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To Tulsa and the Fort Smith Trolley Museum 9/10/2010

Bart Jennings sent me an announcement of a rare mileage trip he organized on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, which would cover the complete railroad. For me, participating in this was a no-brainer since I had such a fantastic time when I rode this railroad's regular train and would always come back here to ride again. Tickets were sent for and then I purchased Southwest Airlines tickets to Tulsa, a rental car and the hotels. About two weeks before the trip, I contacted the Fort Smith Trolley Museum about a visit and received a positive response.

I worked on my books called "Why a Train?" and was about to finish Volume 4 as the trip day approached. It was now time for a trip to relax and have a great time.

I arose at 4:30 AM then half an hour later, drove the van with my mother to John Wayne Airport, going through security where my laptop computer was given the full search but I was not. I changed back into my shorts and went to Gate 2 where I accessed the Internet while waiting for my flight.

The plane boarded at 6:15 AM but had a slight engine problem so we left the gate late then when we were on the tarmac, had to wait for nine planes to take off before it was our turn. Once airborne, I saw the former Eagle Mountain Railroad and the former Phoenix Line before we landed in Phoenix. The two hour layover included me walking from Gate D17 to Gate C17 where I waited for my next plane.

This plane departed the gate early and once in the air, I saw Globe, Arizona, the Very Large Array Telescopes, Abo Canyon and Amarillo in New Mexico before we landed at Tulsa, Oklahoma I went to the National car rental office where I received a Dodge Caliber then left Tulsa and drove Oklahoma 51, the Muskogee Turnpike, to Interstate 40 and took that east to US 64 into Fort Smith. Following the directions from their website, I soon found the museum.

The Fort Smith Railway Company began operation in 1883 with three mule-drawn rail cars, offering the area's first public transportation. As these cars progressed through the unpaved streets, the "Gee" and "Haw" from the drivers could be clearly heard. Ten years later, the first electric streetcar service was franchised to the "Fort Smith & Van Buren Electric Street Railway Light & Power Company", and two electric trolleys soon began operation. By 1899, all the lines in Fort Smith were electrified and running with open-platform cars, which made their use dependent on good weather. The riders did have a roof, but the motorman stood outside in the elements, and did the braking by hand.

In 1903, the two above-mentioned companies combined to form the Fort Smith Traction Light & Power Company. Later that same year, the company was reorganized to become the Fort Smith Light & Traction Company. By 1911, enclosed streetcars had become the norm, since they could run year-round, but they were heavy and created more wear on the tracks. Airbrakes also became standard. The enclosed Birney "Safety Car" made its appearance in Fort Smith in 1920. It was a lighter car with a "dead man control" - designed to stop and open the door if the motorman did not exert downward pressure on the control handle or depress a foot valve. These cars were heated by under-seat electric heaters, assuring comfort in cold weather.

During the 1920's, FSL&T made some poor choices regarding bridge tolls, fare amounts and routes, getting into several legal spats along the way. This, combined with the growing popularity of automobiles and the onset of the Great Depression, took a heavy toll on the company. By 1933, FSL&T was a subsidiary of Oklahoma Gas & Electric and operating at a deficit, though it retained the name Fort Smith Traction. In August of that year, OG&E announced that the streetcars would run make their final run on November 15, and the company would be dissolved.

After the last run, all of the cars were quickly scrapped; motors and wheels were removed for salvage, and bodies sold off and used for assorted purposes. For instance, FSL&T 224, the first car to be restored by the Fort Smith Trolley Museum, spent many years as a diner in Ashdown, Arkansas, with the name "Streetcar Cafe." Within a few years, all 33 miles of Fort Smith's trolley track were ripped up and sold for salvage.

I parked the car and went into the museum and found two fellow rare mileage riders and museum volunteer Robert Neufell talking and gave him one of my cards.

Car 6 is a single truck arched roof 10-bench open car built by Brill in 1906 from Vera Cruz, Mexico under restoration.

Hot Springs Street Railway 50 is a double-ended double truck car built in 1904 by the St. Louis Car Company. It includes a few wooden parts from Hot Springs Street Railway 54 and is currently under renovation.

A line car.

St. Louis-San Francisco A5-C speeder RC-2203 built by Fairmont in 1951 and the line car. We then went outside.

Missouri-Kansas-Texas power car 100201, nee World War II trooper sleeper X2400.

Union Pacific caboose 25139 built by Pullman in 1964.

The car barn at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum.

Union Pacific caboose 25139 and Burlington Northern 12240 built by Pacific Coast and Foundry in 1978.

Missouri-Kansas-Texas caboose 126 built by International Car in 1966.

Fort Smith Light & Traction Birney Safety Car 224 built in 1926. In 1933, Fort Smith Light & Traction closed its doors and scrapped all of its cars. The motors and wheels were removed for salvage and the bodies sold off to any buyer. Car 224 became a diner in Ashdown, Arkansas with the name "Street Car Cafe". Later, the body was sold to Louis Hennick in Shreveport, Louisiana. After the publication of a history of the Fort Smith streetcar system, car 224 was discovered listed for sale in an antique journal. Interested citizens formed a non-profit organization - the Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association - and purchased the car. This soon led to the donation of another Fort Smith car body, 205, from Mulberry, Arkansas. The cars arrived in July/August of 1979 and restoration work began.

This trolley would provide us our ride in a few minutes.

Missouri Pacific box car 251368 built by American Car and Foundry in 1963.

