I arrived at Springdale, Arkansas and from their website, followed the directions to the train station.
Arkansas & Missouri Railroad InformationThe Arkansas & Missouri may be one of the most documented shortline railroads in the country. Articles on it, and its large fleet of Alco locomotives, have been published in many magazines such as Trains, Railfan & Railroad and Pacific Rail News. Finding information on the railroad is little challenge for the serious railfan.
The A&M was founded in 1985 by an investor group, headed up by Tony Hannold (operator of several shortline railroads on the east coast), which signed a lease-purchase agreement with Burlington Northern for this line. At the time, northwest Arkansas was considered to be a poor part of the country and BN was centering their investment efforts on their mainlines. However, since the creation of the line, this region has become one of the most dynamic business centers in the United States. Companies such as Tyson Foods, Walmart, and J.B. Hunt are headquartered along the line.
At the time of the purchase, the principal items hauled consisted of timber products, canned goods, chicken feed, sand and gravel. Today, the traffic mix has somewhat changed with more than 150 shippers using the railroad. Probably the most visible shipments are the significant inbound quantities of grain and grain products as feed for industry giants Tyson Foods, George's, Cargill, OK Feeds, and Willowbrook Foods. The A&M also moves large volumes of frozen poultry for Frez-N-Stor, Zero Mountain, OK Foods Industries, and Arkansas Refrigerated, as well as canned vegetables for Allen Canning. The railroad also delivers the ingredients for Newly Weds Foods (batters, breadings, and seasoning systems), Pepper Source (tangy, spicy sauces), and Pappas Foods (juices and syrups), as well as materials for Glad (manufactures storage bags and plastic wrappings), Smurfit-Stone Container, and Georgia-Pacific (cups and containers).
The A&M also operates regular shipments of sand for major concrete producers Arkhola Sand and Gravel, Mid-Continent Concrete, Beaver Lake Concrete, Tune Concrete, Kay Concrete and Barry County Ready Mix, among others. Cement is handled for Ash Grove Cement, and timber is moved for National Home Centers, Ridout Lumber, Meeks Lumber, and Midwest Walnut. Scrap steel is moved for Davis Iron and Metal, Rogers Iron and Metal, and Roll Off Services; pellets go to St. Gobain Proppants; and plastic materials to Van Buren Pipe.
The railroad interchanges with BNSF at Monett, Union Pacific at Van Buren, and Kansas City Southern at Fort Smith. Additionally, the A&M handles direct barge-rail shipments at the Arkansas River ports of Van Buren and Fort Smith. The Arkansas & Missouri has also created an affiliate, Ozark Transmodal, Inc., to handle transload freight movements.
In 2000, the railroad leased 3.2 miles of track (locally known as "the Bottoms") from Union Pacific at Van Buren to reach a sand barge dock, and provides haulage services for Union Pacific between Van Buren and the Fort Smith Railroad in Fort Smith. On March 16, 2001, the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad actually purchased the Monett to Ft. Smith line. In June 2002, Tony Hannold was replaced as chairman of the railroad by Reilly McCarren, former president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation. McCarren also soon became the majority stockholder of the railroad. During the next three years, the new ownership essentially rebuilt the railroad, adding welded rail where lighter jointed rail existed south of Springdale.
During the past decade, the railroad has continued to modernize with a new office, passenger station, and locomotive and car shop. The Alco fleet continued to expand until the availability of quality locomotives, and the increase in freight, required larger and more modern locomotives.
I pulled into the parking lot and saw this across the street then went inside the station, picked up my ticket for this morning's trip before going across the street to start photography on a dark, cold and wet morning.
Arkansas and Missouri C-420 68, ex. Indiana Hi-Rail 311, exx. Arkansas and Missouri 411, exxx. Delaware and Hudson 411, nee Lehigh Valley 411 built by American Locomotive Company in 1964.
Arkansas and Missouri T-6 15, ex. Avtex Fibers 415, exx. Maryland and Delaware 15, exxx. North County Railroad 100, exxxx. Conrail 9849, exxxxx. Penn Central 9849, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 8429 built by American Locomotive Company in 1958.
