volume 33, no. 3 november 2019 · volume 33, no. 3 november 2019 official monthly publication of...

- THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER November 2019

Volume 33, No. 3 November 2019

Official Monthly Publication of the

ARKANSAS-BOSTON MOUNTAINS CHAPTER NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Chapter No. 188 founded in 1987

Contributing to THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER: Submis-

sions to the newsletter are welcome. Send content (articles, sto-

ries, photos) for the monthly SCRAMBLER newsletter to editor

Mike Sypult at [email protected] DEADLINE for the

SCRAMBER is the 9th day of each month. The editor reserves the

right to edit, hold or omit material at his discretion.

Where once the Southern Belle and the Flying Crow used to call daily, a southbound Kansas City Southern

freight train now cruises by the Mena (Ark.) Depot Museum. - Photo courtesy of Mena-Polk County Chamber of

Commerce

mailto:[email protected]


THE ARKANSAS

SCRAMBLER Volume 33, No. 3 - November 2019

THE ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER is

published 12 times each year by the

Arkansas Boston Mountains Chapter,

National Railway Historical Society

Inc, PO Box 1303, Springdale, Arkan-

sas 72765-1303. Opinions expressed

herein may not reflect the official posi-

tion of the ABMT Chapter or the Na-

tional Railway Historical Society.

Editor…………………..Mike Sypult

Every effort is made to provide accu-

rate and complete information in THE

ARKANSAS SCRAMBLER monthly

newsletters. Please send corrections to

[email protected]. We welcome

your input!

Arkansas Boston Mountains Chap-

ter, National Railway Historical So-

ciety Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3)

educational organization incorporated

under the laws of the State of Arkan-

sas.

Meetings of the membership are open

to the public on the third Thursday of

each month at 7:00pm at the ADA

compliant Reilly P. McCarren Railroad

Museum at the Arkansas & Missouri

Depot located on Emma Avenue in

downtown Springdale, Arkansas. Meet-

ings in winter months are not held

when the Springdale public schools are

closed due to inclement weather. Visi-

tors are welcome at all chapter meet-

ings. Visit our website at:

www.arkrailfan.com

WELCOME ABOARD all new and renewing members!

MEMBERSHIP: Local chapter membership is $12 per year. Please make

checks payable to ABMT NRHS. Regular membership for the National Rail-

way Historical Society is $50 per annum and Family Membership is $54 per

annum. Please refer to the NRHS website www.nrhs.com for complete de-

tails.

2019 DIRECTORY OF OFFICERS

President………………..Gary McCullah

Vice President…………..Larry Cain

Secretary………………..Malcolm Cleaveland

Treasurer………………..Rose Ann Hofer

Membership…………….Malcolm Cleaveland

Dist.7 Nat. Director…….Ken Eddy

Nat. Representative……..Jim Gattis

Editor ……………….....Mike Sypult Program Director……….Hugh Harris

From the President… - Gary McCullah

By now you probably caught up up with UP 4014.

I hope you

enjoyed it. Clare and I caught it at the Wagoner,

OK stop. There was a large crowd on hand. I saw a

lot of families there so there are a few younger folks that appreciate

steam locomotives. Also of note, the ex-Katy Wagoner OK depot is to

be moved back into downtown to become a “destination”, whatever

that means.

Two books you might want to buy:

Frisco Classic Photos Vol 1 by Aubrey McBride $65.00 - available

from the author

Missouri and North Arkansas - History Through The Miles by Barton

Jennings - available from Boone County Museum

If anyone is interested in having a base station scanner radio, I have

two that I am willing to part with along with a hand-held. Make me an

offer. Don’t forget to get your reservations into Al for the Christmas

Party/dinner. The cost is $10.00 per person.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.arkrailfan.com/


The Mena Depot Museum at Mena, Arkansas

by J. L. Gattis

The Kansas City Southern constructed a fine brick depot at Mena in 1920, but when passenger service

succumbed to the inevitable in November 1969, the main purpose of the building evaporated. Around 1985,

local citizens and business owners who did not want to see the building fall into disrepair began to discuss re-

storing it. Volunteers and a non-profit organization embarked on an effort to save the building; all work and

materials were donated, so the restoration was completed without dipping into municipal funds. The depot was

deeded to the city in 1986, and reopened in 1987. It was entered into the National Register of Historic Places

in 1991 (No. 91000685).