Missouri Pacific Cushion Car 365387 built by American Car and Foundry in 1971.

United States Air Force 44 ton switcher 1246 built by General Electric in January 1953.

Augusta Railroad 35 ton switcher 7, nee Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1, built by Vulcan in April 1942.

St. Louis-San Francisco 2-8-2 4003 built by American Locomtive Company in 1919 for the Pennsylvania Railroad but they rejected it and the United States Railway Administration assigned it to the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad. 4003 was retired in early 1952. The Frisco kept the locomotive until 1954 when it was donated to the City of Fort Smith and placed on display in Kay Rodgers Park. It remained there for almost fifty years until in 2002, the city transferred ownership to the Fort Smith Trolley Museum.

Missouri-Kansas-Texas coach 910 built by American Car and Foundry in 1938 and converted to Diner Bunk Car 100162. I then went back into the car arn and we all walked to board Car 224.

The look behind the car from where we started shows the portion of the Fort Smith Trolley Line that we would not be riding this late afternoon.

Our trip started with us leaving the MKT caboose behind.

We left the line of equipment behind as we curved away from the museum.

There is a very nice trolley mural on the wall which local artist John Bell, Jr. designed in 1990, and directed a team of his art students in painting it. The mural depicts the 50-year heyday of street railway transportation in Fort Smith, beginning with the mule-drawn streetcars of 1883, on the far left. The second car shown is an open car, in which the motorman stood outside. After that came the semi-convertible trolley and, on the far right, the Birney "safety car," which was used until Fort Smith Light & Traction Co. closed in 1933. Four historical buildings are shown in the background, including Fort Smith's W.H.H. Clayton house and the Fort Smith Art Center.

In 1991, a tornado tore through downtown Fort Smith, knocking down the concrete-block wall of the building on which the mural was painted. Mr. Bell found a unique solution for reassembling the wall. He numbered each block so that his students could place it in the correct spot. They then touched up the paint, and added a special momento: a small funnel cloud in the top right corner, along with the date '91. In April of 1996, another twister came though "Tornado Alley," destroying many of Garrison Avenue's historic buildings and (minor in comparison) blowing one set of the museum's front doors off their hinges. A '96 was added to the mural to commemorate that event.

The switch to the car barn.

Our route passed between these buildings.

Robert Neufell explained the trolley's history.

The trolley shelter along our route.

This building has other trolleys stored inside which someday, with time and money, might be restored.

A passing siding will be installed in the future.

The old Fort Smith foundations.

Bradley, who assisted with my visit, drove over to meet us.

The other end of that future passing siding.

Cars need to be careful parking when the trolleys run.

The trolley took the curve to start its run along US Highway 64.

Passing an old storefront.

We had reached the end of the line at South 2nd Street and detrained for pictures.

Across US Highway 64 is a Ferris wheel and a diner.

Car 224 at the end of the line as the poles were changed.

The former St. Louis-San Francisco station built in 1910.

The trolley at the end of the line.

The end of track near the Frisco station, afer which I reboarded and we started the trip back.

The trolley went back by Ross Pendergraft Park.

Running along US Highway 64 before turned south.

There is a siding for a station here when needed.

The switch to that siding. We stopped to let off our two other riders, whose car was parked nearby.

Two views looking back before we made a stop.

The trolley house, which is Fort Smith Light and Traction Birney Safety Car 21 built by American Car Company in 1926.

Car 224 at the stop.

We ran back between the buildings then stopped to throw the switch to the car barn.

The switch was aligned for our movement across it.

The trip down the car barn trackage.

The trolley is back in its barn for the night. I thanked Robert for the excellent trip and left the museum but had a few more pictures to take.

I found the Nickel & Dime Diner housed in former Long Island Railroad coach 2557 built by Pullman-Standard, year unknown.

From here I started out of town but had to make another stop at the next grade crossing in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith Railroad GP20 2038, ex. Pioneer Rail Equipment 2038, exx. Santa Fe 3155, nee Santa Fe 1155 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1961.

Fort Smith Railroad GP16 1612, ex. Pioneer Rail Equipment 1612, exx. Alabama & Florida 1612, exxx. Alabama and Florida 1751, exxxx. Canton Railroad Company exxxxx. CSX 1751, exxxxxx. Seaboard System 4705, exxxxxxx. Seaboard Coast Line 4705, nee Atlantic Coast Linie GP7 242 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951.

Fort Smith Railroad GP20 2031, ex. Pioneer Rail Equipment 2031, exx. Santa Fe PREX 3067, nee Santa Fe 1167 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1961.

Another view of the Fort Smith Railroad's motive power. From here I drove north towards Interstate 40 and caught up to an Arkansas and Missouri freight train at a grade crossing which stopped me just short of the Arkansas River bridge. I overtook it and found a grade crossing.

The A&M freight lead by C420 58. I took another road and passed the train.

The A&M freight came by me again.

Arkansas and Missouri C420 58, ex. Delaware and Hudson 420, exx. Delaware and Hudson 401, exxx. Conrail 2007, nee Lehigh Valley 29 built by American Locomotive Company in 1966.

Arkansas and Missouri C420 56, ex. British Columbia Railway 631, nee Lehigh Valley 25 built by American Locomotive Company in 1966.

From here I found Interstate 40, which I took to Interstate 540, stopping at Exit 81 for a KFC dinner before continuing to Exit 85, where I found the Best Western Castle in Bentonville and checked in for two nights. I worked on the story then called it a night.