A view of the shop buildings across what was known as Lake Frisco.

FRISCO ANNOUNCES $5,000,000 PROGRAM for SPRINGFIELD
From Frisco Folks 12/46
This aerial view looking east shows the existing West Shops and labels of the improvements to be made. Frisco Folks 12/46

The Arnold Engineering and Construction Company of Chicago got the contract to construct West Shops in 1907. The Frisco West Shops first opened on July 5, 1909. They were located a couple of miles west of the steam locomotive service facility of the North Shops. When built the Power House delivered both AC and DC electricity to the shop buildings. This occured before the city of Springfield had wide spread electricity. The power house was easily spotted by the 217 ft. tall concrete smokestack. There was also a 150 ft. tall water tower. In the 1930s the erection shop rebuilt three 1019-class Pacific type of locomotives with streamlining for the new Firefly service from Kansas City to Oklahoma City. The coach shops rebuilt some heavy weight cars for this service. Late in the 1930s the erection shops also rebuilt 34 of the spot-class of 2-10-2s into 11 of the 4300-class and 23 of the 4400-class Mountain locomotives. Ten of the 1060-class Pacifics were converted into 4-6-4 Hudsons. Several of the Hudsons, a couple of the Pacifics, and some of the 1500-class Mountains received streamlining in these shops. During WWII the coach shop converted several coaches into "soldier diners". In the late 1940s, some of these diners were converted into business cars. In the streamlined era, the 2 Meteor round-end diner-lounge-obs were squared off and the two Meteor dorm-coach combines were converted into coaches. Though the 1948 diesel shops are gone, these shops will celebrate their centennial in 2009.

Key: 1. Mainline to Oklahoma City 2. “High Line” to Kansas City 3. Paint shop 4. Coach shop 5. unknown 6. Machine and erection shop 7. Boiler shop 8. Power house, smoke stack and water tower 9. Store house 10. Forge shop 11. unknown 12. Classification yard 13. Future site of diesel shop 14. Transfer table 15. Mainline to St. Louis 16. Stock yards 17. Tie creosoting yard 18. 1928 truck shop.

From Frisco magazine All Aboard 9/48
This aerial view of the shop area shows the beginnings of the diesel shop in the lower right. Construction has also started on the enlarged classification yard. New Terminal Facility The diesel shop was torn down in 2006.

In the 1970s the West Shops converted 40' box cars into extended vision cabooses.

The West Shops also assembled freight car kits such as this coal hopper.

The West Shops on Aug. 3, 2008. The shop buildings are currently leased by Trinity Industries to buid freight cars such as these unit coal train gondolas. The diesel shop once stood in the foreground but was torn down in 2006.

This page was designed and is maintained by Mike Condren. If you have materials
that you would like to contribute, contact me at mcondren@cbu.edu