Today, the structure is still owned by the City. A City-appointed volunteer board oversees the depot,

which houses the Mena-Polk County Chamber of Commerce, and a museum that includes railroad memorabil-

ia, ranging from photographs to the waiting room bench. Non-railroad items of note in the museum collection

include a restored 1939 police car, and memorabilia related to the folksy Lum ‘n Abner radio show, which

broadcast from the 1930’s through the early 1950’s; the two principal actors were from the Mena area. The

Depot Commission is already looking forward to a 100th anniversary celebration in 2020.

If you have a news story about a railroad place, submit it to the editor at [email protected]

A peek inside of one of the rooms in Mena’s well-restored KCS depot. - Photo courtesy of Mena-Polk County

Chamber of Commerce


Acknowledgments

The Mena-Polk County Chamber of Commerce provided information for this article. And from the infor-

mation they provided, it seems that a number of civic-minded citizens made contributions to enable genera-

tions to come to experience the local depot.

TO VISIT

Mena sits astride US Highway 71, almost halfway between Ft Smith and Texarkana. The Mena Depot

Museum is at 524 Sherwood, at the intersection with DeQueen, across the tracks and visible from US 71. It is

open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. It is closed on Sunday

and holidays. Admission is free. Their telephone number is (479) 394-2912.

A few miles to the west of Mena on the Talimena National Scenic Byway (Arkansas Highway 88, Ok-

lahoma Highway 1) is Queen Wilhelmina State Park atop Rich Mountain, one of the highest peaks between

the Appalachian Mountains and South Dakota's Black Hills.

A 45 mile ride along US 59-270 through the mountains west and north of Mena will take you to Heav-

ener, home of a KCS yard, and a locomotive refueling station along a public street in the north part of town.

For about half of those miles nearest to Mena, the railroad is often visible from the highway. Along the east

side of the main north–south route through Heavener, there is a KCS caboose, and a railroad car repurposed as

the Southern Belle Restaurant.

At Heavener, the KCS can refuel locomotives en masse. - J.L. Gattis photo

Nothing could be finer than

the Southern Belle diner. -

J.L. Gattis photo


Notes on Queen Wilhelmina State Park and Its Railroad

In 2018, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported on the efforts of the State Parks, Recreation and

Travel Commission to terminate the long-standing operation of the miniature railroad running at Queen Wil-

helmina State Park on Rich Mountain in far west-central Arkansas. Reports stated the Commission was dissat-

isfied with the concessionaire’s state of repair. The agency thought it would be wise to convert the space into a

walking and biking trail, but “public outcry around the state” and from as far away as Canada led them to think

otherwise. A June signing renewed the train operator’s lease, so the train runs resumed for the summer season.

Decked out in black, yellow, and red, the train pays homage to the Kansas City Southern’s mid-1900s

passenger fleet. In fact, the current state park is a successor of a railroad-sponsored mountaintop resort built

around the previous turn of the century. At an elevation of about 2700 feet, this original lodge was positioned

to offer some relief from summer heat and humidity; the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf could transport people

directly from Kansas City or Louisiana and far-East Texas up to the mountains. The park name, honoring

Dutch royalty, was inspired by the railroad’s financial backing from the Netherlands. The original lodge was

not successful, so the site had other uses (including a college) and eventually declined. The State acquired it in

the 1950s.

