ABOVE: A November 2006 excursion with No. 44 in the lead rolls through Rudy, Ark. The bu- colic country setting only adds to the charm of this busy short line railroad. LEFT: Taking a different view from the seat of an ultralight aircraft, an A&M passenger train is spotted southbound passing the France Farm on the banks of Frog Bayou in the Ozark Mountains on November 1, 2008.
through the tunnel at Winslow, Ark.. Most of the A&M Alcos were built during or before the 1960s by the Amer- ican Locomotive Company in Schenec- tady, New York. By the time they found their way to the A&M, the units would have qualified for antique license plates had they been automobiles. For a mountain railroad like the A&M, the Alcos had a suitable axle configuration and the availability of spare parts for
repairs. Due to their unique design and vintage heritage, many railfans have come to view the A&M and Springdale as the Alamo for Alcos.
As mentioned earlier, change contin- ues on the Arkansas & Missouri Rail- road. The three SD70ACE’s will re- place up to eight individual Alco C-420 locomotives on the daily freight runs to Monett and Fort Smith from Spring- dale. Their AC traction power and radi-
Visit the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad on-line at
www.amrailroad.com
al trucks work well on this serpentine mountain railroad. But does this spell the demise of Alcos on the A&M? That is unknown in 2014. Vintage equip- ment can not last forever and the A&M is a working railroad, not a museum. For now, the Alcos survive. They will be used on local trains, switching moves, and on the excursion passenger service. Even if EMD locomotives even- tually replace the Alcos, the A&M re- mains a jewel of a mountain railroad. But at this point in 2014 Springdale, Arkansas remains the last stand for a veteran line of locomotives... an “Alamo for Alcos.”
The highlight of the 2014 NRHS Na- tional Convention is three days of char- ter passenger trains on the Arkansas & Missouri, all powered by the A&M’s remaining fleet of Alco locomotives, plus an Alco-powered photo freight through the Ozark Mountains. Please visit
www.nrhs.com for details.
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