Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

54 Years of Railroad Photography 1960-2014

Mike's Main Railroad Web Site

May 4, 2014

This empty unit coal train was ready to leave Van Buren by the time I arrived track side.

This train was sitting at the east end of the yard in Van Buren.

The Frisco bridge is seen from the front yard of the Drennen-Scott House in Van Buren.

Chuck Girard and I were the guest speakers for "Railroads of Crawford County" at the Drennen-Scott House, a project of the University of Arkansas Ft Smith. This is part of the audience for the second of two presentations that afternoon.

The following 3 pictrues were posted in the entry hall of the museum showing the Van Buren MP roundhouse and coaling ramp under construction.

I discovered this A&M C420 parked on the siding north of the station in Van Buren after our presentation.

May 10, 2014
National Railroad Day
Ft. Smith Trolley Museum

One of the exhibits at the Ft Smith Trolley Museum is the former Frisco Mikado #4003.

This is the view in the cab of the backhead of the locomotive.

This coal burner was equipped with a stoker for feeding the fire. A grate has been placed over the auger for safety.

View out the fireman's window	View out the engineer's windoow.

The Ft Smith Light & Traction Birney Safety car #224 is seen about to pass through the gap in display cars at the museum after a trip to the National Cemetery end of the trolley line.

I helped lay the near track in the curve before the tracks connected to the former Frisco line to the back of the buildings on Garrison Ave.

John Bell Jr supervised the following people in painting the scene below on the wall of the Trolley Museum Library building. Many of John Bell's paintings are displayed inside the library.

Dr. Art Martin was the driving force of the Trolley Museum before his death. His son is now the director of the museum.

The A&M had a coach and their caboose on display at the trolley museum.

The 2 paintings by John Winfield whcih Herb Huber commisioned are seen in the Library of the Ft. Smith Trolley Museum. The left painting is of a KCS passenger train in Union Station in Ft. Smith. The right painting is of a Ft. Smtih & Western passenger train in the FS&W station on 10th St in Ft. Smith.

These locomotives are parked along a track outside of the wall of the National Cemetery.

Car 224 is approaching the stop at the Museum.

Car 224 then stops in front of the store fronts.

A gun fight then takes place between a group of reenactors.

In conversation with Bradley Martin, I learn that the palm tree that was in Mother's home when she went into the nursing home had been saved by him and placed in the Library as seen to the right. Bradley was the realtor during the sale of her property.

I then discovered this photo of an early passenger train in Union Station.

I then took a ride on 224.

After an outlaw was killed, his body was put in a coffin for public display. However, in this case the man in the casket is faking it and will enter into the shootout with the peacemakers. When the shooting started, some of the younger kids started to cry.

This is the former abutment for the east side of the overpass for US64 in Moffet, OK. It was close to the west end of the Helen Gould Bridge of the St Louis Iron Mountain & Southern.

On my way home, I was stopped by a backup due to a serious wreck at the top of the hill near Keys Eyecare. There were 3 firetrucks, 3 ambulances, and a helicopter that responded.

May 15, 2014

On my way to the monthly NRHS meeting, I shot the newest addition to the A&M passenger train fleet.

I shot these units at the fueling rack at the shops.

I then heard a train approaching from the north and headed trackside just north of the shop area. I discovered one of the 2 original A&M C420s southbound at the Huntsville Ave crossing.

The trailing unit was once owned by Ohio Central and has worn more than one number on the A&M.

May 23, 2014

I made a trip to Memphis to pick up my son and grandson at the Amtrak station. I arrived in mid-afternoon, so I headed to Kansas Ave. As I parked the car, this westbound was coming around the curve in the distance.

This NS stack train surprized me, thus the less than perfect shot.

This UP switcher is seen westbound at CN Jct.

I was joined by Bart Youngblood and his 2 year old son, seen here.

The next train was a westbound BNSF vehicle train.

The KCS Lines are celebrating their 125 year Anniversary.

The switcher is then seen returning from West Memphis.

The next train was an eastbound BNSF stack train.

This eastbound NS freight is seen passing through the University of Memphis campus near where the Normal, TN station once stood.

This new PTC signal is for the mainline at the west end of the White Station passing siding in east Memphis. The street is Estate Road.

The purpose of the trip to Memphis was to pick up my son Matt and his nephew, Virginia's son Shawn, at the Amtrak station after their ride north to Memphis on the City of New Orleans.

May 24, 2014

On our way to OK, we took the Mound City Road to Marion. We saw this loaded unit coal train stopped at the south end of the double track.

One of the contract switchers for the UP intermodal yard is found at the west end of the yard.

We also found these units at the engine servicing facility at the west end of the intermodal yard.

We next found this train in the yard at Van Buren, AR.

We discovered the A&M passenger train returning from Winslow at the station in Van Buren.

This new derail is located at the west end of the run-around track.

Long time friend David McDonald is a volunteer car attendant for the A&M Winslow Turn passenger train.

The passenger train backed across Fayetteville St to pick up a coach and the caboose which had been at the National Train Day exhibit at the Ft Smith Trolley Museum.

This page was designed and is maintained by Mike Condren.
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