Frisco Silver Dollar Line 504

## FSDL 504

504 as seen in a better game

**Frisco Silver Dollar Line No. 504** is a 2-foot (600mm) gauge converted 0-4-0 type steam locomotive operating on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line at the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson, MO. It was originally built as an 0-4-0T type tank engine.

## History

FSDL 504 was built in 1941 by Ceskomoravska Kolben-Danek in Czechoslovakia. It was originally built as an 0-4-0T type for general purposes like mining or switching in a shipyard.

In the 1960s, it was likely purchased by a man named James Valesh and shipped to Iowa along with a lot of other European narrow gauge locomotives. Then, in the 1970s, it was sold to James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, MN. Jim Machacek americaned the locomotive with American aspects including a tender to hold wood and water. The Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad, Mr. Machacek's private backyard railroad, ran smoothly until 2007 when a newly-acquired caboose crushed a volunteer. The railroad permanently ceased operations after the tragic incident. Then, in 2012, Jim Machacek later passed away.

In 2016, Jim Machacek's rolling stock was auctioned off. 504, along with a German 0-4-0T No. 2 (which would later be renumbered to FSDL No. 14) and a Plymouth switching diesel, were purchased by Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. 504 was completely overhauled in February 2018 with an oil conversion, a new cab, a new boiler, new cowcatchers made from recycled boiler flues, a Nathan 6-chime replica whistle made by Rizzoli Locomotive Works, and many other replacement parts. 504 debuted to the public on June 18, 2018 and immediately became a popular and welcomed engine for its aspects. It is now one of five operable locomotives at Silver Dollar City, the others being FSDL 0-4-0T type Nos. 13, 14, 43, and 76. In early 2020, 504 was temporarily taken out of service for installation of a new drawbar and other major improvements. It returned to service on March 17, 2021 during the 2021 opening day of Silver Dollar City.

On October 26, 2022, as 504 was pulling the new-style consist with approximately 160 guests onboard, at around 6:00 pm, its tender and the first three cars derailed from the track and landed on their right side. Seven people, six guests and one crew member, were injured and transported to a nearby hospital, but so far, no serious injuries or deaths were reported. The locomotive and the last car remained on the track. Following the horrific incident, the ride was closed and the cause of the derailment is still currently under investigation by both Silver Dollar City and Missouri State investigators. It is currently unknown whether the ride will reopen later for Silver Dollar City's 2022 Christmas season or if it will remain closed for the remainder of the season.

## Trivia

* 504's well tank can still hold water.
* The cowcatcher/pilot is made from FSDL 76's old boiler flues.
* 504 is currently the only operational locomotive at Silver Dollar City with a tender.
* 504 was temporarily taken out of service in early 2020 for installation of a new drawbar and other major improvements.
* 504's current bell is actually from the Plymouth diesel on park. The Plymouth wears 504's old bell from her N&CV days.
* 504 has news articles on KY3 and Trains Magazine.
* There are only six locomotives surviving of 504's class. 200 were built.
* 504 used to have a builder plate on her cab from a random CKD diesel.
* 504 was to have been renumbered 77, but still carries the number 504 due to an agreement during the purchase from the Machacek estate.
* 504 is numbered after a Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern 2-10-0 "Decapod" type locomotive.
* 504 stops further than the tank engines at the depot due to the length of her tender combined.
* When 504 made its operational debut on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line, it wore a Rizzoli Locomotive Works Nathan 6-chime whistle.
* When 504 was restored on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line in June 2018, it was equipped with a working dynamo. However, as of 2019, its dynamo is now nonfunctional.
* 504 has worn several different whistles on the FSDL, including a Rizzoli Locomotive Works Nathan 6-chime, a CMO 3-chime, and a Longbell Hancock 3-chime, among others.