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LittleRockChrpter IJI'ME 35 NI'UBER 8 AUGUST 2OO NRHS
FromJohh Milk: My flrsttrip to Califomiaalone was aboard Southem Pacific Train No. 39,th.Irnpe al,westof El Pasoin Juneof 1950.Here we arestopped at Yuma,Arizona for serviceand change ofcrews. A SouthemPacific Northem4-8-4 #4437 is havingh€r rods lubricated with an Alimitegun manned by a Mexicanlaborer who hasjust completedhis work. This train was due Los Angeles at l0:55 PM thatevening. Due to manyShrine Circus Specials goingto LA for a convention,we did not arive till 6:00AM du€to no trackspace for us.("/orlt A. Mi s pholo) VolumeXXXV, Number 8 - August2004
2(xMOFFICN,RS/PO$TIONS OF TIIE ARXANSASRAILROAD CLTJB IEESIDEM - RobinThomas, 10960 RivqcBt Dr #26,Little Rock AR 72212-14 | 2 (50r:225-1952\ V-PRESIDENTPeter Smykla, Jf.,2800 w 37'Av., PineBlufrAR71603-5661{870-535-4724), p.smykla@woddneian ncr TREASURER- Waller B. Walker,8423LindaLn, Littlc Rock AR 72227-5983(501-225-0826), [email protected] IISBEIABY - JackieRoach, 4023 S Shackteford# | 42,Little RockAR ?2204(501-225-681 8) EDIIQ& - KcnZi%obcin, 1023claycut Ck, N Lidc RockAR 721lG3Z8 (501-75&1340).kcr@trainw€athq.@m NBE DIBESIQR-Ton Sh@k,1716 Albcna Dr, Linle RockAR ?2227-3902(501-225-E955) EHQIQGBAE{E&- JohnC. Jones,I l7 Cononwood,Sherwood AR 72t 20-401I (50l-83 5-3729), johnphotonur@eistorl€.net - GeneHull. 3 507 E WashingtonAve #3 1, N LitlleRock AR 721 l4 (501-945-?386) EISIO&LIN'04 BOARD - SlaleyWozcncraft, loE N PalmS! LiltlcRock AR 72205-3827 (50 | -664-3101) BOABDj0I - r,eonadTllolmucllcr, 2l HanoverDr, Lihle Rck AR ?220&2159(50 | -562-823| ) BqBL!6 - Jimwaklficld, 316Aubum Dr, Linlc RockAR 72205-2169l5ll-6j'4-a23zl !qELIZ - FredFillers, 2qn9 BandyRd, Lndc RockAR 72223-97m60L82r2aq, .cfill€rs@aol.€om EqlBqlq:Ron Fsserman.326Essermar Ln, Dover AR 7283?-??54(479-331.2010), qhay4?
Th. ARK NSASRAILROADCLUBkT noFprolit orgrnizrilotrofnilroid rd tr.in.nlh|l3i.st! thit lr$ forn.d in 1969.}V..r..lso ih€ Littl. RockChrpt.r oftt. NrllontlRrilwry Hlttoricd Socilty.W. m..ton thcsecondSundry3 of rnostmontk rt2 p.m.Anlone lntereltedln lrrins h w.lcome! Due! tojofn theARKANSAS RAILROAD CLUB rre currcntly t20 r ye.r, whi.h irclud.r tn! monthly,rr*drrar Ro tuad.r n wst Ker, lflou'd likc to ioh thc NRHSthrough orr clrb (thur b.ing r n.mb.r oftbc Llltlc RockChrptcr NRHSlnd .t.ion.l NRflS),yoo nust pty s20r y.rr mor., brlneingthc totrlto $40r y.rr for both.D!.r.re rl*.yr pryrbl.otrJ.nmry lrrofdcb y.rr, bot yor mry pry ri 0ry lime (nomberrhip}1ill ertend through lh. followingy.rr). Tojoin or r!r.w, sendyou. nrmo,odd.c!sNnd phone trunb.r plusdues lo th. ARKANSASRAILROAD CLU8, PO BOX 9151, NORTH LITTLE ROCK AR ?2119.C.ll$1-?5E-1340 for inform.tior|.Th. rcw3lettcr.dltor's emill rdd.elr i3: [email protected] ThcArbnsre Rrilrodcr i! poton ah.Wcb monthry,rd alrtdd.dr i!: tttp://w.trdnw.rahcr,cotn
NEXLIBQGSAIA will be!9NDAY,SII9L! .t 2 p.m.at ourusual site, Pulaski Heishts Presb,lerian church, 4401 WoodlawnDrive, Little Rock.WILLA PINKERTON,Railroad Agent for theLittle RockPon Authority, Little RockPort Authority Railroad,will give us ao updat€on what hasgort on at the Po( Autho ty RR sinc€she spoke to us in May2002. Sheis only the secondrailroad ag€ntfor the Port sincethc company'sinception in th€ early I 970s. She€ss€ntially will emphasizethe r€cent dedicdtion of$12 millionin infiastructur.improvemcnts at the Port'sslackwat€r harbor(new rail lines,roads, water 6nd sewer lin.s, warchousesand a ncwdock). And shewillgive us a detailedrepon on th€ rdilroad's key pan in lhc massivemovement in October2003 ofthc 39u Infantry Brigade,Arkansas National Guard,ftom the Pon's new rail line lo haq via Forl Hood, Texas. Tlis movemenlofEoops involved ovcr 200 military pemonneland 800 piecesof equipmenifiom 47 ArkansasArmories. Shesaid this wasthe largestmilitary movem.nt by rail in Arkansassince World War IL (Thankt to RandyTatdy for gettihg thisproganfot us), FT TURE PROGRAMS - In September,we'll all go to PcterSmykla's PapenonJunction Southem in Pinc Blufffor our annual outing therc,siarting about 9 or so. B.ing a picnic lunch. Thar€'ll be a nap in the SeptcmbernerBletter. Peter said at thc last meetingthat Saturday,September 4 sound€dgood, LITTLE ROCKPORT AUTHORITY RAILROAD (Iakenfrom their \eebsite)
