Engines of the Frisco Silver Dollar Line
| December 24, 2021 11:01AM |
Note: All of the following photos shown in this post are credited to their respective owners.
The Frisco Silver Dollar Line is a 2-foot narrow gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located at the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson, Missouri. The railroad first opened in 1962, and today, it contains a total of 7 steam engines, 5 of which are in operational status.
Operable Engines:
Engine 13 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1938 as an 0-4-0T type. It previously worked at a quarry and was originally numbered 1 before being acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It was later restored to operation where it was converted into a 2-4-0T type and renumbered to 13. It pulled trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line until being taken out of service in early 2018 in preparation for a major overhaul. It is currently stored at the FSDL's roundhouse awaiting for the major overhaul and will run again when it is complete. During the major overhaul, it will be converted back into an 0-4-0T type.
Engine 14 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1938 as an 0-4-0T type. It previously worked at a quarry and was originally numbered 2 before being acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, Minnesota in the 1970s. It was placed on static display at Jim Machacek's private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad until his death in 2012. In 2016, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City. It was later restored to operation in early 2019 and renumbered to 14. It made its official debut run on March 20, 2019 and has operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line ever since.
Engine 43 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1934 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in Germany, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It was later restored to operation and converted into a 2-4-0T type. It has operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line ever since, although in early 2019, it was converted back into an 0-4-0T type. Today, it is Silver Dollar City's oldest operating steam engine.
Engine 76 - This engine was built by Ceskomoravska Kolben-Danek of Czechoslovakia in 1940 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in the Czech Republic, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in the 1980s. It was later restored to operation and converted into a 2-4-0T type where it officially replaced a 1922 Davenport-built steam engine that was also being used on the line. It operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line until being taken out of service in early 2014 for a major overhaul. During the major overhaul, its boiler was replaced. Following the completion of its major overhaul, it returned to service on November 7, 2015 and has operated on the FSDL ever since, although in early 2019, it was converted back into an 0-4-0T type.
Engine 504 - This engine was built by Ceskomoravska Kolben-Danek of Czechoslovakia in 1941 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in the Czech Republic, it was acquired by James Valesh of Iowa in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it was acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, Minnesota and was later restored to operation where it was converted from an 0-4-0T type (a tank engine) to an 0-4-0 type (a tender engine). It operated trains on Jim Machacek's private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad until that railroad's permanent closure in 2007 due to a tragic accident where a newly-acquired caboose crushed a volunteer to death. Following Jim Machacek's death in 2012, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 2016. It was later restored back to operation in February 2018. During the restoration, its cab, boiler, and tender were replaced and it was converted from burning wood to burning No. 2 fuel oil. It made its official debut run on June 18, 2018 where it operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line until being taken out of service in early 2020 for installation of a new drawbar and other modifications and improvements. It returned to service on March 17, 2021 for Silver Dollar City's opening day of the 2021 season and has operated on the FSDL ever since. Today, it is Silver Dollar City's youngest operating steam engine and their only operating steam engine with a tender.
Other Engines:
Engine 9 - This engine was built by the Davenport Locomotive Works of Iowa in 1922 as a 4-4-2 type. After retirement from service, it was stored in Alexandria Bay, New York until being acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It was the first engine to ever run on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line, and today, it's also nicknamed the "Davenport". When it was in operation, it was renumbered to 76. Unfortunately, it was later retired permanently from operation in the 1980s and placed on static display at the FSDL's train depot. After being retired from operation in the 1980s, it was renumbered back to 9. In the early 2010s, it was moved to the FSDL's roundhouse where it was eventually restored cosmetically in 2017. Following its cosmetic restoration, it was placed back on static display as the FSDL's train depot where it has remained ever since, although it was incorrectly numbered 6 when it was repainted. Whether or not it will run again is still yet to be determined.
Engine 7 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1934 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in Germany, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It is used for static display at the Wreck of Old Engine 82 site in the woods where it was used to resemble Old Engine 82. The fictional story goes as engineer Ichabod Q. Peabody took the engine around a tight curve with a speed limit of 2.3 MPH at the raging, blazing speed of 11.7 MPH. The train jumped the tracks and crashed into the trees as a result. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and they sobered up engineer Ichabod and got him running the train again. Today, it is still displayed in the woods at the Wreck of Old Engine 82 site in pieces and will likely never run again anytime soon due to its rather poor condition.
Engine 2825 - This engine was built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works of Ohio and is a 24-inch switching diesel engine. It's currently unknown when it was first built, but some sources claim that it was built sometime between the late 1960s and early 1970s. After being built, it was acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, Minnesota. It was used as a switching engine on Jim Machacek's private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad until that railroad's permanent closure in 2007 due to a tragic accident where a newly-acquired caboose crushed a volunteer to death. After Jim Machacek's death in 2012, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 2016 alongside 2 steam engines, a converted 0-4-0 type numbered 504 and an 0-4-0T type numbered 2. It was soon after put in operational service as a switching engine at the Frisco Silver Dollar Line's roundhouse where it has been ever since.
