Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

The following photos were taken on a two day trip to western Arkansas and cover the Union Pacific, Arkansas & Missouri and Ft. Smith Railroad.

At Van Buren, AR on Friday Sept. 21, 2007, I discovered UP track geometry car EC-5 parked for the night on the Co-op soybean plant siding at the east end of the yard.

Across S. 28th Street, the headend of a loaded unit coal train waited for a crew.

At the west end of the yard, GATX GP38 lease unit #2149 and UP #331 were switching the yard.

Also at the west end of the yard was this pure ALCo consist of A&M units including a C424, a T6, and a C420. The C424 had still not been repainted from its Iowa Northern scheme.

On September 22, 2007 UP 6665 is at the head of an empty unit coal train. Here it is awaiting refueling and recrewing near the Main Street crossing in Van Buren, AR

UP SD90MAC-H II 8321 is seen here at the front of a general merchandise train that is awaiting departure from the east end of the Van Buren, AR yard.

The A&M passenger train has arrived in Van Buren. C420 #50 is seen running around its train before pushing the train down to the station to unload the passengers from Springdale so that they can shop. The train will then load the passengers for the round trip to Winslow. But before that can be done, the caboose has to be switched to the rear of the train.

The Winslow Turn is then seen at the north end of the Copp siding. The train is last seen passing under I40.

GATX GP38-2 #2149 and UP GP38-2 #331 are seen switching the yard.

Ex-ATSF GP20s are seen in Ft. Smith on the Ft. Smith Railroad.

NS #9480 is seen leading a general merchandize northbound through Greenwood Jct., OK where the branch to Ft. Smith once left the mainline.

First we see UP #6345 at the Main Street crossing being refueled. Then we see UP #6311 leading the loaded unit coal train through the Van Buren yard and approaching South 28th Street with UP $6345 pushing on the rear in DPU mode.

I gave chase and caught the train again at the Alma end of the Dyer passing siding.