The Lirtle Rock Port Auihority Railroad is a sluilching raitroad lhat serveE lhe lJillle Rock Port Induagrial Park. The Iine extends fron its junction wilh the Unlon Paclfic Railroad arld the Burlingtor Northeln santa Fe Railvay compary near the Little Rock National AirporE co the ArkarEas Riwer aE the little Rock Polt dock facilities. The gystem lncludes several spur ]ines to induslries wilhin the hduslrial Dialrict and a marshaling yard where suitching lakes place between the LitEle Rock Port Aulboricy Lailload and the ttnion Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Nolthern Santa Fe Railoay coq)any. rhe Port Railroad operates on approxiinately 12 2 miles of track. The PorE Railroad i6 a vital link in t.he transporEaEion network f,or the LiEtle Rock Port Industrial Distric!. The rallload provides direct intermodal conneclions wilh lhe Port tefinirral or! the Alkansas River for over 40 lndustries, r,tarehouses. and alistri.bution companies In the Porl district along with numelous ehipPera from the central Arkansas region. This allows shtppers to access global markel areas wia the
ARKANSASMILROADER Little RockChapter NRHS Volume )OO(V, Number 8 August 2004 Arkansas/Mississippi Rivers systems through Ehe internationat port at Nes orleans,
The Port Railroad operales with a four man crew. sours are fron ?:0o a.m to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Overtine EwiLching lo por! Industrial Paxk comPanies is available. The Porl Railroad connects to the union Pacific Railroad and by trackage/haulage rights Eo lhe Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The Por! Railroad is a Surface TransportatioD Board cerlified switching railroad aurhorized by Icc Federal Docke! No. 24549 dated August 4, 195?. The Port Railroad activated certification in ,June 19?2, and hixed a four man crew in October 1974. Employees are under all Federal Railroad regulaEions (Engineer Cerlificalion, Safely Regulalions, and Track Mainlenance). The track is maintained for a class II railroad. The 9oo 1IP diesel elecrric Ef4D loconoLive built in 1952 is leased from RELCO Locomolives. The mainline lrack is 110# rail. The Porl Railroad has a published tariff. As of lvlarch 1, 2oo2 the svilching charge is $160.00 per loaded car.
UP EMERGENCY NUMBER Our July speaker,UP Sp€cialAgent Darin Archer, talkedabout a new programcalled 'Neighborhood 'Trainwatch,'loosely related to the famous watches' atoundthe country.He said ifany ofour memberssaw anythingsuspicious around the railroad,to call the National DispatchCent€r Risk Managementat 888-877"7267.They will then conra.tthe neededlocal aurhorities.He aho saidto be very cautiouswhen photographingor walking ncar bridgesas survcillancc camerasare being placedaround the UP system(also see below the UP PressRelease stating that camcrasare being placedon- board all over lhe road locomotives,mainly 10document €rossing a€cideots).
thc followingis for rhoscwho want b nndcertain laihoad{clatcd itcns, inibrnalion,or wanlto scllorlodcsuch itcms\vilh olhct raillans Wc rcscfvethc riShl to lcfule lhtingsifdeemed inapprcpdate. The Afkansas Railroad Club is nol resPonsiblcibr mislcadjngads RAILROADABANDONMENT PROPOSALS
Theaddress ofthe SurfaceTmnsportation Board isi Officeofthe Secrctary,case Control Unit, 1925K Sireet,washington DC 20423.The STB phone number for abandonmentprocedur€s (Office ofPublic Services) is: 202-565-1592. lfyou contactthem, it wouldb€ handy to usethe Docket Numbers. Their Web addr€ss is: http://www.stb.dot.govifyou'd likethe complete Iislings. Th€seabandonment proposals have been printed in the FederalRegister orbave come direclly from the Surfac€Transportation Board.They will go in effectunless one ofthe followingoccursi l) anoffer offinancial assistance is rcceived; 2) a requestfbr publicuse ofthe landis rec€ived(for instanc€,rails-to-trails)i 3) petitionsto reopenthe case is filed.Railroads, before they can file these"notices ofex€mption under CFR I 152Subpart F," mustcertiry that l) no localtraffic has mov€d over th€ linefor at least2 years;2) anyov€rhead traffic can be rout€d over other lines; 3) no formalcomplaint filed by a useris pendingand; 4) environmentalrepons, historic reports, transmittal l€tter, newspaper publication, and notice to govemmentalagenci€s have been met.Even though approval is grantedfor therailroads to abandon,it maybe monthsor yearsbefore track is actuallytaken up.
