The 2024 Heritage Rail Alliance conference continued with two days worth of seminars and breakout sessions. Elizabeth and I were representing the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society. As with most conferences, there are exhibitors and Elizabeth engaged one of the ticket vending companies in conversation since the Society was looking for a new ticketing platform. She was most impressed with FareHarbor for a variety of reasons and heard nothing but good reports from other conference attendees.
This afternoon, everyone boarded the bus to go to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville and there was plenty of time to browse the various galleries containing both fine art and more modern pieces. Elizabeth and I strolled around the grounds and saw a group of several giant clusters of Arkansas quartz crystals from Avant Mines near Hot Springs, the largest quartz crystal mining operation in the world. Everyone then returned to the bus and were taken to the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad shops in Springdale for a tour.
Arkansas and Missouri C-424 34, ex. Arkansas and Missouri 02, nee Belt Railroad of Chicago 602, built by American Locomotive Company in 1965.
Arkansas and Missouri Railroad Locomotive Facility, known as the J.R. McCarren Locomotive Shop.
Arkansas and Missouri C-420 62:2, ex. Delaware and Hudson 406, nee Lehigh Valley 413, built by American Locomotive Company in 1964.
Arkansas and Missouri C-420 54, ex. Maryland and Delaware 54, exx. Conrail 2074, nee Lehigh and Hudson Valley 24, built by American Locomotive Company in 1966.
Arkansas and Missouri SD70ACe 72:2, ex. EMD demonstrator 1203, nee EMD demonstrator 211, built by Electro-Motive Division in 2012.
Arkansas and Missouri C420 56, ex. BC Rail 631, nee Lehigh and Hudson Valley 25, built by American Locomotive Company in 1966.
Arkansas and Missouri SD70ACe-P4 7001, ex. Tacoma Rail 7001, nee EMD Leasing 1211, built by Electro-Motive Division in 2014.
Arkansas and Missouri SD70ACe 71, ex. EMD demonstrator 1203, nee EMD demonstrator 2110, built by Electro-Motive Division in 2014.
Arkansas and Missouri C-420 42, ex. Ohio Central 7220, nee Erie Mining 600, built by American Locomotive Company in 1965.
Arkansas and Missouri SD70ACe 70:3, ex. CAT Display Locomotive, nee EMD demonstrator 1201, built by Electro-Motive Division in 2012.
Arkansas and Missouri T6 12, ex. Maryland and Delaware 12, nee Norfolk and Western 46, built by American Locomotive Company in 1959.
Arkansas and Missouri T6 18, ex. Maryland and Delaware 18, nee Norfolk and Western 19, built by American Locomotive Company in 1959.
Arkansas and Missouri SD70ACe-P4 7002, ex. Tacoma Rail 7002, nee EMD leasing 1212, built by Electro-Motive Division in 2014.
Arksansas and Missouri SD70ACe 73, ex. Progress Rail 4028, nee Kansas City Southern 4028, built by Electro-Motive Division in 2011.
Santa Fe business car 37, ex. Marvin Robertson "Chico" PPCX 800145, exx. Victor Thornton "Imperial" 1970, used in charter service, nee Santa Fe 37 "Imperial", built by Pullman Company in 1925.
Progress Rail GP38-2 3822, ex. Central Oregon and Pacific 3822, exx. Central Oregon and Pacific 5042, exxx. CSX 2042, nee Baltimore and Ohio 3842, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1967.
Arkansas and Missouri SD70ACE 72:2, nee EMD demonstrator 1211, built by Electro-Motive Division in 2012.
Arkansas and Missouri C-420 57, ex. BC Rail 632, nee Lehigh and Hudson River 26, built by American Locomotive Company in 1966.
Arkansas and Missouri C-424 34, ex. Arkansas and Missouri 02, nee Belt Railway of Chicago 602, built by American Locomotive Company in 1965.
Arkansas and Missouri C-424 32, ex. Arkansas and Missouri 01, nee Belt Railway of Chicago 601, built by American Locomotive Company in 1965.
An ALCO engine waiting to be installed.
The Heritage Rail Alliance Autumn Conference photograph. From here we walked across the street.
The Arkansas and Missouri shop offices. Now to explore the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad Museum.
The emblem of this great railroad.
Railroad crossbucks, Heritage Rail Alliance membership certificate, Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter, NRHS, certificate and Arkansas and Missouri Silver Anniversary 1986 to 2011.
Texas Special female uniform.
Arkansas and Missouri display cabinet.
Tractors and other models.
Whimsical railway figurines.
Arkansas and Missouri railroad poster.
Framed Arkansas and Missouri photographs.
Display case of more model tractors.
Railroad memorabilia.
Black and white photography.
More railroad memorabilia.
Railway Express Company trunk donated by employees of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway.
Trainorder hoops and an official clock.
Railway china.
Railway china and more model trains.
Arkansas Northwest Railroad Company doodlebug.
Southern Pacific daylight 4449 painting.
Presidential trains.
Dining car china.
A poultry-themed display due to Tyson Foods headquarters being located in Springdale.
Railroad lanterns.
A small model railway.
Conductor hats and switch locks.
A New York Central painting depicting the era of 1941.
Model trains and books.
Arkansas and Missouri paintings and Lionel model trains.
Another model railway.
Museum view.
Stop Arkansas Law Railroad Crossing Stop.
California Zephyr dome car.
Model trains.
Circus train models.
Orphan Train display.
The Great Depression.
Railroad paintings and a steam engine.
A steam-led freight train in a uniquely-shaped protective display case.
St. Louis-San Fransico 1050 at a water tank.
St. Louis-San Francisco railroad china and model train. This ended our tour of the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad Museum and we returned outside.
Arkansas and Missouri caboose 150, ex. Rail Cruise America, exx. St. Louis Car Company 15, nee Reserve Mining 15, builder and year unknown.
Arkansas and Missouri "Boonton" coach 104 "Biloxi Blues", nee Delaware, Lackawnna and Western 5xx, built by Pullman Company in 1914.
St. Louis and San Francisco caboose 1288 built by International Car Company in 1969 and retired in 1986. It had the distinction of never being painted in Burlington colours but was originally painted red before the mandarin orange and white of Frisco. Upon retirement, it was donated to the City of Ash Grove, Missouri to be displayed in a city park then was purchased by Paul Slavens of Tulsa, Oklahoma in February 2014 before being donated to the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad in 2023.
An old open car, builder and year unknown.
The Arkansas and Missouri station built in 1923. That brought the conference to a close and attendees returned to the hotel. That evening was the banquet with award presentations, announcement of the proposed locations of the next two years' worth of conferences and good conversations. However, since I was feeling under the weather, I was not up to attending the banquet, but went to Braum's for a hamburger and a chocolate shake then went to bed very early. Elizabeth did attend the dinner and came back with plenty of information.
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and Elizabeth drove to Lebanon, Missouri, where we switched drivers and I drove us the rest of the way home.
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