|
QLA West at Lawton
by Andrew Harmantas
Oil on stretched linen canvas
Original Painting Image size 16" x 20"
Framed size 22" x 26" (Gold Plein Air frame)
Oh no, not another painting of Frisco F7's in bad weather! Oh, yes. And there will be more. Initial impressions of reporting for duty at Fort Sill in
1964 included watching Frisco trains as they passed by the fort's Key Gate, from the really crummy barracks they had back then. No air conditioning, but it was
close enough to the tracks that I could take a short walk after training was concluded and watch trains. And they ran some trains through there. At that time,
the Frisco and Santa Fe ran a joint through freight train, the QLA, between Birmingham and San Bernardino. with each railroad providing a set of engines for
the entire run on alternate days. The QLA was a hot train. It may have operated on one of the tightest schedules for a freight train back then. The Frisco F7
locomotives were, to me, classy looking, in otherwise spartan-like black and imitation gold, but with a southwestern flair showing the broad stripes, with the
bottom stripe making a graceful sweep up to the headlight. On weekends, I was able to venture downtown to the Frisco's depot and check in with the agent to see
what was on the line-up. Often, I'd be in luck, and a train would be nearby, but more often, that good fortune was tempered by Oklahoma's weather, which often
could turn a nice day into a very stormy one, as is the scene painted here. One of Oklahoma's aptly named "Blue Northers" is turning the evening sky very dark,
with driving rain. But the experience was worth it for the visual memories I have. Scenes such as this one are a recurring theme in my paintings.
Price: $700 (includes US shipping)
|
|