COLORADO- UNION PACIFIC - To abandona L l2-mileportion ofits Monfortlndustrial Lead between milepost l4l.12 and milepost140.00 near Kers€y, inW€ldCounty, CO. A finaldecision willb€ hsuedby October1,2004 (STBDocket No AB-13 (Sub-No.216X, decided Jun€ 18, served June 29, 2004) MINNESOTA-BNSF -To abandona 1.60-milelin€ ofraihoad extending ftom milepost0 00to mil€post1.60 in andnear Brainerd,in CrowWing County, MN. A finaldechion will be issuedby October1, 2004 (STBDocket No. A8-6 (Sub-No 421X.de€ided June 24, servedJuly 2,2004) KANSAS BUTLER COUNTY- To abandonits entir€10.6-mile line ofrailroad, between nilepost483.62, at Augusta,and milepost494.22, near Andover, in ButlerCounty, KS. The County acquired the lineby donarionfrom The Burliogto. Noftem andSanta Fe Railway Company in 2002.Effectiv€ on August4, 2004.(STB Docket No AB-870X,decided June 24, servedJulv 2.2004\ WASHINGTON-BNSF To abandonand discontinue service overa0.99-mil€ line ofrailroad betw€en milepost38.01 and milepost39.00 in Snohomish,Snohomish County, WA. Effectiveon August4.2004 (STBDocketNo. A8-6 (Sub-No422X, decidedJune 23, s€rvedJuly 2, 2004)
ARKANSASMILRoADER Little Rock Chapter NRHS 4 VolumeXXXV, Number I - August2004 CALIFORNIA - UNION PACIFIC - To abandona L62-rnileline of railroadknown as tbe Spreckleslndustrial Lead fiom mil€posl121.5 near Spreckles Junction lo milepost123.12 at theeod oflhe lineat Spreckles,in MontereyCounry, CA. Effective on August10, 2004. (STB Docket No. 48"33 (Sub-No.217X, decided July I, servedJuly 9,2004) MASSACHEUTTES- SPRINGFIELDTERMINAL RAILWAY CO. - To abandona 4-8-mileIine ofrailroad known as the WestoverIndustrial Track extending ffom milepost0.0 to inilepost4.8 in Chi€opee,Hampden County, MA. effectiveon Augusr 12,2004. (STB Docket No. AB-355(Sub-No. 30X, decidedJuly 2, servedJuly ll, 2004) SOUTHCAROLINA-CSX -To abardona I.49-mileline oflhe SouthemRegion, Florence Division, Hamlet Subdivision, betweenmilepost SJ 306.l3 (V.S.38?+15) and nilepost 307.39 (V.S. 465+62.5), in DarlingtonCounty, SC. Effecrive oD August6,2004. (STB Docket No. AB-55(Sub-No- 647X, decided June 29, servedJuly I4,2004. ARKANSASRAIL NEWS
GENERALRAIL NEWS
UPRR TURNSAWAY RAIL TRAFFIC TO REDUCECONGESTION (July10, 2004 via press repo s) - UnionPacific will lum awaycargo and reduce the numberoftrains it operalesin anothereffort to reducecongestion. The actions include an allocationsystem to limit someshipm€nts through "key tenninals"for all cargocategories. Union Pacific said the moves are needed to preparefor a peakseason starting in July,with freightexpected to exceedlast year's record volumes. UnionPacific stopped running three trains in Marchfor UnitedParcel Servic€, and cut backother customersr shipments.The railroad is addingworkers, locomotives and milcars to cutdelays. The average lrain speed at Union Pacific, which cut its sccond-quarterprofit forecast in June, has slowed more than I 0 pcrcentfrom lastyefi . (fhanks parly to RandyTardy)
BNSFSUED BY J.B. HUNT OVER REVENUESHARING DISPUTE (Pressrcpo s July I l) - J.B.Hunt Transport Services, the No. 2 U.S.trucking company, sucd Burlington Nofihern SantaFe Corp. in a disput€over sharing rev€nue from a shippingagreement accounting for anostimated quarter of -l Hunt'sprofit. The companies adoptcd the agr€em€nt, a first betw€enrailroads and truckers, in | 991. herailroad hauls cargobetween cities such as Dallas and Los Angeles,with Huntcompleting local pickup and delivery.
",.,we will initirte { programto installvideo csmeras on locomotiv$ to €nsureaccurate recording ofcrossing incidents."- Statementby Dick Davidsonto UP employeesaner a dew Yo*Tines articleluly l1 rogardingUP's handlingof evidencefollowing crossing accidents.
UNION PACIFTCMEDIA STATEMENT IN RXSPONSf,TO JULY I I,2OO4Nf,W YORK TIMES STORY (A separatestatement - this is nol lhe UP employeelelter. All highlighls are nine.)
Allcgationsof Spolialionof Evidenc€ RESPONSE:Union Pacific's policy is clear: We do notdestroy information or evidenceneeded for legal proceedings.ln therare instances when an individualemployee intentionally destroyed or alteredevidence, th€ employeewas fired. The company also has in placean EthicsCommitt€e to reviewallegations ofmisbehavior. ACTIONTAKEN: ln October2002, w€ institut€dmajor changes to our proc€ssesto ensurethat all conceivably usefulmaterials are kept after every serious grade-crossiDg accident. The companyhas decided to installforward- facingvideo cameras in the cabsofour over-the-ruadlocomotives to further documentevidence during cr(xsing incidedts. BACKGROUND:A fe\,r'years ago, the counsbegan to expandthe types ofmaterials they expect us to retainafier gradecrossing accid€nts, even when litigation had not beenfiled. A numberof lawsllitswere already in litigation, however,resulting in rulingsagainst the company and its priordocument-retention policics
ARKANSASMILROADER- Little RockChapter NRHS Volwne>OO(V, Number 8- August2004 5 As thearticle acknowledges, many ofits conclusionsare based on statem€ntsby individualswho are hired to testii/ againstthe company in lawsuits.In eachinstance, there is anotherside ofthe story. For exampl€,the articleimplies that th€ companycut vegetationaft€r a recentArk nsasaccident to makethe crossinglook better,but we carefullyphotographed the crossingto docum€ntthe scetrebefore cutting the vegetation,
AllegatiomofFailure to ProperlyReport GradeCrossing Accidentt RESPONSETDuring the course ofthe reporter'sinvestigation, we leamedthat some ofour reportingand complianc€ processeswqre not as thorough as we expect,When we leamedofthese breakdowns in ourprocesses, we took immediateconective actions. Union Pacific's policy is to be 100perc€nt compliant with all ofthe manyregulations thatapply to railroads. ACTIONTAKEN: We haveimmediately changed our procedures to €nsurethat proper notification is madein the future. We initiateda further,comprehensive audit ofall reportingrequirements to identiryand correct any other snoncomlngs, BACKGROUND:The article stated that notification offataliti€s at crossingsto theNational Response Center was inconsistent.While we reportconsistently and properly to theFederal Railroad Administration and state and local authorities,we did indeedfail, in severaldozen instances, to complywith a specificrequirement that we notirythe NRC by phone.
