2014 NRHS NATIONAL CONVENTION Springdale Review BY STEVE BARRY/PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR T
HE NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL Society held its annual conven- tion in Springdale, Ark., on June
10-15, 2014. Based primarily on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, the convention featured an abundance of Alco-powered passenger trains, as well as a special photo freight and visits to area tourist railroads. Topped off with a good dose of Southern hospitality, it was a week many won’t soon forget. The event kicked off on Tuesday,
June 10, with a mileage collector’s de- light. The first trip headed north from Springdale with only two coaches in the consist. At Rogers, the train diverted onto the Bentonville branch and went as far as it could before stored cars
blocked further access. This was likely the last passenger train movement on the branch, as the west end is scheduled to be removed sometime in 2015. De- spite gloomy weather, two runbys were held on the branch on the return trip. Photography was the primary goal
for the trip on that same afternoon. Two of A&M’s Alco C420 locomotives No. 44 (ex-Louisville & Nashville) and No. 68 (ex-Lehigh Valley) led a mixed train south from Springdale heading for Mountainburg. Photo stops were made at locations that are not easily ac- cessible by auto, including the south end of Winslow tunnel and two spectac- ular high bridges. Despite the sun only being out about five per cent of the time
during the trip, every one of the five photo stops were in full sun, much to everyone’s delight. There was even one instance where clouds moved in at the end of a stop, the passengers loaded in a drizzle, it poured rain while the train went two miles to the next location, the passengers unloaded in a drizzle and the sun was back out again by the time the train was posed for the shot! Once at Mountainburg, buses took
most passengers home, while a few oth- ers arrived for the northbound trip. This would serve as the convention’s night photo session, with stops made at both ends of the tunnel at Winslow. Once done with the second shot, a bus whisked the night photographers back
ABOVE: Saturday’s trip from Springdale, Ark., to Monett, Mo., on the Arkansas & Missouri was interrupted by a meet with a southbound grain train. The meet was turned into a photo opportunity, as the NRHS train waited “in the hole” for the southbound. The BNSF power on the grain train was supplemented by a pair of Arkansas & Missouri locomotives, making it an all-Alco meet.
24 JULY-OCTOBER 2014 •
RAILFAN.COM
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