On Tuesday, May 23, 2006, UP 844 arrived in Marshall, Texas and on Wednesday, May 24, 2006, we followed the 844 from Marshall, Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas. Here are some pictures and comments. (Ken Ziegenbein photos - you may download or print any photo for personal use but do not put on another website or sell without asking permission. Thanks.)



CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE. Or to view the entire site with larger photos, click on:
http://www.trainweather.com/844marshall-lit052406-broadband.html


Marshall Depot, May 23, 2006.






LEFT-Inside the Marshall Amtrak station.  RIGHT-Beautifully restored Marshall depot. It houses a great museum.


LEFT-From the second story balcony of the Marshall depot, UP 4474 passes at 12:40 p.m. on May 23, 2006, a Tuesday.  RIGHT-12:49 p.m., another freight rounds the curve at Marshall heading north.


LEFT-UP 3346. RIGHT-SP 8497.


12:58 p.m. UP 844 arrives.








The children ran to keep up.


East of the Marshall station.




Parked east of the depot.  The train spent the night in Marshall.


The train moves from its display site to the yards at 2:24 p.m. May 23.


LEFT-Last shot of May 23.  RIGHT-May 24, 2006 in the Marshall UP yards before 8 a.m.


7:46 a.m. from the highway bridge looking west.  The Marshall depot sits in the middle of a Wye with excellent train viewing.


LEFT-A west/southbound freight at 7:51 a.m. May 24.  RIGHT-Joe and Robin on the balcony of the depot.


LEFT-Steam in the Marshall yards!  RIGHT-8:26 a.m. May 24. Another train heads north.


Great train watching. RIGHT-844 finally starts backing up to the main north line at 8:28 a.m.






RIGHT-8:38 a.m. May 24, approaching the Marshall depot.




LEFT-8:40 a.m. May 24.  RIGHT-9:30 a.m. in Jefferson, Texas.


RIGHT-Longview Amtrak Agent Mr. Hubble on the left was at Jefferson.


LEFT-Waiting to leave Jefferson, Texas. RIGHT-Next stop for me was the low approach trestle to the Red River at Fulton, Arknasas at 11:20 a.m.. That's US Highway 67's bridge to the left.  A reporter from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will show up shortly to meet our group and write a story for the paper regarding train photographers and chasers. The article was excellent and included a photo of us photographing the 844 as it crossed this trestle.


LEFT-UP 5095 crossing the trestle at 11:23 a.m. RIGHT-Our group with the reporter Cathy Frye (left).


UP 844, 12:25 a.m. May 24. Since there's no crossings up-line, it snuck up on us and was moving at track speed of at least 55 mph.


RIGHT-I drove on to Union Station in Little Rock and waited on the 844 there with a good crowd of people. It's now 3:45 p.m May 24.


LEFT-Our usual spot to view trains on Sunday mornings was full of 'regular people' on this Wednesday afternoon.  RIGHT-Right as 844 was coming in on track 1, this southbound coal train started passing on track 2 (the closest main track to us) blocking its view. People and children stared moving to the right side of the platform and then started running toward the east in the grass to try and view the steam train on the other side of the coal train. I told them that the 844 had to stop at the station because the coal train was blocking line 1 past the turnout at the east end of the platform. It was panic for awhile, though.


LEFT-The parking lot was full of visitors and business employees of the station. RIGHT-4:40 p.m. as the coal train got out of the way. (It was almost like a curtain being opened on a movie).


The sun was in my face and I did the best I could with the backlight.




4:41 p.m.








LEFT-Going home....Santa came and went....Christmas was over till another time.  RIGHT-This train came through right after with former Rio Grande 8637.


RIGHT-Took a few night shots at the display site near Jenks Shop in North Little Rock about 10 p.m. May 24. It was a long day.


LEFT-Looking south across the Arkansas River from the display site. You can see the Arkansas state capitol in the center. RIGHT-This was about a 5 second exposure at F 3.5.


Using my flash with ISO set at 3200.


RIGHT-On board the Sherman Hill concession car during the stopover, Thursday May 25, 2006. I was at a table giving out Arkansas Railroaders and membership applications. Shown are Tammy Hodkin, John Hodkin, Joe Roddy and Robin Thomas, our group who followed the train from Marshall to North Little Rock the day before.


A UP employees group gave out free hotdogs and drinks under the tent and provided seating. The UP Special Agent is Darin Archer, who has given talks to the Arkansas Railroad Club and went with the train the next day to Russellville. He's working on a story about the history of railroad police.  RIGHT-Inside the Sherman Hill again. The entire UP Steam Crew is a very friendly group of people.


Looking out a window from the Sherman Hill toward Little Rock's downtown area.