Crossing Safety RESPONSE:No onewants to avoidgrade-crossing accidents more than Union Pacific and other railroads. Emotionally,they take a severetoll on ourtrain crews, who haveno abilityto stoptheirtrains in timeto avoid collisions,and on otheremploy€€s, who feel the human tmgedies that so often accompany these accidents. And these accidentsoccur in communitieswe serveand are home to our employe€sand their famili€s. We all feela senseof tragedyand loss \4hen these accidents occur. BACKGROUND:Union Pacific has a comprehensivegrade crossing safety program that includes syst€m vegetation control,installation and maintenance of gradecrossing wamings, inspection and maintenance oftrack andcrossing panels,maintenance of locomotivehoms and lights, and tiaining and certification oftrain crewswho operate the trains. Union Pacilicalso has posted an 800numb€r on rll crossingsfor immediater€porting ofand r€sponseto stalled carsor othersafety risks. Although,Union Pacific's policy is to conductits operationsin a mann€rtoavoid grade-crossing collisions, it is law in all 23 stat€sin whichw€ operatethat motor vehicledriveru must yield the right-of-wayto trrins. Working internally,as well aswith communities,state and federal agencies, and other railroads, we ar€continually developing andenhancing accident prevention programs. In thearea ofpublic education,Union Pacific is an activeparticipant in OperationLifesaver. Union Pacific was the originalsponsor ofthis verysuccessful program on highway-railgrade-crossing and pedestrian safety that originated in 1972.This national, non-profit public education and awareness program exists in all49 continentalU.S. states, Canada,Mexico and Argentina. The programreaches more than two million Americans€ach year with information abouthow to avoidaccidents. Union Pacific employees voluntarily contribute many thousands ofhours each year makingpresentations to civic clubs,driv€r education class€s and school children. UnionPacific also sponsois severalsafety paograms in cooperationwith law enforcement.These includ€ th€ Grade CrossingCollision Investigation Program (GCCI), the Officer-On-Train Program, and the Crossing Accident ReductionEnforcement Program (CARE). TheGCCI program trains local law enforcem€ntagencies in grade- crossingaccident investigation and is endorsedby theIntemational Association of ChiefsofPolice, National Sheriffs Associationand Operation Lifesaver. [n theOfficer-On-Train Program, police oflicers ride hains and are able to witnessunsafe motorist behavior througb the perspective ofthe traincrew. Officerson theground then intercept and €ducatemotorists about their safety obligations. The CARE program focuses law enforc€menton crossingswhere therehave been a numberofclose calls or violations. Boththe Officer-On-Train Program and the CARE progEm can be usedto educatethe public about unsafe behavior at gradecrossings. U on Pacificalso has develop€d a programthrough which the train crewcan report unsafemotorist behaviorwitnessed at a crossing. When identilicationof the v€hicleis possible,Union Pacificwill contactthe violator by phoDeor mail. When a busor vehicletransporting hazardous material is involved,a Union Pacific sp€cialagent will makepersonal contactwith the driver or tbe company.
ARKANSASMILROADER - Little RocKChaDteT NRHS VolumeXXXV, Number I - August2004
In additionto theseprograms, Union Pacific works closely with roadauthorities and the Federal Railroad Administration(FRA) to closeunnecessary public highway/rail grad€ crossings. Since the beginning of2001, we have participatedin morethan 1,250 crcssing closures. The oprations ofunion Pacific'sResponse Management CommunicationCenter (RMCC) also have a directimpact on publicsafety. For example,in 2003RMCC received 2,319reports ofvehicl€s stalled on UnionPacific railroad tracks - all vehicleswere cleared without incident. Thesuccessful results ofUnion Pacific'sapproach to grade-crossingsafety are evidenced by thestatislical data compiledby th€ FRA andFHWA. Nrtionwide,the annualnumber of collfuionsbetweetr moaor vehicles and trains declined7670 during the period betweo[l9?5 and 2003.Annusl dcaths,which tot|led n€arly1,000 in 1976,declined ao 324 in 2003,a reductionof687o. UnionPacific's results exceed the national trend. The annual numberofrail-highway incidents on UnionPacific between 1976 and 2003 decreased by 84%,from 3,049 to 489. The annualnumber offatalities from rail-highwayincidents on UnionPacific for thesame period decreased 74o%, from 261 to 68.This improvementis remarkrble givenan 8070incr€ase in highwry traffic at non-gradeseporated highwrysfrom 1975to 2001rod the fict that averrgetrrin arrffic, nelativeto the sizeofthe rail nctwork,has increNsed30%o in the sam€period. On May 6, 2004,the FRA announcedthat highway-rail grade-crossing fatalities haddeclined to a recordlow in 2003,down 9% fromthe previousyear and down more than 4770 since 1994. Contrastthis success with non-railmotor vehicle incidents on ourroadways. For almost thirty years, lhe numberof peoplekilled on our nation'shighways has remained around 40,000 per year (1976 - 45,523t2002- 42,185).Fatal accidentsinvolving farg€ trucks on our highwayshave actually risen from 4,035in 1992lo4,542 in 2002,an increase of l3%. Ifthe freightwe carry wereon the highwsys,far morerccidents would likely occur.
