EvanXpress76
EvanXpress76
  • 152
  • 138 263
Frisco Train Store: Trains Inside & Out!
It's been four years since we launched our channel, and to celebrate, we're paying a visit to one of our favorite train-themed destinations - and we've also got an appearance by a Class I railroad that's never before been featured on our channel!
We begin outside in Valley Park, Missouri, which is a southwestern suburb of St. Louis, as BNSF 6199 and BNSF 6331 lead a 135-car coal train south-southwestward (ultimately westbound) from St. Louis and Kirkwood en route to Eureka and beyond. (Apologies for the shaky start - the train stealthily snuck up on us!) At the train's end, we are pleasantly surprised to find a pair of pusher DPUs, including a foreign railroad that's making its debut on our channel - Ferromex 4094 and BNSF 8025 are pulling up the rear, ensuring that the train has enough power to traverse the hilly terrain of the region.
As the train concludes, we see an old red caboose on display in a railside park in the background, then we pan to see a historic building that's chock-full of train-related goodies. How so? Let's take a closer look with a slideshow of photographs that tell the story...
• At 4:30, our first picture is a close-up of the caboose, which is identified as "SL-SF 398" and was originally built in 1935. The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, officially "SLSF" (not hyphenated) and generally known simply as the "Frisco," operated for more than 100 years before being absorbed by Burlington Northern (now part of BNSF) in 1980. The railroad's name was rather odd, because the SLSF never went further west than Oklahoma and Texas, and it didn't own any track within 1,000 miles of San Francisco. But the Frisco was always a major player in Missouri, with both freight and passenger service in the St. Louis area - so at least the first half of its name made sense!
• Our second photo is a close-up of the aforementioned historic building, which is identified on its front as the "Frisco Hotel" and dates back to the early 1880s. Originally built by the SLSF to house railroad crews, the hotel later added a restaurant and theatre during its early heyday. Throughout much of the 1900s, the building cycled through a number of uses with varying success - restaurants, bars, social clubs, a dance hall, brothels, a tea room, a barber shop, and even a meeting place for Alcoholics Anonymous. From 1999 until 2013, it was occupied by the Whittle Shortline Railroad, which manufactures wooden trains and now sells them exclusively online. And in 2013, a former Whittle manager and her husband converted the building into the Frisco Train Store, which sells its wares online but also operates the vintage facility as a retail store and party venue.
• The remaining pictures provide a tour of what's inside the Frisco Train & Toy Store these days. While there are a variety of general toys available, the store's main focus continues to be wooden trains and related accessories. They offer major brands including Thomas & Friends, Brio, Hape, Big Jigs, Orbrium, Maple Landmark, and NameTrains alphabet cars (so you can spell out a railfan's name in colorful train form!); they've got wooden train engines and cars, track sets and numerous types of individual track pieces, and a nice selection of train-themed kids books too. And they even have a giant 16-foot multi-level wooden train table that kids can play on (for free) while parents are shopping.
And yeah, there's a real-life BNSF line right out in front of the building, with an active Union Pacific line visible from the property as well. So if you've got lucky timing, you might just catch a train clickety-clack past the store while you're there, like we did!
= = = = = = = = = =
We encourage you to visit the Frisco Train Store and support this local family-owned business if you're ever in the St. Louis area. But wherever you are, you can check out their website for more information and a link to their online store:
friscotrainstore.com/
You can also browse through all of the realistic wooden trains (both locomotives and rolling stock) that are manufactured by the building's former tenant, the Whittle Shortline Railroad:
woodentrain.com/
= = = = = = = = = =
SONG USED IN THIS VIDEO:
0:30 - "Horses & Trains" by Jesse Gallagher
Please join us in supporting this talented artist, who has provided their music for UA-cam content creators to download and use for free via the UA-cam Audio Library.
ua-cam.com/users/audiolibrary
= = = = = = = = = =
Переглядів: 26

