Oct 27 With weatherman showing high pressure system to dominate the midwest, decieded now was the time to head for KCS country and Rich Mt. Left St. Louis at 0300 enroute to the A&M at Springdale,AR. Arrive Monett,MO about 0730, just in case the A&M Monett turn was running late. Cloudy skies, as two ATSF geeps switch the small yard. Left for Springdale, checked in at the yard office to find out train status.Another railfan is here from New York, The 42 was the area switcher and the Ft.Smith turn was finishing its air test and would head south in about fifteen minutes. Looked around shop area, The big Canadian (CP+CN) six axle Alco's scattered about.One in primer. Was told it would be six months or more before any of the monsters would be in service. Another T-6(?) switcher was on property, the greenish former Delaware Coast Line unit, now #17, minus trucks. Yellow Alco #63 looks to be cannablized as it's frame sits on the ground with just the cab left attached. This was former Essex Terminal? Anyway, Ft. Smith turn is on the move under cloudy skies. Caught him at the well known Tyson mill as the Turn rolls down the hill. Five C-420 Alco's power the train with T-6 #16 trailing. Went thru downtown Fayetteville to see if depot still stands. It does but still abandoned. A Mopac cab #13682 sits nearby. With the over cast skies, just head for Winslow tunnel and wait.Nice colors here. Disappointing fall colors this year for the most part and a much later turnning.Lot of greens left and lot of rusts. After the Turn departs Winslow head back up the hill to the car and mve south to Van Buren. Highway 71 has to be one of the most scenic in Arkansas, winding thru the Boston Mts. Sun finally breaks thru but no place to shoot the turn as it has arrived Cobb, the small yard just north of the Van Buren depot. The Turn no longer goes across the Arkansas River Bridge as it meets the Ft. Smith switcher at Cobb. A problem developed on #16 so it was put on the other end of the consist and taken back to the shops. With new train, the Turn departs about 1400. With sunny skies, both I and the New Yorker have left ahed of the train to shoot it at the southern most Frog Bayou Bridge on Lancaster Road. The #46 led the train back to Springdale. It's just amazing how shiney all the A&M units are.The 46 was the only unit with any kind of dull paint and even it looked great. I continued on to Ft.Smith, bypassing the UP yard at Van Buren. In Ft.S, found the Ft.Smith RR, now operated by the Pioneer Corp. A new office and units near the nice Frisco depot. The Ft.S RR has four units on the line. Geeps 1602,1603,1610 and Alco switcher (I think 101) all in the Pioneer flat black withh yellow nose stripes. Also of note is the Ft.Smith Trolley Museum wich operates a short section of track near the National Cemetary. Hoped to have caught the KCS Ft.Smith dodger, but it had already headed back to Heavener. This day done overnited at the KOA camp in Alma. Oct 28, Head for the UP yard in Van Buren to get lineup, then call KCS to see if any southbiounders will be on Arkansas River Bridge in Spiro,OK after 0700. Was told there would be but pretty vauge in time frame. Clouds again today but head for Spiro anyway, about 15 miles west of Ft. Smith. An impressive girder bridge, high over the river. Not knowing if south trains near decide to explore a bit and head for Bonanza the switch into the AES electric plant south of Spiro near Panama. One of the most interesting finds on the trip was tied up on the AES lead, A work train consisting of a rail train and Jordan spreader and a couple of ballast cars. Spliced in between the two sections were Mid South high nose Geeps 9004+9005. A M/W employee said they dropped some rail the week before and that the train has been tied up there since. It did not move the three days I was in the area. Caugth a northbound and a southbound at Bonanza switch. The AES plant seldom recieves coal by rail as it is trucked in from area pits. Again the clouds close in, and I head back to Ft.S and Van Buren. decide to head over to Ozark,AR as a southbound UP is leaving Van Buren A coal load has just passed thru and is meeting a northbound at Alix. I walk north from the nice granite block depot to the cut along the Arkansas River to wait. A brush cutter has recently done a nice job clearing the right of way. The dispatcher gives the north man a track warrent and he will meet the south bound at Poping. Soon the 9106 North rolls thru Ozark. Fifteen minutes later the SP 9761 South rolls along the Arkansas River. I knew that the SP9763 was coming but thought it would take long than it did and missed it. Went back towards Van Buren, and heard the A&M dispatcher give a warrent to the Ft.Smith turn so decided to wait on it at the hyway 252 underpass and Frog Bayou bridge. The passenger train was already in Van Buren. Three units pulled the train across the bridge. With cloudy bright skies, went to VB and wasted time. I think the old Midland Valley office in Ft.Smith is no more. The KCS modern office now house another company. The KCS' unusual sign has been moved around the corner and a small yard office is in place.The KCS Ft S Dodger was in working the yard . Power was KCS 4020 and ex BN 3058. They were just about ready to head back to Heavener and with the 25 MPH speed on the branch I didn't think I would have time to catch it at Jensen tunnel.I headed back to the A&M brige at Lancaster road and again shot the Turn as it returned north. The plan was now to drop down to Heavener, the forecast was for partly cloudy skies.No evidenice of use on the Ark-Okla RR ex Rock Island at Wister. Overnite at Lake Wister State Park.
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