Keith Robinson’s - Frisco River Division
Cape Girardeau Riverfront during the 1993 flood
Keith’s great grandfather Goley Robinson (right) and his brother, Ivan. Golly Robinson was a fireman on the Frisco.
I am reproducing the Frisco (St Louis - San Francisco Rwy) and the MoP (Missouri Pacific) railroads in my home town of Cape Girardeau, Missouri which is on the Mississippi River about halfway between St Louis and Memphis. The layout represents about 5 mile of track for both railroads.
The Frisco ran along the Mississippi from St Louis to Memphis and the MoP had a spur that crossed the river south of Cape and served industries in the western part of the city. The largest industry was Marquette Cement (the seventh largest cement plant in the U.S. in 1950 by volume), followed by International Shoe Company.
My plan is to follow the changes in the two railroads beginning in 1950 and ending in 1979 with accompanying changes in motive power and rolling stock. In that time period, Cape did not change very much, with only a few buildings disappearing, including the replacement of the Frisco passenger depot with a parking lot, so it is do-able.
The Frisco ran along the Mississippi from St Louis to Memphis and the MoP had a spur that crossed the river south of Cape and served industries in the western part of the city. The largest industry was Marquette Cement (the seventh largest cement plant in the U.S. in 1950 by volume), followed by International Shoe Company.
My plan is to follow the changes in the two railroads beginning in 1950 and ending in 1979 with accompanying changes in motive power and rolling stock. In that time period, Cape did not change very much, with only a few buildings disappearing, including the replacement of the Frisco passenger depot with a parking lot, so it is do-able.
Track plan
SLSF #2021 on Sunnyland
Layout at a Glance
Layout at a glance
- HO
- The layout is a single-level linear
- point to point design
- ranging in height from 48 to 50 inches from the floor
- one duck-under.
- The DCC system is Digitrax with wireless UT-4R throttles.
- All locomotives are equipped with the excellent Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders taking advantage of the built-in braking function.
- Car cards are used, with multi-cycle waybills.
- Cape Girardeau was dark territory on the Frisco, so Timetable-Train order operations are employed.
About the layout owner
About the layout owner
Keith Robinson was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He attended Southeast Missouri State University, started in the Electrical Engineering curriculum, but changed majors to Computer Science. Employment brought him to Kansas City in 1984 and during most of his career with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Keith has been a Service Training Specialist (technical training instructor).
Keith's hobby interests aside from model railroading have included R/C airplanes and cars, woodworking and most importantly, electronics.
Since becoming part of the model railroad operating group in Kansas City, Keith has assisted in the construction and maintenance of numerous layouts. He also has provided Soundtraxx decoder installation services to the local model railroaders.
Keith's hobby interests aside from model railroading have included R/C airplanes and cars, woodworking and most importantly, electronics.
Since becoming part of the model railroad operating group in Kansas City, Keith has assisted in the construction and maintenance of numerous layouts. He also has provided Soundtraxx decoder installation services to the local model railroaders.
More about the layout
More about the Layout
There is a sidewalk with steps around the side of the house to access the walk-out basement layout.
Jobs on the Layout
Jobs on the Layout
The Frisco River Division requires a local switching crewman to work the local industries including setouts/pickups at Marquette Cement and two road crews.
Marquette Cement requires at least one crewman to work the plant.
The Missouri Pacific requires one crewman to run its train into Cape and work the industries in west Cape and to setout/pickup cars at Marquette Cement.
The railroad requires one dispatcher.
Marquette Cement requires at least one crewman to work the plant.
The Missouri Pacific requires one crewman to run its train into Cape and work the industries in west Cape and to setout/pickup cars at Marquette Cement.
The railroad requires one dispatcher.
Prototype Photos and Layout Planning Information
Cape Girardeau - 1993
Marquette Cement entrance sign
1916 Coca Cola sign
Track Chart - 1979
Cape Girardeau riverfront - Missouri Utility and International Shoe
Cape Rock 2009
Cape Rock 2015
Cape Rock
Central Packing - 1951
Downtown Cape - 2008
Energy Coal Company
Erie Lackawanna #65029
Frisco Freight House
Frisco Sloan Creek Bridge
Frisco Sloan Creek Bridge
Frisco Station 1928
Houck Depot SW
Port Cape Girardeau Building
International Shoe Company
Last Frisco passenger train southbound
Leming Lumber
M.E. Leming Lumber
Marquette #4 GE 45 ton switcher
Marquette American Crane #1
Marquette Cement - 1951 flood
Marquette coal pulverizer loading
Marquette East
Marquette gumbo car
Marquette NW
Marquette Quarry
Marquette
Marquette
Marquette
Marquette
Marquette
MO Dry Dock
MoP Depot
MoP Spur Midtown
MoP #1589 on Independence Street, 1977
Old River Bridge 1928
Old River Bridge
Old River Bridge
Pollack Scrap and Riverside West
Pollack Hide & Fur
Tracks looking north toward Happy Hollow circa 1966
Riverfront aerial
Riverside West
Shops area
SLSF #111 Alco RS-1 at Cape
SLSF #559 GP7 on Sunnyland southbound at Cape
SLSF #2021on Sunnyland
SLSF #2015, first E8 through Cape
SLSF GP7 592-518 and Caboose 86
Sunnyland 807 southbound at Cape,1930s
Superior Electric
Themis Street and Common Pleas Courthouse
United Oil Company
Plate Girder west approach Mississippi River bridge
Fresco 1522, returning from the National Railroad Historical Society convention in Atlanta.1994.
Construction Photos
Map and Directions to the Layout
You can click on the “show directions” tab to print directions from the host hotel to the layout. Or you can download them in Apple Maps or Google Maps on your portable device.
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