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Tuesday, October 18, and Saturday, October 22, 2005 I drove along US Highway 70 between Brinkley and North Little Rock, Arkansas, stopping to photograph the remnants of the Rock Island Railroad that used to go though this area (the Rock's 'Sunbelt Line'). This has views of remaining Rock Island depots at Hazen, Carlisle, Hazen and Lonoke. All photos by Ken Ziegenbein:




Signals remain 'protecting' a road in downtown Biscoe, Arkansas. Two sets of tracks remain in the street. (Click on any images to make them larger)


LEFT-Greater downtown Biscoe. The line was taken up in 1981 or 1982 I believe. RIGHT-Hazen, Arknasas preserved and renovated their Rock Island depot in the 1980s. The tracks in front of the depot were removed before the town asked to have them left in front of the station, but the Missouri Pacific later relaid tracks there for display-only purposes after being asked to do so by the city. The original Rock Island track is still in place through the city park in front of the businesses, however. Bill Pollard said the mayor back then threatened to arrest the track removal gang if they removed that section.


The handcar has been here since the 1980s as well.  RIGHT-Use your imagination and you can 'see' a train's headlight in the far distance. Alas, no train has been here since 1980 or so. This line was nearly bought by the state of Arkansas in the early 1980s and was to be rented to the Santa Fe, who agreed to lease the line. However, the state legislature didn't approve the purchase (by only 2 or 3 votes I remember). If that deal had gone through, perhaps we'd be seeing a busy BNSF line here now.


LEFT-Taken through the window of the depot. RIGHT-View from the west looking to the east.


LEFT-Looking through the eastside bay window. RIGHT-Same view but spot meter set on outside the far bay window. Just imagine the action here in the 1940s!


These tracks at Hazen are the ORIGINAL Rock Island tracks left in place by the Mayor's urging when the salvaging company took up the rest of the line in the early 1980s. The Rock's 'Sunbelt Line' lives! (This photo taken October 22, 2005)


More views of the original track at Hazen.


Looking west, the track has become a walking trail through Hazen.


LEFT-One thing tht was done when the Rock was abandoned in the early 1980s was to create this Railroad Prairie Natural Area along the old right-of-way through this part of the state. This was done mainly by the Nature Convervancy.  This area  has been untouched by humans for hundreds of years and the native grassland looks like it did when our ancestors lived here. RIGHT-The Rock Island ran in the middle of the Prairie Natural Area and tracks are still in the street in this scene west of Hazen, Arkansas on this October 18, 2005.


LEFT-The native grassland. RIGHT-Looking east toward Hazen.


The Carlisle depot still stands, which is west of Hazen, when this photo was made October 22. The windows have the iron grates over them, but it appears that the inside may be only used for storage.


LEFT-The west side in the sunshine.  RIGHT-North side. Glover Insurance may still used the building.


LEFT-Another look from the west.  RIGHT-Looking through the west window.


This signal, along with others, were laying on the south side of the Carlisle Rock Island depot on October 22.


More views of the signals.


LEFT-View from the east. RIGHT-Artsy sunset shot with the depot in silouette.


Farther east I came to Lonoke, where this bright yellow boxcar and bright red caboose sits on the old Rock Island right-of-way. That yellow in the full sun hurts your eyes. It was 91 degrees today, by the way.


LEFT-Looking east from the preserved Lonoke Rock Island depot. RIGHT-This is a short segment of the original Rock Island track that was left here when the rest of the line was taken up in the early 1980s. The depot to the left is now the Lonoke Chamber of Commerce. Like they said back when the line was abandoned, they wanted to leave a segment of track so future generations can remeber that the MIGHTY ROCK ISLAND once came to town.


LEFT-You can still see the white markings indicating that ties needed to be replaced. I guess this was done in the late 1970s or so.  RIGHT-The Lonoke depot taken from the west side.


Taken through the window you can still see the original floor of the depot, which is similar to the original tile in the Brinkley, Arkansas depot.