MISSOURT& NORTHERII ARXANSASDERAILMENT (Newatk,Arkansas) -E,Jly Tuesdaymoming, July I3,2004,there was a derailmenton the Missouri& Northern ArkansasRailroad in Newark,Arkansas. No onewas hurt in theaccidenl, which occuned in themilroad's right-of- way.The train derailed about 2am. A three-mancrew with Missouriand Northem Arkansas Railroad called headquartercto say they had crashed. RailAmerica regional vice presidentScott A. Hulstromsaid the crcw followed theusual procedure and called the dispatcher in Vermont. Hulstrom,who is basedin Illinois,said the company was investigating what caused the derailment. He said no hazardousmaterials w€r€ on board.Hulstrom said most ofthe cargoinvolved was miscellaneous freight, such as coal, scrap,gnin andsilica sand.
WORLD HISTORY OF RAILROADS Frcm Wikipediafree online encycloPedia c1550- Horse-dtawnwagonways appear in Germany. 176l - Firstiron rails laid at Bath,England. 1782- ScottishengineerJames watt inventsfi$t steamengine able to turnwheels. 1789- Englishengineer William Jessop uses flang€d iron wheels on ironedge rails on coalrailway at Loughborough, Leicestelshire. lE02- Arguably,the world's first publicrailway, the SuneyIron RailwayoPens in southlrndon. 1804- World'sfirst Steamtocomotive built by RichardTrevithick 1814- GeorgeStephenson conshucts his first locomotiveBlucher' lE25 - Stephenson'sStockton and Darlinglon Railway, the world'sfirst steamoperated railway opens, carrying freight froma Collieryto a riverport. 1E29- Georgeand Robert Stephenson's locomotive, The Rocket, sets a speedrecord of47 km/h(29 mPh)at The RainhillTrials held near Liverpool lE30 - The Liverpool and ManchesterRailway opens,and the first railway passengerservice is started.The line Proves theviabillity ofr;il transport,and large scal€ railway construction begins in Britain,and then spr€ads throughout the world.The Railway age begins. lg35 - In Belgiumi railwaywas opened on May 5th b€tweenBnrssels and Mechelen. It wasthe first railwayin contin€ntalErrrope.
ARKANSASMILROADER- Little RockChapter NRHS Volume)O(XV, Number8 Ausust2004 - 1853 Indianapolis'union station,the first "unionstation" in theworld, opened by theTerre Haute & Richmond, Madison& Indianapolis,and Bellefontaine railroads. 1855- th€Panama Railway completed, the first transcontinentalrailway 1857- Steelrails firsr used in Britain. 1863- World'sfi$t undergroundrailway op€ned in London. - 1863 ScotsmanRobert Fairlie invents the Fairlie locomotive with pivoteddriving bogies, allowing hains ro negotiate tighterbends. This innovation proves rare for steamlocomotives but is themodel for mostfuture diesel and eleJtric locomotives. 1865- Pullmansleeping car introduced in theUSA. 1869- TheFirst Transcontinental Railroad (North America) completed across the United States. 1877- Vacuumbrakes in\ented in the UnitedSrates. 1879- Firstelechic milway demonstrat€d at the Berlin Tmdes Fair. 1881- World'sfirst publicelectric railway op€ned in Germany. 1890- World'sfirst elect c undergrcundrailway op€ned in London. 1891- constructionbegins on the 9,313km (5,787mile) longTrans-siberian railway in Russia.construction completedin 1904.webb c. Ball establishesfirst Railwaywatch officialguidelines for Railwaychronometer Watahes 1913- Firstdiesel powered railcar enters service in Swed€n. 1926- Firstdiesel locomotive service introduced in Canada. - 1934 Firstdiesel-powered streamlined passengertrain in America(the Burlington Zephyr) introduced at the Chicago World'sFair. - 1938 In England,the world speed record for steamtmction is setby the Mallardwhich reaches a speedof203 km/h (126mph). 1960s-2000s- many countries adopt high-speed rail in anatt€mpt to makerail transportcompetitive with bothroad transportand air transport. 1964- BulletTrain service in Japan,betw€en Tokyo and Osaka. Truins average spe€ds of 160km/h (100 mph). l9?0 - PennC€ntral Railroad goes bankrupt, the United States' largest corporate bankruptcy up to thattime. Highspeed TCV trainsintroduced in France,TCV trainstravel at anaverage sp€€d of213 km/h(132 mph). l?12:- 1987 Worldspeed r€cord for a dies€llocomotive is setin Britainby BritishRail's High Speed Train, which reaches a speedof238 km/h(148 mph). - 1990 Worldspeed record for anelectric train, is setin Franceby a TGV, whichreaches a speedof5l5 km/hf32O mpnr. 1990s- Amtrakintroduces the Acela Express on theNortheast Coffidor. ,,"_";#)w)ii1"2,"?i""i*o^
1810s-1830s:Various invenrors and entrepreneurs make suggestions about building model railways in theUnited States;In 1825John Stevens (inventor) builds a testtrack and runs a locomotivearound it in Hoboken,New Jersey. 1820sand 1830s:The Baltimore and Ohio is incorporatedin 1827and officially opens in 1830.Other railroads soon follow,including the Camden and Amboy by 1832. 1830s-1860s:Enormous railway building booms in th€United States ofAmerica. Railroads replace canals as a primarymode of transponation. 1853:Indianapolis' Union Station, the first "unionstation" in theworld, opened by theTerre Haute & Richmond, Madison& Indianapolis,and Bellefontaine railroads. 1865:George Pullman becomes well-known for luxurysleeping cars, called Pullmans in hishonor, after he loansone ofhis carsto housethe coffin of AbrahamLincoln after Lincoln's assassination. 1869:Union Pacific and Central Pacific complete first transcontinentalrailway link at PromontorySummit. 1870sand lEEos:Strikes break out against railroads and the Pullman Palace Car Company_ Corporations hir€ Pink€rtonguards to breakup thestrikes. Nonetheless, much violence occurs ifl the strikes.Many arc shot dead, buildingsand rolling stock are bumed, and reports ofrioting shocksmiddle-class Americans.
