Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

50 Years of Railroad Photography
1960-2010

Jan. 8, 2011

This set of power is on the passing track at the east end of the Van Buren, AR yard.

These units on the passing track are at the fueling station at the west end of the yard near Main Street.

Feb. 14, 2011

The following power was in the UP engine terminal. Jan and I had gone to Muskogee to have a romantic dinner at a nice restaurant only to learn when we were seated that they were not serving their normal menu. The special menu was $69.95 for two with nothing that we wanted to eat. We explored Muskogee for other places to eat. We did not find any worth trying as our experiences with restaurants had been bad in the past. We will not try Muskogee for dinner again. We stopped at Braum's on our way out of town and ordered malts to go!

Feb. 16, 2011

Upon arrival at the Main Street crossing in Van Buren, I spotted the A&M returning with empty sand cars from Copp where the turn from Springdale exchanges cars. The A&M was waiting for a UP train to clear the crossing so that they could pull out on the Arkansas River bridge and then back into their yard.

In the UP yard, I found this crane in the engine service area.

This A&M unit was switching in the UP yard.

These units were on a loaded unit coal train at the east end of the Van Buren yard.

After stopping at One Track Mind in Mablevale, I headed to Little Rock Union Station for 30 minutes track side. This was the only train which appeared in the 2-2:30pm time frame. This pig train was loaded with UPS trailers.

Feb. 19, 2011

My first train of the day was this BNSF general freight with a Ferromex locomotive as the seond unit.

This transfer run is leaving the CN at CN Jct. with two units, a BNSF in the lead matted to a CN.

The UP track geometry car in a new paint scheme made an appearence off the Harahan Bridge.

The next train was a loaded unit coal train coming off the Frisco bridge. This train is headed for the NS and will leave the BNSF track first to take the UP tracks across the CN at CN Jct and then take the "westbound Southern" on the NS to reach Forrest Yard.

While shooting the loaded coal train, a westbound empty BNSF coal train appeared on Main 2, stopping at CN Jct.

This loaded train is now on 4 of the five Class I railroads, BNSF, UP, NS, and the CN crossing. Only the KCS is not involved with this train in this picture.

As soon as the loaded coal train cleared, the CN switcher with cars for the "sugar track" crosses at CN Jct.

The loaded coal train is still moving and the empty coal train is waiting for an eastbound intermodal train on Main 1.

The eastbound intermodal is now seen exiting the Frisco Bridge.

The empty coal train finally gets the signal to proceed west.

The last train of the day was this NS transfer taking the wye at CN Jct. heading for CN's Harriman Yard.

Feb. 20, 2011

Upon arriving at Kentucky Street, I hear a conversation between a switcher and the BNSF dispatcher concerning getting permission to enter the main. I shot the switch aligned for the main and then moving to the alignment for the diverging route.

We see this westbound pounding across the CN diamond at CN Jct. There was a red warbonnet in the middle of the consist.

Next was an eastbound merchandize train. I had been joined by Harrison Searls of Searles' Video Productions of Pittsfield, MA recording broadcast quality video.

This 24-wheel heavy duty flat car was mid-train.

Waiting for the next train, I heard what I thought was a train on the CN, banging as it hit the crossing in the sissors wye. It turned out to be an empty coal train.

The stack is pushed in from the DPU on the rear of the train.

As the end of the empty coal train from the CN gets fully on the BNSF mainline, another empty coal train is stopped at the signal bridge at CN Jct.

After the first empty coal train clears Bridge Jct. on the west bank of the Mississippi River, the second empty coal train gets the signal and proceeds west. However, before he gets his signal a cloud covers the sun.