Backtracking: The Railroad Giveth, the Railroad Taketh Away

It would seem that Kansas City, situated where the Kaw River empties into a major bend in the Mis-

souri River, early on was populated by visionaries. An 1858 railroad convention in Kansas City produced two

resolutions: (1) the U.S. Congress should provide for an Atlantic-to-Pacific railroad passing through the Kaw

River Valley, and (2) Congress should provide for a rail line from the mouth of the Kaw River to Galveston,

Tex. Before the country erupted into Civil War, there were attempts in both Kansas City and in Louisiana to

develop a north-south line, but they were for naught.

Arthur Stilwell, The Visionary

Fast forward to 1886, when easterner Arthur Stilwell, with his gift for raising money, arrived in Kansas

City. In 1889, Stilwell was enlisted to promote what became the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railroad. The suc-

cess of the Belt gave Stilwell the mantle of credibility required to attract financing for loftier projects. By

means of construction and purchase, a railroad developed to the mines along the south end of the border be-

tween Kansas and Missouri, and in to far northwestern Arkansas. But Stilwell’s dream was to extend to the

Gulf of Mexico, and among other things provide a shipping outlet for the agricultural bounty of the Midwest.

In 1893, this dream was reflected in the name change to Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf. When the financial

panic of 1893 dried up financing in the United States, Stilwell made his famous foray into the Netherlands to

acquire capital needed for expansion.

As construction progressed, Stilwell did not wait for the rails to arrive before developing new towns

along the route; rather, he promoted townsites in advance, so there was a crowd waiting when the railroad fi-

nally reached their town. Some of these towns were assigned names derived from Dutch, to honor the financial

backers. One such town was Mena, named for the wife of the major Dutch supporter.

On another front, the Texarkana & Northern, incorporated in 1885, had its charter expanded, and be-

came the Texarkana & Ft Smith in 1889. A Stilwell entity, the Arkansas Construction Company (ACC), ac-

quired the T&FS in 1892, and other charter changes allowed the road to extend southward toward the Gulf.


Mena’s Place in the Puzzle

With these maneuvers, there was still a gap between the southward pushing KCP&G and the T&FS. In

1896, the Texas Division and the Texarkana & Ft Smith showed service over the 119 miles from Shreveport as

far north as Horatio, Ark., while the line coming down from the north had reached Poteau, where passengers

could transfer to the Frisco for Paris, Dallas, and onward. Featured trains Nos. 3 and 4 on the northern end,

“The Arkansaw Traveler”, were “solid vestibule … gas steam heated”, with Pullman Palace cars.

ACC crews were 40 miles northwest of Mena. With a flair for showmanship, Stilwell pledged to build

40 miles through the Ouachita Mountains in 40 days. This of course attracted free newspaper publicity for

both the railroad and the Mena townsite. In an interview years later, Stilwell said he solicited what he consid-

ered to be more-energetic Northerners to settle the area, which in the next election produced a Republican win

for that area in an overwhelmingly Democrat state. Stilwell mused that the Kansas City Southern (the name

from 1900 onward) broke the Solid South. The tracks that continued south of Mena were under the Texarkana

& Ft Smith.

Concurrent with the push to Mena in 1896, statements about a KCP&G branch toward Hot Springs cir-

culated. A December report said a survey for the first 15 miles from Mena eastward had been performed, and

grading would soon begin. In 1893, The Little Rock, Hot Springs & Texas had been chartered to build from

Little Rock through Hot Springs to Wister, Indian Territory – a route that would be close to a Mena-to-Hot

Springs line; but it was finished as the Little Rock & Hot Springs Western, and did not go further west than the

county in which Hot Springs is located.

Before the KCP&G – or the KCS – entered Polk County, the county seat was Dallas, three-and-a-half

miles south of where Mena was developed. (The town of Dallas was named with a nod to historical symmetry:

George Dallas was the Vice-President during the Polk administration.) As was often the case, in 1898 the

county seat relocated to the new, prosperous town on the railroad. The following table demonstrates the boom

effect of the railroad’s arrival in 1896, followed by a slight fizzle later. Today, the Dallas area appears to con-

sist of a dozen or so dwellings.