ARKANSASMILROADER Liflle Rock Chapter NRHS VolumeXXXV, Number 8 - August2004 1887:The Interstate Commerce Commission (lCC) is createdto regulaterailroads, to ensurefair prices. 1902:Twentieth Century Limited inaugurated by theNew York Centralmilroad. t9l0s: PennsylvaniaRailroad builds Pennsylvania Station in New York City; New york CentratRailroad buitds curr€ntversion of GrandCentral Terminal. 1916:US railwayreaches p€ak length. 1920sand 1930s:Automobiles and airplanes contribute to a declinein ridershipand mileage, as well asthe Great DeDression. 1934:Burlington railroad's Pione€r Zephyr completes its inauguralrun fromDenvcr to Chicago,first diesel-powered streamlinerin Americia. 1940s:World War II bringsrailroads the highest ridership in Americanhisrory, as soldiers are being s€ot to fight overseasin thePacific Theater and the EuropeanTheater. However, automobile travel causes ridership to declineafter th€war ends. 1950sand 1960s:Drastic decline in railroadtravel in theUnited States ofA,nerica, due to automobiles,trucks. and airplanes,as firstjetliners take to theair. Railroadsrespond through mergers and attempts to shutdown trains and railroadIines. However, the ICC r€fusesto letrailroads shut down maDy trains. 1967:The New York Central'sTwentieth Century Limited makes lasl run. I96E:Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Centralm€rge to form PennCcntral. Jutre21, 1970:Pcnn Cenlral declares Chapter 7 bankuptcy. 1971:President Richard Nixon andCongress create Amtrak and eliminate sev€ral passenger routes. 1970s:Conrail, a freightrailroad, founded from the r€mainsof thebankrupl Penn Central and a numberofother bankruptr^ilroads in the North-East€rnUSA. 1970sand 1980s:Amtrak introduces double-deck Superliner rolling stock. Auto liain beginsrunning as independent line,but fails a few yearslater; Amtrak later runs Auto Train as one ofits more-heavily-promotedlines. 1990s:Amtrak funding comes under heavier scrutiny by Congress,while A'ntrak creates new trains such as the lalgo andth€ Ac€la. 2001:Terrorists destroy World lradeCenter and destroy part ofth€ PATHsystem in the process. hftp://en.wikip€dis.org/wiki/Main_Pag€ AMTRAKNEWS
AMTRAK BOMB THREAT HOAX A manfrom Alaska was arested in UnionStation in ChicagoJuly 9, 2004on chargeshe phonedin threalsofa bomb aboardan Amtrak train on whichhe was traveling that turned out to bea hoax,the FBI said.Aft€r thethreats on July 6, theChicago-bound train (Amtrak's tmprle Builder)was stopped and evacuated in Portage,Wis., causing more than 140passengers to miss their connections and socking Amtrak with $ 100,000in estimatedexpenses.
TEXAS EAGLE RIDERSHIP UP 16.1% The TexasEagle had 172,684passengers from Oct. I throughthe end ofJune 2004. That's a 16.I percentincrease from thecoftesponding p€riod in 2003.That increaseis well belowthe 3 8.5 percent ridership gain between Octob€r andDecember over the year-ago period. Meanwhile,t\e Texas Eagle's on-tim€ perfornanc€ for the2004 fiscalyearto datewas about 62 percentthrough July 8. Thetrain had an on-time performance ofaround 73 percentin lateJanuary for thefiscal year to date.CIub memb€r Bill Pollard,chairman ofthe TexasEagle Marketing & Performance Organization(TEMPO), said the continued increase in passengersis encouraging despite the loweron-time perfonnancerating. "So the demand is still there,"Pollard said, "tfsjust an issueofhow to handlethe business." Pollardhas noted that the Texas Eagle had an on-time performance of about97 percentfor a periodin January-The on-timeperformance reflects th€ Texas Eagle's arrival at its endpoints ofChicago and San Antonio. Pollard did say thetrain might only be30 or 40 minuteslate arriving in Little Rockinstead ofseveral hours late as has happened in fhe past.In Little Rock,the train departs for Dallasand points west at 430a.m. and leaves for Chicagoat l1:59p.m. (that'sright before midnight but w€'vefound that about once a monthon Sundaymomings, when some in ourclub photographtrains passing union station, there'll be someone driving up to thestation eith€rto pick up passengersorto
ARKANSASMILROADER Little Rock Chapter NRHS VolumeX)O(V, Nurnber8- August2004 9 boardthe Eaglethemselves - when we approachthem, they'r€ thinking the train is dueat nooninstead ofmidnight. What a difrerenceone letter makes- p.m. insteadof a.m. Peoplejust don't readcarefully enough).The train leavesfor Dallasand points w€st at 430a.m. Amtrak,a federallysubsidized rail servicestarted in 1971,has said it couldexceed 25 million ridersfor th€first time this fiscal year. {ArkonsasDemocratcazette, July 10, 2004 by Edward Klunp)
MISSOIru - BRANSON- TheBranson Scenic Railroad offers a nostalgicride through picturesque southwestern Missouriand Arkansas. Vintage passeng€r cars and locomotives depa.rt fiom thehistoric 1905 depot near Lake Taneycomo,206 E. Main St.,Branson MO 65616-2?16.For information,call t -E00-2E7-2462 or checkout the Web siteat www.bransonhain.corll.Schedule: The train runs from Marchthrough mid-December and usually makes four tripsaday-at9andll:30a.m.and2and4:30p.m.OnSaturday,adinnerexcursionat5p.m.replacesthe4:30p.m. departure.Price: Fares are $21.25 for adults,and $l 1.25for childrenages 3 to 12.Children ages 2 andyounger may ridefr€€ ifth€y're not occupying a separateseat. Croup rates are available. Discounts are off€red to riderspurchasing ticketsonline.
