Arkansas & Missouri
40-class C420s

A&M 42

A&M #42 was working as Fayetteville switcher on March 17, 2011.

A&M #42 was on the ready track in Springdale, AR, June 25, 2011.

A&M 44

Northbound Arkansas and Missouri #44 is seen here approaching the crossing of State 60 near the community of Meadors, AR on its trip from Van Buren to Springdale, 1/29/05.

In this view, the new safety strip is seen on ALCo C420 #48, 1/29/05.

Gone are the days of pure ex-ore jennies as shown by this view of a mixture of various styles and sizes of hoppers of Arkansas River sand, 1/29/05.

Here the 6 ALCo C420s are approaching Rudy, AR and the State 282 crossing, 1/29/05.

Where else can you get a site such as this but the A&M? However, the engineer will have his hands full on the downward slope north of Winslow as not all of these C420s have dynamic brakes, 1/29/05.

As I was headed north on US 62 at Gateway, AR, I ran under the A&M underpass and spotted a covered hopper with a FRED. As I crossed into Missouri, I spotted the locomotives as they spotted some sand hoppers on a siding. I headed on into Seligman, MO where the Eureka Springs Railway, later Missouri & North Arkansas, then Missouri & Arkansas, and still later Arkansas & Ozarks interchanged with the Frisco Central Division. The Missouri & Arkansas used trackage rights from Seligman to Wayne, MO where it then took off and headed to Neosho, MO and a connection with the KCS. At Neosho, the M&A used trackage rights to reach Joplin, MO, completing its journey from Helena, AR on the Mississippi River.. In the top photo one can see the concrete outline of the station platform. The M&A ran to the left , behind the station to a turntable.

The chase is on with the train running 45-55 mph.

I got ahead of the train and waited just south of Washburn, MO, 12/30/06/

Missouri highway 37 improves north of Cassville, allowing me to get ahead of the train again. However, it had started to mist heavily and the train made a pickup at a grain elevator before this view just north of Purdy, 12/30/06.

I then sought shelter from the heavy mist under the US 60 overpass in Monett as the train eased down the hill and around the wye into the BNSF yard in Monett, 12/30/06. A crew member had gotten off and was now driving a company truck ahead of the train to line the switches into the yard.

It is hard to believe that this area was once the busy passenger station where trains from the Central and Kansas Divisions connected with the trains from the mainline, 12/30/06. The A&M engines meet the BNSF engines in the terminal area of the yard. The engines are last seen from the overpass over the middle of the yard. Traffic forced me to move before the engines got more into view. This was my first chase of a train on the north end of the railroad, in either Frisco or A&M days.

Oct. 24, 2009

The A&M excursion makes a turn to Winslow, AR once it reaches Van Buren, AR.

The Winslow turn is seen here returning to Van Buren.

When the train arrives in Van Buren, the train has to be made ready for the trip back to Springdale.

First the caboose has to be set over on the siding.

The engine then returns to pick up the coaches before coupling up the caboose, returning to the mainline, and then the station.

A&M #44 was at the shop in Springdale, AR because it had a thrown rod, June 25, 2011.

A&M 46

While waiting for a southbound UP train at the crossing with the A&M in Van Buren, AR 2/4/06, I heard an approaching A&M train. It came at the last of sunlight was disappearing. However, the lift span was up. It took about 5 minutes for the horn to sound on the bridge giving its 10 minute warning that it was about to drop. Finally the A&M train starts across the bridge and it becomes apparent that there are 8 Alco/MLW units in the consist. Two of the units are ex-CN with safety cabs. One has been partially repainted from its Ohio Central scheme while the second is still in CN colors. These photos were taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XT with ISO set at 1600. They were then enhanced in Photoshop Elements using the Enhance/Variations command, accepting Current Pick.

The passenger train from Springdale is seen here arriving in Van Buren behind A&M C420 #46 and three coaches. The second image shows the new sealed window coach. The engine cuts away to run around its train on the near siding. The brakeman lines the switch for the passing track. The brakeman then realigns the switch for the main. The train now backs up to the platform of the station to let off the passengers from Springdale and load the passengers for the round trip to Winslow, May 20, 2006.

A&M #46 is seen with the hood removed in Springdale, AR on May 23, 2007.

We first find the Monett Turn on a side track picking up most of its train, Sept. 10, 2010.

The Monett Turn picked up most of its train from a side track and then stopped at the Old Wire Road crossing to make its air test before proceeding north.

We beat the train to Lowell, AR and shot it from the center of the old town.

We barely beat the train to Rogers but got it at Frisco Park.

We caught the Turn again just south of Avoca, AR.

We then caught the train again at the north end of Garfield, AR.

This photo was taken just north of the location of the former station in Seligman, MO. Note the curved border to the station platform. The Missouri & Arkansas also served this station using the track along the curved edge of the platform. The M&A connection was north of the station as seen to the right in the going away shot. The M&A had trackage rights over the Frisco north to Wayne, MO where it then headed to Neosho, MO and the KCS. From Neosho the M&A headed north to Joplin, MO.