Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

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Doug_Edwards
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Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by Doug_Edwards »

All,

I'm looking for prints for the 1" scale SP 4-4-2 that were sold by "Doc Fixit" in the late 40's. I don't think I have run across more than half a dozen of these locos that were built, but thought I would ask the depth of knowledge that is on this board.

Thanks,

Doug
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dnevil
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by dnevil »

Hi Doug,

Thanks for bringing "Doc" to light. I had a couple of articles that mentioned him, but not much more. Did some quick research and found a little more and posted here:

http://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Doc_Fixit

Let us know if you find a set of his prints.

Daris
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by Dick_Morris »

Found in a search of newspaper archive data bases.
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Doc Fixit.jpg
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by Dick_Morris »

Another Article. Bend (OR) Bulletin, 5/19/1955.
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The_Bend_Bulletin_Thu__May_19__1955_- 2.jpg
The_Bend_Bulletin_Thu__May_19__1955_- 1.jpg
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by Dick_Morris »

Frank Barto operated Doc Fixit, a repair and variety shop from about 1940 through at least the mid-1950s in Junction City. Work included rebuilding and selling bicycles and sharpening mowers. In 1946, he built a new 26 x 97 building on Ivy street with temporary living quarters in back for him and his family.
STRR
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by STRR »

Does anyone know anything about the riding cars Doc Fixit used behind his train? I have the exact same cars, with the exact same trucks, and the exact same capacity. I see the same trucks under Doc's tender.

I have had a hard time finding info on the train I own and have found traces here and there along the way. Thank you ALL for posting the info on Doc Fixit and his train. This solves some questions that have arisen.

There appears to be a connection between Doc, Thrall, and George Reddington. The first article posted above states that Doc contacted a man in Oakland about problems. That would have been Reddington. He built at least 2 of the Pacifics AND used the same riding cars.

Does anybody know what happened to Doc's train? I have seen a For Sale ad for the train but could NOT trace it any further. Rumor is that is is/was still in Oregon somewhere.

Thank You All Again,
Terry
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by Dick_Morris »

In 1940, Thrall was proprietor of the Rialto Theater in Junction City, Oregon.

The stories aren't that clear here. Daris, send me your email and I'll send you better copies you can post.

Frank R Barto was born in 1903 in Kansas. he lived in Massachusetts in 1930 where he was a farm laborer. In 1935 he lived in South Dakota. In 1940, in Junction City, Oregon where he owned Barto's Fixit Shop. Still in Junction City in 1955, according to the article above. Moved to Phoenix with his locomotive in the fall on 1956. It looks like he died in April, 1987 in Maricopa County, Arizona.

I found several more articles with a couple of them and his obit of most interest.

Sorry, Doug. that's any help with drawings. maybe someone in the Phoenix area will have a handle on them.
Attachments
Frank Barto Arizona_Republic_Mon__Apr_1__1957_-2.jpg
Frank Barto Arizona_Republic_Mon__Apr_1__1957_-1.jpg
Barto obit Arizona_Republic_Tue__Apr_14__1987_.jpg
Frank Barto Arizona_Republic_Sun__Apr_28__1957_-2.jpg
Frank Barto Arizona_Republic_Sun__Apr_28__1957_.jpg
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dnevil
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by dnevil »

Terry,

Take a look at page 31 of this article:

https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/13000859.pdf

It states that Frank "Doc" Barto took the 1/4 scale Pacific with him when he relocated to Tempe, AZ in 1958.

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Kimball McGinley
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by Kimball McGinley »

Just a thought: An SP "Daylight" pacific ran at Traveltown in LA for a number of years around the '70's. It was billed as Gene Autry's "Melody Ranch Special" IIRC?
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by STRR »

Kimball,

You are correct. That and one other Pacific were built by George Reddington in L.A. The first was called the Oakland Acorn and the other the Melody Ranch Special. The Acorn train was scrapped after many years of use. The Special was donated to Griffith park. The Acorn boiler needed to be replaced and the concessionaire had attempted boiler repairs on the Special and failed. Both locomotives found their way to the Whiskey River RR in Marshal, Wisconsin. The trucks from the Acorn train and the patterns for the Pacifics, found their way to the Whiskey River RR as well. Daryll Klompmaker (I hope I spelled his name correctly) built a new boiler for the Acorn and rebuilt her into a narrow gauge looking loco. A new boiler was also built and installed in the Special without and major changes to her appearance. BOTH these locomotives still run on the Whiskey River RR. The trucks were used to build riding cars. The patterns were used and eventually lost in a fire at the WR RR. Daryll remade the coupler pattern into a long shank model and sells them to guys like us. I have been working on truck part patterns to complete a train that I have.

The two Reddington trains, the Barto & Thrall train, some Arrow Development trains, the Carter Morehart trains (mine), and the All American Streamliner trains (the company that bought Carter Morehart) all use the same couplers. I still haven't figured out that one yet.

It was originally presented to me that Reddington had made 3 Pacifics. The article above corrected that misrepresentation. The riding cars of the Special and an All American Streamliner still run in Griffith park. The A.A.S. trains can be identified by the riding cars have 5 seats each, while the CM, and the Special cars have 6 seats each. Why? I wish I could tell you, but I don't know myself.

Good Luck,
Terry
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Quick followup to the history of the Bartol & Thale Locomotive, engine number 4410. Following “Doc” Barto’s death in Tempe, in 1987, the loco was purchased by Orin Edson, then Owner and founder of Bayliner Boats, and moved to Edson’s Caldonian Estate, in Arlington, Washington. The loco has been the primary motive power on the 2 mile long Caledonian Railway till this past month, when it was purchased by a new owner and moved to the Las Vegas are, where the new owners hope to reestablish the Railway as a tourist ride attraction.
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dnevil
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Re: Looking for prints for the "Doc Fixit" loco

Post by dnevil »

Just wanted to follow up on Edward's original question, if anyone has a set of Barto's prints for the 1 inch scale Southern Atlantic A-6 drawings.
Daris Nevil
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