Відео

Train Déjà Vu
Переглядів 18Місяць тому
We've all experienced the sensation of déjà vu at some point in our lives, but have you ever felt it while railfanning? It happened to us on the sunny afternoon of June 21, 2024, along the Norfolk Southern line at the Gibson County Road 275 West crossing between Lyles Station and Princeton, Indiana... At 0:30, we begin at 2:29 PM CT as NS 4674 leads a 70-car autorack train west toward Illinois....
We Have the Meets: Four Different Railroads in One Meet!
Переглядів 412 місяці тому
Train meets are reasonably rare when you live in single-track country, and even more rare is a meet with motive power from two different railroads. So you can imagine our (pleasant) surprise when were were lucky enough to catch a single meet with locomotives representing not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR different railroads! On a breezy early summer day at the north end of CSX Howell Y...
Seaboard Surprise!
Переглядів 243 місяці тому
It's always fun when a railfanning excursion yields a heritage unit when you least expect it... CSX began as a holding company in 1980; it launched the Seaboard System Railroad (SBD) starting in December 1982 via a series of mergers that eventually consolidated all of its existing Family Lines System and Chessie System entities. Family Lines System included the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL...
Recipe for a Train
Переглядів 304 місяці тому
CSX Howell Yard in Evansville, Indiana, is a great place for railfans to visit. Many railyards are surrounded in a way that provides little or no visibility for train lovers to watch the action, but railfans at Howell are lucky because the entire yard is visible from nearby roads - and that visibility offers ample opportunities to see all sorts of yard activities if your timing is right. Due to...
More Power: 7 Lead Engines with a DPU!
Переглядів 785 місяців тому
Sometimes, a train evokes memories of Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor grunting about "MORE POWER" on the long-running sitcom "Home Improvement," which aired its series finale over 25 years ago (on May 25, 1999). On Gibson County Road 550 East between Princeton and Francisco, Indiana, on May 16, 2021, Norfolk Southern gave us an awesome example of a train with MORE POWER! This eastbound mixed freight ...
Ding Ding Ding! Back-to-Back Trains with Bells Ringing
Переглядів 206 місяців тому
It's a beautiful sunny winter day in Evansville, Indiana, as a southbound train rests quietly in a siding next to the CSX mainline. The silence is abruptly shattered by the horn and bell of a northbound train starting up after a crew change and approaching from off-camera; we quickly see that it's CSX 348 and CSX 5430 leading an 84-car mixed freight, picking up speed in a hurry. The southbound'...
Train Race! (Hare Beats Tortoise)
Переглядів 267 місяців тому
You're probably familiar with the story of the tortoise and the hare, in which the speedy hare gets cocky and ends up losing a race against the much slower tortoise. (Shout out to Bugs Bunny and Cecil Turtle!) Well, one sunny day just south of CSX Howell Yard in Evansville, Indiana, two southbound trains re-enacted the story to a degree, but this time, the hare prevailed... We begin at the Cypr...
Train Over Troubled Water
Переглядів 348 місяців тому
A few miles southwest of Evansville, Indiana, farmland dominates the landscape in Union Township in rural Vanderburgh County. It's a flat and fertile agricultural area that is surrounded on three sides by a horseshoe-shaped curve in the Ohio River as it winds south, turns west, and curls back to the north. Flooding overtakes these river bottoms at least once a year, as the corn and soybean fiel...
Meow! CSX Chessie System Heritage Unit in Action!
Переглядів 839 місяців тому
Chessie purrs again! Beloved by railfans for nearly a century, Chessie the cat represented the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) in various advertisements from 1933 to 1971, then became part of the Chessie System logo in 1972 when the new company was formed by C&O's merger with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) and the Western Maryland Railway. After the Chessie System ceased to exist due to a ...