Tojoinhcne'!membefship in thetutansa! RaihoadChb (Lillle RockChapter Nalional Railwsy Historicsl Society), fiU outthc form bcl(,w. Annurldu$ or. S20for localdues(plus $20 for lhc nalionalNRHSducs ifyou wanttojoin lheNRHS through ouf chaptcr,a tolalof$40ior bolhlocalmd nationaldu6).S€nd lo:Ark&s RailMd Club,POBox 9151, Nonh LittleRock AR 72119.
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Sendchcck. m0dc out to ilc Arkan$sRailroad Club, PO Bu( 9151,Nonl Litlle RockAR 72119.Call 501-758-ll40lbrmorc irfomation or visit us oDrhe wcb al htto://www.trainwqlther.commd click on .4*ahtas RailroodeL Ov emsil is
ARMNSAS MILROADER- Little Rock Chapter NRHS 10 NS\S\lNtAll{ FtlllMW ltr \NNHTffi
By: G6ne HrIII
A greatportion ofrailroad history in Arkansashas been associated with thefamous and beautiful Ozark"Mountains."
Limestone bluf on southface of llhite Rock Mountain east of Mountainburg, Arkarcas on [J.5. Highway 71 in July 1970. Limestone on the ancient plateau was built up in loyers beneath a tropicdl sea (Gene Hull photo) Azkaasas RaiTioadet 1l
Latein 1879,ruthless and opportunisticraihoad baronJay Gould was electedpresident of the Missouri Pacific, which was well anchoredin southemand southwestemMissouri. Gould had a visionofa southwestsystem ofrailroads. To helpdevelop this visionand bring it to reality,could purchasedthe St.. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southemin 1881.From a pointin southwestem Missourithis roadcrossed the state ofArkansas in a southwestemdirection to a destinationon theRed River.
Gouldwas aware ofa growingline ofcommercealong the magnificently clear steam known to theancient aboriginals people, was well asto theFrench explorers, as White fuver. To lay clainr to theflow ofriverboattrade, Gould decided to join his MissouriPacific and St. t ouis,Iron Mountain& Southemwith a line ofrails betweenCarthage, Missouri and Newport (Diaz), Arkansas,To do so,he wouldhave to breachthe geologic maze ofthe Ozark"Mountains." 'fhe oll-toldtale ofthe constructionof thewhite River Division ofthe MissouriPacific is a storyofa tremendousstruggle to overcomethc rusistanceof toweringsandstone- limestone dges,serpentine vallcys andraging strcams in flood.The war was',i/onin 1906and trains rolled alongWhite River and siphoned away the riverboattraffic.
Anotherrailroad had. at an earlierdate. venturedsouthward from Missouriinto norlhwestArkansas and headed for Texas. It, also,had to traversethe warped and ruggedland ofthe Ozark"Mountains,"
TheSt. Louis & SanFrancisco (Frisco) was delayed in its effortto build from Missouriinto I[dian Tenitoryand head south to bypassthe Oza*s. Theyhad to "headfor thehills."
rrom Plymouth(near Monett), Missouri, rails were laid to the Arkansasborder, 32.4 miles, in 1880,by theSt. Louis,Arkansas & TexasRailway. Crude construction camps began to make theirway slowly across the hills. Structuresactually were canvas tents. At 6:00p.m. on 31 May 1881,a shrillwhistle was heard by youngstudents at thestat€ college at Fayetteville.Then came theheary booming sound ofblack powderexploding. The heavily wooded, steep-sided limestonc ridgeswere being conquered.
A.bout25 mile southof Fayettevillea ridgelay transverselyacross the path ofthe rails. The only solution wasa tunnel,1,702 feet long. South of the tunnel the gade descendedon a 2.3percelrt slope, Three steep- sided,narrow valleys were spannedby trestlesmorc than 100 feethigh.
Theroadfought its way out ofthe "mountains"to Ft. Smith in 1882,crossilg the Arkansas River viaa transferboat. A steelbidee waserected in 1885.
A third, and probablythe mosthistoric, railroad to fight its way acrossthe Ozark "Mountain"
.erkansas Rai-lroade! l2
banierwas the Missoui & NorthArkansas. Beginning with a connectionon theabove-mentioned Friscoat Seligman,Missouri, the EurekaSprings Railway, charteredin Arkansas27 February 1882.The rails were pointed toward Erueka Springs, Arkansas, a widelyknown health resort.
Constructionbegan with mule-powered"slips," earth-moving scoops and with greatlimestone ridgesand bluffs yielding to the explosiveforce ofblack powderand dynamite. 'Ihe routewas about 35miles west of, androughly parallel with, the Whitefuver Railway.The two roadsfaced similar geologic conditions. Also, they had similar problems.
Sufferingrepcated financial problems, the road changed names and continued to strugglcand flounderacross the Ozark "Mountains." Notches were blasted th-rough limestone ridges and bridgesspanned the upper reaches ofthe WhiteRiver and many twisting, rushing crecks. llails leachedEureka Springs 24 January1883.
Still chasingthe elusive financial rainbow, the name was changed to St..Louis & Noflh Arkansas on 25 May 1899.Rails pushed their way across beautiful Kings River and fought those conlbundedlimestone ridges to Harrison,Arkansas.
Slill no "pot ofgold at theend ofthe rainbow."'IheMissouri & NorthArkansas Railro.rd was born6 August1906 and sights were set upon the MississippiRiver port of Helena.Rails wcre laid alongthe twisting and tuming Little RedRiver, blasting limestone and clearing heavy forcsts. 'fhe roadhad to crossLittle Redat Higdenon a long,curving wood festle bddge.On thenorth sideofthe riverwas a narow armofland thathad to be breached;125,000 cubic yads ofrock hadto beblasted away. Construction cost ofthe roadwas among the highestin the state 'l herails fought free ofthe formidablebarrier ofthe Ozaxk"Mountains" and, near the poinl of exhaustion,staggered into the port town ofHelena,The first tain overthe completed road was runon I March1909.
l'hus,we seethat Arkansas has experienced its full shareof"mountain railroading." I believcit is safc to saythat not morc than one personin a thousandwould know that thesewere not really mountainrailroads. 'l'he Ozark"Mountains" really are not mountains!
