Alcos on the Neosho Purdy Butterfield Exeter Anderson Wayne Washburn


MISSOURI ARKANSAS


Gravette Bentonville Rogers Lowell SPRINGDALE Johnsons Efay Fayetteville Jct. Fayetteville Westville Greenland West Fork Woolsey Brentwood


Winslow Frisco


Armada Mountainburg Amrita Lancaster Rudy Meadows Roland Shibley


FORT SMITH FSR


(SIMS) Cedars


Buell Chafee AFB


0 5 10 MILES 15 20 Mulberry e Ozark


Schaberg Chester


Combs


AM- Arkansas & Missouri ARNW- Arkansas Northwestern Railroad FSR- Fort Smith Railroad BNSF- BNSF Railway KCS- Kansas City Southern MNA- Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad SLSF- St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco) SIMS- St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern UP- Union Pacific


FORT SMITH LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS MONETT ST. LOUIS MISSOURI Avoca


Seligman Gateway


Garfield


Arkansas & Missouri Illustration by Otto M. Vondrak. Not all stations shown. Not an official map. ©2013 Carstens Publications, Inc. Aurora Pierce City MONETT


what we were doing. I explained that we were documenting history as these locomotives, almost half a century old, would soon be replaced by more mod- ern power. She said that her two year old loved trains and asked if they could watch, and they soon joined us on the bridge.


She would not be the only one curious as to our presence along the A&M right of way. Again we were waiting for the southbound Monett Turn at a little country road crossing north of Wash- burn, Mo. We all had our safety vests on and tripods situated along the road and cameras hung around our necks. A woman who lived near by stopped and asked what we were doing. She was se- riously interested in our story and asked a few questions. I gave her my business card. She left only to return a few minutes later with her camera and took several photos of our group. She explained that she sometimes submits photos and news items to the local newspaper. I received an email from her a few weeks after the trip. I down- loaded the attachment, and I discov- ered a photo and caption that had been published in the Cassville Democrat: “Train chasers catch their prize” and it went on to describe the half dozen of us that had come so many miles to catch the Alcos: Jim from Kankakee; Chip from the Peoria area; Paul and son Cameron from Indianapolis; my adult son Tim. I was the only one mentioned by name and as head of this group. We were there to photograph and video- tape the train that runs between Springdale to Monett. The next line was bit misleading.


“Soon, the A&M Railroad will retire their American Locomotive Company (ALCO) engines.” Four more words should have been added: “on their main line.” The A&M still plans to use Alco power on the various switch jobs out of Springdale and Fort Smith and on their passenger excursion train. Yes, some will indeed be retired.


There were several factors in the de- cision to acquire three EMD SD70ACe’s. The Alcos are almost 50 years old. Spare parts are becoming scarce. With DPU capabilities the ACe’s will reduce stress and wear and tear on equipment when attacking the heavy grades. The need to double the hill into Winslow will be dramatically reduced. There will also be savings due to the reduction in fuel usage. And the cost to acquire the new power was ap- pealing.


There is a mild grade coming into Winslow from the north and the half dozen C420s labored as we entered the small town, crossed main street and around a curve in a rock cut and into the 1700 foot concrete lined tunnel. As the train broke out the other side of the


37


O K L A H OMA


BNSF (SLSF)


r


R i


UP (SIMS)


KCS (SLSF)


UP (SIMS)


s


AM (SLSF)


SLSF


AM (SLSF)


AM (SLSF)


BNSF (SLSF)


BNSF (SLSF)


SLSF


KCS


BNSF (SLSF)


BNSF (SLSF)


MNA (SIMS)


a s Ark


MNA (SIMS)


KCS


SLSF


SLSF


AM (ARNW)


a n


UP (SIMS)


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A R K ANS A S O K L A H OMA


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