Trains Frolicking in the Snow
Переглядів 3510 місяців тому
We've featured trains in the rain in a prior video, so now we're gonna "chill" with some action on the rails while snow is on the ground, which always makes winter railfanning a bit more interesting and picturesque... At 0:30, we begin in Inglefield with the sun shining down on the snowy landscape as well as CSX 5406 and CSX 850 as they lead a 123-car mixed freight southbound. At 3:37, we conti...
The Polar Express in ICE!
Переглядів 9711 місяців тому
In a brief departure (or "sidetrack" if you prefer railroad puns) from our usual focus on trains that move, we're switching things up ("switch" - get it? - another railroad pun!) with a video about trains that are frozen in place - and seriously, we do mean FROZEN! In quite literally our coolest video ever, we're visiting "Gaylord ICE!" featuring "The Polar Express" at the amazing Gaylord Opryl...
Railfanning from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis
Переглядів 70Рік тому
We're celebrating our channel's third anniversary by taking our railfanning to new heights - literally! The Gateway Arch was completed in 1965 in St. Louis, Missouri. It stands 630 feet tall (and 630 feet wide) along the west bank of the Mississippi River. Attracting millions of visitors annually, it serves as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. And if you have lucky timi...
In-N-Out: CSX Arrives & UP Departs
Переглядів 79Рік тому
As the sun moves in and out of the clouds on a crisp winter day, trains move in and out of CSX Howell Yard in Evansville, Indiana. The action begins with CSX 342 and CSX 542 chugging by while leading a 111-car mixed freight southbound toward the nearby yard. Then, just as the southbound CSX train ends, a northbound Union Pacific train begins. First heard at 6:17 and first seen at 6:48, it's UP ...
Long Freight Train Leaves Downtown Indy
Переглядів 70Рік тому
Indianapolis, the capital and largest city in Indiana, is known around the world as the home of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indianapolis 500. Indy also boasts several professional sports teams, including the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Both teams play their home games on the south side of downtown, with their buildings separated by a busy CSX rail line tha...
When One Train Ends, Another Train Begins...
Переглядів 53Рік тому
When One Train Ends, Another Train Begins...
Back-to-Back CSX & EVWR Trains Plus a Nuclear Waste Container
Переглядів 40Рік тому
Back-to-Back CSX & EVWR Trains Plus a Nuclear Waste Container
Trains & Cars Politely Take Turns
Переглядів 56Рік тому
Trains & Cars Politely Take Turns
Trains & Engines Come & Go at the Railyard
Переглядів 33Рік тому
Trains & Engines Come & Go at the Railyard
Train Horn Show with Confused Crossing Gates
Переглядів 99Рік тому
Train Horn Show with Confused Crossing Gates
CSX Operation Lifesaver Unit in Action
Переглядів 41Рік тому
CSX Operation Lifesaver Unit in Action
Malfunction Junction 3.0: Railroad Crossing Gates Have Issues
Переглядів 538Рік тому
Malfunction Junction 3.0: Railroad Crossing Gates Have Issues
Trains Go BOOM!
Переглядів 68Рік тому
Trains Go BOOM!
It's the Candy Cane Express!
Переглядів 77Рік тому
It's the Candy Cane Express!
We Have the Meets: Meet Lovers Edition
Переглядів 572 роки тому
We Have the Meets: Meet Lovers Edition
Trainbows: 7 Different Class I Railroads
Переглядів 282 роки тому
Trainbows: 7 Different Class I Railroads
Model Train Spotlight: Local Loco Model Railroad Club
Переглядів 1062 роки тому
Model Train Spotlight: Local Loco Model Railroad Club
Model Train Spotlight: EnterTRAINment Junction
Переглядів 642 роки тому
Model Train Spotlight: EnterTRAINment Junction
Model Train Spotlight: Iron Spike Model Train Museum
Переглядів 582 роки тому
Model Train Spotlight: Iron Spike Model Train Museum
Model Train Spotlight: Kansas City Union Station
Переглядів 1492 роки тому
Model Train Spotlight: Kansas City Union Station