A,rkansas RaiTxoader 13
MOITNTAIN : a naturalraised part ofthe earth'ssurface, usually rising more or less abruptly.
In no way doesthis diminish the respectdue those men who constucted and operatedthe railroadsthrough that rough and ruggedland ofnorth and northwestArkansas.
Thefollowing is a briefandcondensed description ofthe geologicformation ofthe Ozarkarea. To do so,we mustuse a verydifferent way ofthinking abouttime.Years and centu esaresobrief theyare useless. We mustthink in termsof MILLIONSOF YEARS!
Sciontistsagree the earth consists ofa molten,liquified core, extremely hot (several1,000 degrees);an outershell, called a mantle,about 1,700 miles thick, ofdense rock; on top ofthis mantleis a crustabout two milesthick. This is thesurface ofthe earthupon which humanity has developed.Geologists have calculated the age ofthe earthto be +/- 6 BILLION YEARS!This old earthhas been around quite a while.
About520 million years(m.y.) ago, tremendous pressures developed in thecrust ofthe earth,and a fault ,or crack,appeared where the ArkansasRiver valley is in the westernarea ofthe stateof thesame name. Enomously thick layersofgranite were slowly forced upwa.rd north ofthe fault, reachingthe height of severalthousand feet.
Previously,much ofpresent North America was covered by a relativelywarm, shallow sea. For thousandsofyeas the granite from theearth's mantle continued to seabove the sea.These huge monolithsand massive walls were the ancestors ofwhat we call theOzark "Mountains" (which wasa correcttitle at thetime.) The area later was called Ozarkia.
The "seasons"ofweather had not begunand the temperatueofthe earthwas temperate. Tremendousrain stoms attackedexposed land areas, which were eroded away, with debrisbeing washedinto the sea. As theweight ofthis materialincreased, the earth's suface under the sea beganto sink.
The searemained shallow and was an ideal environmentfor proliferation ofthe first forms of marinelife. The skeletallemains sank and becarnea lime ooze,mingling with hugeamounts of silty sandand clay. This continued for millionsofyears. Ozarkia was eroded to a flat plain.The AppalachianMountains began to rise. In the s€a,sediments under enorrnous pressue beganto form layersof sandstoneand limestone.Ozarkia sank beneath the sea.
About350 m.y. ago the ancestral Rocky Mountain began to rise.Also, the CaldoneanMountains ofEurope,the Appalachians and Quachitas appeared. As timepassed, much ofthe North Americancontinent lifted abovesea level.
Some135 m.y. ago, tremendous pressures developed from thewest and huge layers ofrock were broken,crushed, ruptued and slowly werethrust upward,creating a greatsystem ofmountains
Azkansas RaiTroader t4
3,000miles long ftom thepiesent Mexico to Alaska.The Rockies (true mountains) were bom, creatingthe headwate$cradle of granitefor the ArkansasRiver.
TOP - In this sceneftom ArkansasHighway 7 southof Jasper, notethe peaksare all at the sameelevation. The peaksare the remainsofthe sufaceofthe ancientplateau. (Photo ih 1951). BOTTOM - REAL MOUNTAINS! Note differencebetween the Ozark Plateauand the jagged,broken peaks above. This cabin is on MolasLake at MolasPass, Colorado, elevation 10,910 feet on U.S.Highway 550 south of Silverton (Photoin 1969by Gene Hull)
a.rkansas RaiLtoader 15
About35 m.y.ago there was movement beneath the sea ard the$eat islandof Ozarkiarose once again.This time it wasa flat plainseveral thousand feet above the sea.Its slufacewas covered with thethick muck which had accumulated under the seafor millionsofyears. Deluges ofrain caniedthe oozy muck back to the sea.
Wherestreams flowed acrossihe softer layersofrock in a crazy-quilt pattemthey became entrenchedin deepeningcanyons. Their pathswere pemanent, writhing and twisting to the ArkansasRiver on its wayto thesea, rrhich retreated and became the GulfofMexico.
As the muckdisappgared there was revealed a massiveplateau oflimestone and sandsto[e. This singledome ofrock wasroughly 120 miles north-south by 200miles east-west. Its surfacewas at approximatelythe same elevation - a plateau.Later it becameknows as the OzarkPlateau. Its crestwas a veritablemaze ofwrithing canyonsand ridges, rushing streams flowed in pathways lockedin stone.
As agespassed, erosion-freeze-thaw reduced the rock surface to fine,fertile soil. Vegetation grcw profusely.The various foliage presented a brilliant display ofcolors as fall seasonscame. Men, quitenaturally, called the area the Ozark Mountains, but technicallyit is an erodedplateau.
Thisrough and rugged land is wherebrawny men labored to constructand operate their railroads. If theywished to call themMOLTNTAIN RAILROADS should we questionthem? Would that bc merelyknit-picking? The railroads were constructed and opented under almost identical conditions.
Thecreek mathematician,P)'thagolas, 6th Century8.C., developeda theorywhich stated - thingsequal to thesame thing are equal to eachother. That could apply to ourplateau-mountain railroadsin Arkansas..Sl
Arkansas RaiTtoad.et t
l6 VolumeXXXV, Number 8 - August2004
in June2004' Seen Unior Pacilic'schallenger 3985 on its way backto cheyenne,wyoming tbroughArktnsas trainheading north over the i"."?" *" pft"at tV ei ARKANSASMILROADER Little RockChapter NRHS