These were taken October 9, 13 and 14, 2002 and include scenes of Reader, Arkansas and the abandoned Reader Railroad. Last week, the week of October 7, the town of Reader was dis-incorporated...that is, became unincorporated because nobody wanted to deal with budgets, money, meetings anymore. They had less than 130 residents. Also included are TWO photos of UP4449 past Union Station in Little Rock....one northbound in the morning and the same engine southbound in the afternoon of October 13.

For other current rail photos, mainly taken at Union Station in Little Rock, see:
http://www.trainweather.com/sunday.html


LEFT-UP9325 in the rain past Union Station, October 9, 2002. RIGHT-SSW9678, 1047 a.m. October 13.


UP4449, northbound 1058 a.m. October 13 then southbound at 437 p.m.the same day.


LEFT-SP327, 1140 a.m. Oct 13. RIGHT-UP206 southbound at 353 p.m. the same day with a good sun angle.


LEFT-UP8291, 436 p.m. October 13. RIGHT-View along School Street in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, October 14 - The Murfreesboro-Nashville Southwestern Railway ran where the street is located. The tracks were taken up in the 1950s and the depot was razed in the 1970s.


LEFT-The depot of the Murfreesboro-Nashville Southwestern Rwy was located close to the warehouse. RIGHT-End of the line of the Reader Railroad at Highway 24, a couple of miles west of Reader at Camp DeWoody, October 14. Sorry for the blurry picture - I had the lens open too much.


LEFT-Another focused view of the end of the line of the Reader. RIGHT-Camp DeWoody had a passenger loading platform, which I remember using many times during the 70s and 80s. The train would pick up tourists here, take them to Reader for a barbecue and entertainment, then bring them back here later that night. The steam engines were wyed at Reader, but used a turntable here (picture below).


LEFT-Reader Railroad's turntable at Camp DeWoody, Arkansas. Manpower was used to turn it. RIGHT-Track of the Reader, looking east toward Reader - note the loading platform in the distance.


LEFT-Looking east toward Reader from the loading platform. The rails were sitting on rotted ties and you could push the rail over (almost) with your foot. RIGHT-Looking west at the platform. Highway 24 is just past here where the track ends.


LEFT-I'm now on the outskirts of Reader. The track heads west from here to Camp DeWoody, crossing Highway 328 right outside the Reader Railroad property. RIGHT-The depot at Reader, and the one used for many excursions, was really the Whelen Springs depot of the Missouri Pacific, which was moved here to serve the Reader's tourist operations many, many years ago. On this date, October 14, 2002, it was posted as private property and used for a hunting club. The Reader keeps on heading east from here with a wye in the woods about a half mile straight ahead. It also kept on going east to the now-abandoned and taken up Missouri Pacific (Union Pacific) line between Gurdon and Camden.


LEFT-Closeup of the Reader (Whelen Springs) depot. RIGHT-The old Reader RR complex. There was a locomotive in the 'roundhouse' straight ahead, number 2313. This area was the set of the TV movie "Blue and Gray."


LEFT-Closer look at the locomotive, No. 2313 (or 2818?). This area is way out in the woods of southwest Arkansas and you hear all sorts of sounds, wind, animals, insects, and when I took the picture on the left, I heard what I thought might be a wolf or some other such animal - that's the excuse I have for this picture being blurry. RIGHT-An old tank car storing I know not what.


Engine that was numbered 2313 (or is that an 8 instead of a 3?).


LEFT-Row of wheels at the Reader RR park. RIGHT-Just after leaving this area, you enter the town of Reader proper, populatiion 127. It is no longer an incorporated town as of October 11.


LEFT-Looking east from 'Main' Street in Reader. The tracks apparently go on to the abandoned Missouri Pacific line just a little further down the line. RIGHT-Looking west from Main Street toward the Reader RR complex seen earlier.


LEFT-Main Street in Reader on this overcase, cool day in October. RIGHT-Reader's former City Hall, which hadn't been used in about 2 years. If anybody wants to just get away from it all, I'd recommend Reader, Arkansas...the nearest large town is Prescott on Interstate 30, about 25 miles north. Cell phone service? I had no signal in these woods. This is a ghost town in the making.....