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @sptraxide
    @sptraxide 19 днів тому

    Location?

    • @EvanXpress76
      @EvanXpress76 18 днів тому

      Valley Park, Missouri, which is a suburb of St. Louis. Additional details about the location are in the video description.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 20 днів тому

    What an awesome way to keep a cool old railroad building alive! Fantastic location too! (And nice catch on that Ferromex!)

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Місяць тому

    I see what ya did there with the repeated video description. Well played. I see what ya did there with the repeated video description. Well played.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 місяці тому

    Awesome catch! Always great to see a KCSM tagging along!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 3 місяці тому

    Awesome catch! Loving the CSX heritage units so far!

  • @KCTopDawg
    @KCTopDawg 3 місяці тому

    Awesome catch and congratulations!

  • @lucaspinheironogueirabisch9030
    @lucaspinheironogueirabisch9030 4 місяці тому

    I think the problem is the light in front of the gate From him

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 4 місяці тому

    Very cool to watch this process play out. It's kinda crazy how the pieces are put together so violently. BANG indeed!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 5 місяців тому

    Gotta love a good power move. So random to see a scale test car hanging out in the midst of a string of boxcars. And there's quite a run of coil cars later in the train too. Excellent stuff here!

  • @suasanaalam-jh3xd
    @suasanaalam-jh3xd 5 місяців тому

    Dari jauh aku menyaksikan rangkaian kereta api yang sangat panjang.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 6 місяців тому

    This is a great spot to catch back-to-back trains like this, as a few videos on your channel wonderfully illustrate. It's the last siding a southbound can temporarily park in before reaching Howell Yard, so it's pretty common to see a train sitting there waiting for a northbound to leave town and clear the single-track stretch that connects this siding to the yard. It's always nice to see (and hear) a train starting up from a standstill like this. Chug chug chug!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 7 місяців тому

    Not a very competitive one, but I do love a train race! In single-track areas, you have to have really good timing in a siding to catch one!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 8 місяців тому

    That's a pretty wild visual. Really illustrates exactly why that viaduct is so high!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 9 місяців тому

    That's an awesome sight. So many memories of Chessie equipment back in the day!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 10 місяців тому

    Love the speed of those first two trains. Pretty view of the third and fourth trains. And the horn on that fourth sounds sick!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 11 місяців тому

    Awesome. The artistry and detail is just amazing. Not to mention the SIZE of those sculptures!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    It's amazing how small a train looks from that high up. Very cool views though. Love those switchers on the Illinois side too.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Love it when the timing works out to catch back-to-back trains like this!

  • @milesthepeacefulinkling286

    Gates be like...180 cars? Are you kidding me? We're out!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Despite this CSX line running straight through the heart of Indy, there aren't many good railfanning spots along it. This is a great one though. Love seeing Lucas Oil Stadium (and those iconic industrial smokestacks) in the background.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Talk about perfect timing!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Love the look of those EVWR engines, and the M-290 is a very cool catch!

  • @TheSegacampGamerandWerecamp

    I be calling CSX and tell them to Fix that Gate since it keeps on Dancing like that!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Perfect timing indeed. And I love the sound of that CSX train approaching in the distance, honking at all of the grade crossings on the south side of Princeton. A northbound CSX traverses 8 crossings in less than a mile leading up to the SR 64 crossing, so there's a LOT of horn action!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Interesting to see a pusher on both trains, since CSX doesn't use pushers in this area very often. The DPUs are usually mid-train.

  • @Railfan-Travis7043
    @Railfan-Travis7043 Рік тому

    it's a pumping malfunction that needs to be fixed because over time that will damage the signal

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Imagine being a few blocks away and hearing all of that honking without any visual context. You'd probably think a kid managed to get inside the engine to play with the horn!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    That is a beauty of a locomotive!

  • @ryandavis7593
    @ryandavis7593 Рік тому

    Do have any clips of the SW1200 at the elevator at Evansville Indiana? I rewired that locomotive nine years ago.

    • @EvanXpress76
      @EvanXpress76 Рік тому

      If you're talking about the black engine at ADM near Reitz High School, ADMX 57, then yes! ua-cam.com/video/T0EXawtNih4/v-deo.html

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Gates be like...180 cars? Are you kidding me? We out!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 Рік тому

    Those are some loud impacts! Imagine living nearby...

  • @wmlindley
    @wmlindley Рік тому

    The roundhouse now has a turntable, and there are other layouts to see as well. Exhibits upstairs are expanded. Do stop by again and see the progress.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    What a cool way to ring in the season! Riding the rails is always a good time!

  • @thatoneguy6555
    @thatoneguy6555 2 роки тому

    You should go on a cab ride on the railroad! Great experience and I got to of coarse ride in the cab of two different locos.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    Love the timing of the second train appearing in that first clip, with the far-track engines visible through the near-track centerbeam. Nice surprise with some CP power in that second clip, and both trains honking in the third clip is music to a railfan's ears!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    That first train is a beauty from start to finish! And wow, that Kirkwood train is chugging HARD!

  • @bluegrassman3040
    @bluegrassman3040 2 роки тому

    I was told that RJ Corman lost this switching contract about a year ago. Idk who handles this job now. Corman didn’t have it very long.

    • @EvanXpress76
      @EvanXpress76 2 роки тому

      I don't know about the contractual status, but the last time I was in the Princeton area, I saw NS handling Toyota switching.

    • @bluegrassman3040
      @bluegrassman3040 2 роки тому

      @@EvanXpress76 I work for TMMI, and RJ Corman got the contract just before I went to work there. One of my co-workers quit and went to work for RJ(loading the vehicles unto the auto racks). He said that RJ lost the contract for the switching just before he quit them last year. In fact all the hiring billboards they had up around Evansville and Ft Branch are gone. So I take it NS took it back over?

    • @EvanXpress76
      @EvanXpress76 2 роки тому

      Seems that way. Probably more fiscally efficient, since NS already has fairly significant operations in the area.