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2021 07:58AM by Andrewl1995.
The Frisco Silver Dollar Line is a 2-foot narrow gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located at the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson, Missouri. The railroad first opened in 1962, and today, it contains a total of 7 steam engines, 5 of which are in operational status.
Operable Engines:
Engine 13 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1938 as an 0-4-0T type. It previously worked at a quarry and was originally numbered 1 before being acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It was later restored to operation where it was converted into a 2-4-0T type and renumbered to 13. It pulled trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line until being taken out of service in early 2018 in preparation for a major overhaul. It is currently stored at the FSDL's roundhouse awaiting for the major overhaul and will run again when it is complete. During the major overhaul, it will be converted back into an 0-4-0T type.
Engine 14 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1938 as an 0-4-0T type. It previously worked at a quarry and was originally numbered 2 before being acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, Minnesota in the 1970s. It was placed on static display at Jim Machacek's private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad until his death in 2012. In 2016, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City. It was later restored to operation in early 2019 and renumbered to 14. It made its official debut run on March 20, 2019 and has operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line ever since.
Engine 43 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1934 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in Germany, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It was later restored to operation and converted into a 2-4-0T type. It has operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line ever since, although in early 2019, it was converted back into an 0-4-0T type. Today, it is Silver Dollar City's oldest operating steam engine.
Engine 76 - This engine was built by Ceskomoravska Kolben-Danek of Czechoslovakia in 1940 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in the Czech Republic, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in the 1980s. It was later restored to operation and converted into a 2-4-0T type where it officially replaced a 1922 Davenport-built steam engine that was also being used on the line. It operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line until being taken out of service in early 2014 for a major overhaul. During the major overhaul, its boiler was replaced. Following the completion of its major overhaul, it returned to service on November 7, 2015 and has operated on the FSDL ever since, although in early 2019, it was converted back into an 0-4-0T type.
Engine 504 - This engine was built by Ceskomoravska Kolben-Danek of Czechoslovakia in 1941 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in the Czech Republic, it was acquired by James Valesh of Iowa in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it was acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, Minnesota and was later restored to operation where it was converted from an 0-4-0T type (a tank engine) to an 0-4-0 type (a tender engine). It operated trains on Jim Machacek's private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad until that railroad's permanent closure in 2007 due to a tragic accident where a newly-acquired caboose crushed a volunteer to death. Following Jim Machacek's death in 2012, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 2016. It was later restored back to operation in February 2018. During the restoration, its cab, boiler, and tender were replaced and it was converted from burning wood to burning No. 2 fuel oil. It made its official debut run on June 18, 2018 where it operated trains on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line until being taken out of service in early 2020 for installation of a new drawbar and other modifications and improvements. It returned to service on March 17, 2021 for Silver Dollar City's opening day of the 2021 season and has operated on the FSDL ever since. Today, it is Silver Dollar City's youngest operating steam engine and their only operating steam engine with a tender.
Other Engines:
Engine 9 - This engine was built by the Davenport Locomotive Works of Iowa in 1922 as a 4-4-2 type. After retirement from service, it was stored in Alexandria Bay, New York until being acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It was the first engine to ever run on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line, and today, it's also nicknamed the "Davenport". When it was in operation, it was renumbered to 76. Unfortunately, it was later retired permanently from operation in the 1980s and placed on static display at the FSDL's train depot. After being retired from operation in the 1980s, it was renumbered back to 9. In the early 2010s, it was moved to the FSDL's roundhouse where it was eventually restored cosmetically in 2017. Following its cosmetic restoration, it was placed back on static display as the FSDL's train depot where it has remained ever since, although it was incorrectly numbered 6 when it was repainted. Whether or not it will run again is still yet to be determined.
Engine 7 - This engine was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Germany in 1934 as an 0-4-0T type. After retirement from service in Germany, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in the early 1960s. It is used for static display at the Wreck of Old Engine 82 site in the woods where it was used to resemble Old Engine 82. The fictional story goes as engineer Ichabod Q. Peabody took the engine around a tight curve with a speed limit of 2.3 MPH at the raging, blazing speed of 11.7 MPH. The train jumped the tracks and crashed into the trees as a result. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and they sobered up engineer Ichabod and got him running the train again. Today, it is still displayed in the woods at the Wreck of Old Engine 82 site in pieces and will likely never run again anytime soon due to its rather poor condition.
Engine 2825 - This engine was built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works of Ohio and is a 24-inch switching diesel engine. It's currently unknown when it was first built, but some sources claim that it was built sometime between the late 1960s and early 1970s. After being built, it was acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, Minnesota. It was used as a switching engine on Jim Machacek's private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad until that railroad's permanent closure in 2007 due to a tragic accident where a newly-acquired caboose crushed a volunteer to death. After Jim Machacek's death in 2012, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 2016 alongside 2 steam engines, a converted 0-4-0 type numbered 504 and an 0-4-0T type numbered 2. It was soon after put in operational service as a switching engine at the Frisco Silver Dollar Line's roundhouse where it has been ever since.
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2021 07:58AM by Andrewl1995.
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