Dardanelle & Russellville Railroad

by Mike Condren

Dec. 27, 1960

Photos by Louis Marre

Dec. 27, 1960 The gentleman in the cab window backing #9 is Bill Robbins. About 3 decades after this picture was taken he would own the railroad. This day he was test driving the loco. However, the group could not come up with the cash to buy the engine.The gentleman with glasses looking from the cab at the photographer later would be Assistant to the President of the CSX and after that would assist in getting the Iraq Railway back in operation following Desert Storm. Your truly was on the ground taking pictures with the photographer. This was my first ride in the cab of a steam locomotive, up and down the line. After Bill Robbins takes over the operation I would ride the cabs of the diesels in regular service. The gentleman in the lower right photo is the D&R engineer supervising the event. This was copied from the book "The Dardanelle & Russellville Railroad" by Clifton E. Hull and William A. Pollard and published by the University of Central Arkansas Press.

The following snapshots were taken by yours truly those many years ago on my first railfan trip outside of Ft. Smith Van Buren area. The road in the foreground of the first snap shot is State #7 highway. In the distance we see D&R under steam preparing the days activities.

This page was designed and is maintained by Mike Condren. If you have materials
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