    • @SouthernIllinoisRailfan
      @SouthernIllinoisRailfan 2 роки тому

      Inter-Rail Transport has the contract now.

    • @smrtguy77777
      @smrtguy77777 Рік тому

      Do you know how long it takes from a car getting built to when it leaves on the train?

  • @bluegrassman3040
    @bluegrassman3040 2 роки тому

    Respondek also switches Brenntag Midsouth in Henderson, KY. They have a bright green high hood jeep and an ex NS switch engine at that operation.

    • @EvanXpress76
      @EvanXpress76 2 роки тому

      Seems as if they're moving some power around. This red beauty doesn't appear to be working the Berry spur anymore. That job is now handled by WFRX 5581, an orange and black GP38-2 that was formerly BNSF 2002. Haven't been able to catch it in action yet, but it's regularly parked just west of the mouth of Pigeon Creek.

    • @bluegrassman3040
      @bluegrassman3040 2 роки тому

      @@EvanXpress76 I have never seen that operation before. In fact I have not been in downtown Evansville or Howell yard in probably ten years. Their operation at Brenntag works late at night. I was working for Brenntag when CSX handed that customer to Repsondek(Squaw Creek Southern). CSX still operates the River Branch(EX IC) in Henderson. As far as I know, the Riverport still has an old Geep that they use for their switching.

    • @EvanXpress76
      @EvanXpress76 2 роки тому

      Yeah, the Henderson riverport has been handled (at least in part) by CTLC 1750, an old rustbucket that looks like it's seen better days. Never have caught it in motion, but I know it does move because I've seen it parked at Howell in between jobs a couple times.

    • @bluegrassman3040
      @bluegrassman3040 2 роки тому

      @@EvanXpress76 I’ve seen it hauled off by CSX before(when they still switched Brenntag). Probably for repairs/service, etc. I worked third shift then, so I got to see a lot of different engines being used at different times, even got to chat with some of the conductors w/ CSX. I went to school with one of the men who worked for CTLC, but he quit there several years ago. I did see their engine being used a few times here and there. When I hauled scrap at River Metals(now closed), I saw the 1750 moving hopper cars near the port. They were unloading some kind of bulk material.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    Awesome variety of model trains and scenery in this video. Love the "Hindenburger" and that miniature Lionel Store, with the teeny-tiny trains moving around inside!

  • @medwaymodelrailway7129
    @medwaymodelrailway7129 2 роки тому

    Enjoyed your latest video thanks for sharing DD.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    What an amazing place! Those two city layouts are particularly impressive. Incredible detail throughout, with a great variety of trains. I especially like the fully functional turntable and intermodal transfer equipment. And that last photo of the control room is really something - would love to be able to get in there and really watch the monitor in action!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    What a cool place! I don't know what's more impressive - the scenery of the layouts themselves, or the sheer volume of trains on display!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    Very cool exhibit! Great variety of trains, and I love the three-way meet toward the end.

  • @medwaymodelrailway7129
    @medwaymodelrailway7129 2 роки тому

    Wow very nice video you put together lots going on thanks for sharing and liked DD.

    • @EvanXpress76
      @EvanXpress76 2 роки тому

      Thank you!

    • @medwaymodelrailway7129
      @medwaymodelrailway7129 2 роки тому

      @@EvanXpress76 Thanks very much for replying to my comment. That's the great part about the hobby sharing ideas and learning new ideas from other people to improve our Channel. Take care and stay safe DD.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    What a beautiful display! Love the replica buildings. Downtown Indy with the Circle is just gorgeous.

  • @SomeplaceOrAnother
    @SomeplaceOrAnother 2 роки тому

    Great train 🚂 shots 👍

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    Just one of the many awesome things about a truly incredible children's museum. There are a lot of great children's museums out there, but Indy's is the biggest and best!

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    Great rail museum, nice model layout, and maybe a CSX train passing by as a bonus. You can do a lot worse than spending an afternoon at the Historic RailPark! And it's just a short drive to the Corvette Museum too...

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    That main layout is really impressive. Looks like it's still a bit of a work in progress (as is seemingly always the case with model railroads), but there are some really cool elements there already. The spiral connecting the top and bottom is awesome.

  • @stormfreak44
    @stormfreak44 2 роки тому

    Love it. That morning ride is always filled with so much excitement, while that afternoon/evening trip back to the parking lot is more of a mix of relief and exhaustion. Same monorail, but very different experiences!