Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

53 Years of Railroad Photography 1960-2013

Mike's Main Railroad Web Site

Jan. 2, 2014

On our return from Metairie, LA visit with our kids, we ran into this train at the crossing north of Tallulah, LA on its return with a string of tank cars of oil.

A little further north on US 65 we found these 2 derelick locomotives of the Delta Southern.

When we got to McGehee, AR, we found the North Louisiana and Arkansas SW1 #21 at the south end of the yard where their track to Lake Village begins. There is a road on the other side of the loco at this location but it would give only a backlit shot, and we were in a hurry. The railroad has received grants for rebuilding the track from here to Lake Village and then to Lake Providence. This line is part of the Arkansas Shortline Railroads of long time friend Bill Robbins.

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These units were at the north end of the yard in McGehee, AR.

Jan. 7, 2014

We had a doctors appointment in Tulsa on a day with marginal weather. We got to Tulsa early so we headed trackside where the BNSF, UP, and Watco come together. We caught this one BNSF train there before heading to see the doctor. Yes, this is a BNSF train even though the lead loco is a UP loco.

Jan. 10, 2014

Here are some views of the Santa Fe station in Guthrie, OK. It has been remodeled into a restaurant. The historical marker below refers to Oklahoma Territory which is different from Indian Territory to the east which had the Katy as the first authorized railroad.

Google Maps ground level view

We heard a southbound freight and got this shot of the train passing the former ATSF station.

These tracks are down the middle of the W. Harrison Ave. in Guthrie, OK.

This ex-Frisco coach is located at the Santa Fe station museum in Drumwright, OK. This coach once was a regular on the train from Monett, MO to Ft Smith, AR.

This former Santa Fe station is the heart of the railroad museum in Drumwright, OK.

This former Frisco caboose has seen better days. It sits on the other side of the museum in Drumwright, OK.

Jan. 16, 2014

This string of A&M units is seen on the track leading to the fuel rack in Springdale in the middle of the shop area.

This new shop building is having a single track layed into the building.

These units are seen north of the A&M shops after returning from their day of switching in Fayetteville and Springdale.

This C424 is seen sitting outside the new back shop at Springdale.

These switchers are seen returning to the shop area after dropping off their cars in the yard north of town.

Jan. 18, 2014

On our way to the Train Show in Plano, TX, we heard this train as it passed through McAlester, OK and finally caught up to it south of Savana, OK.

At the Plano Train Show, the first thing we see when we arrive is the minature train hauling people around the grounds on the pation area.

Inside the show, the first room featured a large G-Scale layout on the floor.

In the "layout room" there was this On3 modular layout.

This module features a yard on a "transfer table" and turntable.

This view is from the other end of the modular On3 layout.

This scene is part of a very large modular HO layout.

These HO UP "Heritage" locos are seen on another large modular layout.

The prototype of this Katy "Heritage" unit has evaded me, so I shot this image of its HO scale model.

Jan. 19, 2014

As we prepared to leave the train show, I got this image of the other large scale train ride.

North of Stringtown, OK, I got this shot of Stringtown Mineral Company (my initials of SMC) switcher.

Jan. 22, 2014

Having been alerted to the problem with the Frisco bridge in Van Buren, I headed to Van Buren for pictures. Here is the first picture of the bridge and its problem. The picture was taken from Ft Smith Park.

This view shows the Coast Guard "river block" north of the river in mid morning.

This telephoto shot was taken down the A&M tracks from the Ft Smith side of the river. Note the bottom of the lift span through the bridge and under the stuck counter weight.

I caught this image on my way across the US 64-71 bridge over the river.

I got this image from the abutment of the former Ft Smith/Van Buren Free Bridge. This road bridge was replaced with the Kerr-McClellan Navigation project.

I then headed to the UP Yard Office in Van Buren to visit with my friend the Manager of Train Operations. I also wanted to see the wall decorations that he had created for posting in the yard office.

This future wall hanging was made from one of my slides in spite of the label. I took this photo at the former 4th Street grade crossing. Note the kerosene lanterns on the switch stands.

This wall handing is in the hallway in the yard office and is chosen to educate the current employees that steam powered passenger trains once served Van Buren.

This wall hanging shows the men who worked in the yards at Van Buren during WWII, including the Railroad Battalion that was stationed at Camp Jesse Turner. My Boy Scout Scoutmaster grew up in northern Vermont. After the war he returned to Van Buren, married the duaghter of a MP car man, the woman later would be my 4th grade teacher, the two of them would become my Sunday School teachers, and life long friends.

This 1928 photo shows the roundhouse crew on this 2-8-2 on the turntable in front of the 20 stall roundhouse.

After lunch and some business at my Mother's nursing home, I got these pictures from the Van Buren side of the bridge. While shooting them, I got an email message from friend Dave Ingles in WI asking if I knew of the problem. My reply was "Sitting under right now."

As I was leaving my river side site, a A&M hi-rail pickup was heading out on the bridge. I asked how the work was going and was told that they had made some progress.

On leaving Van Buren, I caught some more telephoto images of the bridge. The bridge was reopened to rail traffic about 8pm on Jan. 23.

I then updated the "river block" image with more barge "trains" stopped.

I then drove around Ft Smith looking for railroad action only to find this OK Feed Trackmobile getting off the rails to reposition for more switching.

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