On January 9, 2007, I drove to Perry, Arkansas to the Little Rock and Western shops and headquarters after hearing that they had 3 Rail Link locomotives that had just been painted at their facility. They were painted by some company from Galveston, Texas. The locomotives were: RLIX Nos. 1204, 1601, and 277. Also, LRWN's own No.  103 and 101. They told me that No. 102 was on a trip to Danville, that No. 101 had a burnt-out generator and that No. 103 was currently being used for parts. Both the Little Rock & Western and Rail Link are part of the Genesee & Wyoming organization.  The locomotives were scheduled to be hauled by LRWN to its UP connection in North Little Rock the coming weekend, January 12 or 13, where UP will move them to whereever they are going (I don't know where they are destined).
   From Trainorders.com, I got the following regarding the history of some of these locomotives:

FLIX 1204:
BN 18967
Built 11/1953
Model SW9
FN 4244-7
RAILROLADS: PS 237 to PS 1948 to WPRR 1204 to RLIX 1204.

LRWN 103:
BN 22788
Built 04/1957
Model GP9
FN 5518-2
RAILROADS: GN 713 to BN 1786 to LRWN 103

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The Little Rock & Western's headquarters in Perry, Arkansas.  The line is the former Rock Island 'Sunbelt' Route, which ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Tucumcari, New Mexico through Arkansas and Oklahoma. LRWN 103 is in front of RLIX 277, 1204 and 1601. The RLIXs were just painted during the previous week.


LEFT-RLIX 277. RIGHT-RLIX 1204.


LEFT-RLIX 1601. RIGHT-LRWN 103.


LEFT-From the north side of the tracks on Arkansas Highway 9. RIGHT-I'm standing on the Arkansas Highway 9 crossing looking to the west along LRWN main line (former Rock Island). The line runs from Little Rock to Danville, Arkansas (Danville is about 20 miles west). The depot is the original Rock Island Perry, Arkansas depot which is still used by the LRWN crews.


Old semaphore.


LRWN 101 in the shelter. I'm looking to the east.


LEFT-Notice the shielding tarp on the tracks at the Perry depot.  RIGHT-Looking east along the old Rock.


LRWN's offices.



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