Arkansas and Missouri C-424 604, ex. Hudson Bay Railway 604, nee Belt Railroad of Chicago 604 built by American Locomotive Company in 1966, and used as a parts source.
Arkansas and Missouri HR412 76, ex. Ohio Central 3588, exx. Canadian National 3588, nee Canadian National 2588 built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1981.
Arkansas and Missouri 3554, ex. Ohio Central 3554, exx. Canadian National 3554, nee Canadian National 2554 built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1974.
Arkansas and Missouri C-424 4224, ex. Louisville, New Albany and Corydon 4222, exx. Quebec Central 4222, exxxx. Canadian Pacific 4222, nee Canadian Paxcific 8322 built by American Locomotive Company in 1966.
Arkansas and Missouri C420 57, ex. BC Rail 632, nee Lehigh and Hudson River 26 built by American Locomotive Company in 1966.
Arkansas and Missouri TEBU 80, ex. MJRX 1606, exx. Southern Pacific 1606, rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen into a TEBU, nee Southern Pacific U25B 6712 built by General Electric in 1963.
Arkansas and Missouri C-420 42, ex. Ohio Central 7220, nee Erie Mining 600, built by American Locomotive Company in 1965.
The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad shops.
I went back inside the station and waited to board
The ticket window. We were taken outside to board so I walked down for pictures of our train and motive power.
The consist for our train today was Arkansas and Missouri C420 46, Arkansas and Missouri parlour car 105 "Explorer", Arkansas and Missouri coach 106 "Mountain View" and Arkansas and Missouri coach 105 "Golden Age". I boarded and chose a seat in coach 106. We had an on-time departure.
The Springdale station as we departed.
A small creek was crossed once we left.
Refreshments were served from this cart by our conductor. I bought a Coca-Cola to try and wake up.
There was a major ice storm in January that hit Northwest Arkansas and damaged trees and knocked out power for almost a month in some places.
St. Louis-San Francisco Fayetteville station built in 1897 and rebuilt in 1925.
Another field.
West Fork of the White River.
Another field as we continued south.
The bridge at the end of a road.
West Fork of the White River.
Passing plenty of fields cleared from the trees.
Nearing Winslow as we continued south.
Passing through Winslow.
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On the approach to the Winslow Tunnel.
Our train entered the Winslow Tunnel, a 1,702 foot bore at an elevation of 1,735 feet. This is the highest mountain rail crossing between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.
The light at the end of the tunnel.
The south portal.
From the Winslow Tunnel we would now cross three high trestles.
Trestle 1 is 780 feet long and 125 feet high.
Rounding a few more curves before Trestle 2.
Trestle 2 is 421 feet long and 110 feet high.
Views between Trestle 2 and Trestle 3.
The third trestle is 451 long and 110 feet high.
Two scenes looking back.
Clear Creek.
A waterfall under our first crossing of Interstate 540.
The trees were beginning to show their leaves.
Running along Clear Creek.
Rolling down a 3.4 mile stretch of straight track.
Interior of coach 105.
Passing the siding in Chester.
Crossing Clear Creek once more with a crossing of Interstate 540 in the scene.
Clear Creek changes into Frog Bayou near the town of Mountainburg.
Three more crossings of that stream.
A field with no cows.
Cows in this field.
A small creek was crossed.
We went under Interstate 540 for the last time.
Straight track was hard to find on this railroad.
Passing by another farm along our route.
Crossing Frog Bayou.
Down a short piece of straight track before we passed beneath Interstate 40 and across many grade crossings with our engineer freely using his horn as we made our way into Van Buren.
Crossing at Frog Bayou. We arrived at Van Buren where we stopped on the main line before the station. Our engine cut off in order to run around the train in the siding, then hook on and push us into the station. This train becomes the Winslow Turn during our passengers' layover. As it was cold and windy, I decided to take the Winslow Turn.
The engine running around the train and minutes later, I was detraining in Van Buren to take a few pictures and get a ticket on the Winslow Turn.