1880 Census 1890 Census 1900 Census 1910 Census 1920 Census

Polk County 5,857 9,283 18,352 17,216 16,412

Dallas (town) 176 383 not listed not listed not listed

Mena (town) -- -- 3,423 3,953 3,441


An 1898 Official

Guide of the Rail-

ways map of the

completed “Port Ar-

thur Route”, from

Kansas City to the

Gulf of Mexico.

There is also a pro-

jected line from

Mena eastward to

Hot Springs. The

lines in bold extend-

ing from Kansas

City northward to

Omaha and east-

ward to Quincy, Ill.,

were the Omaha &

St Louis and the

Quincy, Omaha &

Kansas City. For a

short time starting

in 1897, they were

operated under the

Omaha, Kansas City

& Eastern banner.

This map presents a

rectangular herald

for the KCP&G;

after going into re-

ceivership, the suc-

cessor company

KCS later had a

round herald, then

adopted the present

octagonal herald. -

J.L. Gattis collection


This mid-1898 Official Guide of the Railways schedule shows service over the entire length of the KCP&G. The

lines listed under the “Port Arthur Route” included the KCP&G, the Kansas City & Northern Connecting, the

Omaha, Kansas City & Eastern, and the Omaha & St Louis. The latter three became independent in the early

1900s, and were known as the “OK Route”. - J.L. Gattis collection


From the attire, this Mena, Arkansas KCS depot-area photo would seem to be from around the turn of the centu-

ry. The sign under the eave proclaims Wells Fargo & Company Express. - Photograph of KCS Depot, Mena. Arkan-

sas Railroad Depot Collection (MC 698). Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayette-

ville.

These three 1908 Sanborn map clips show numer-

ous railroad structures to the northwest of the

tracks: the passenger depot, dining room, various

stores buildings, and the roundhouse at the Sher-

wood and 8th intersection. - J.L. Gattis collection


February 1908 Sanborn Fire In-

surance Maps for Mena, Arkansas


In an undated (but estimated ~1912) promotional publication prepared by the KCS Industrial and Im-

migration Department, The Ozark Mountain Region of Missouri and Arkansas as it Appears Along the Line of

the Kansas City Southern Railway, what we now know as the Ouachita Mountains were not differentiated

from the Ozarks. Starting with Newton County, Mo., the publication worked its way south along the railroad

line. The section on Polk County described it as follows:

“The climate is delightful all the year round and public health is excellent. Nearly all of Polk

County was originally covered with forest, though a very large acreage is now in cultivated

farms. … The greatest slate deposits in the United States are present in this county … begin-

ning eight miles east of Mena and extending eastward thirty-five miles.”

It went on to state that Mena was a wooded plateau at the time the town was surveyed, and enumerated attrac-

tive aspects of the community ranging from education and public utilities to secret social clubs. It listed Mount

Mena, 10 miles to the northwest, as “the highest point not only in Arkansas, but between the Alleghenies and

the Rocky Mountains” [Ed.: incorrect – in Arkansas, Mount Magazine is slightly higher, and the flat plains of

far western Kansas are higher than both, with elevations of over 3000 feet!]. Near the closing, it offered

“Nearly all the railroad towns in Polk County were surveyed and platted during the summer of 1896, sometime

before the railroad reached them …”.

How Relations with the Railroad Went South, uh, North

At the start, the railroad favored the town. Mena became a division point with a roundhouse, and many

residents of the town were railroad employees. By the middle of the first decade of the new century, a few fis-

sures appeared in the Mena-KCS landscape.

Some took steps to get a “non-KCS” railroad into the area. In the early 1900s, the Mena & Black

Springs had been incorporated to build from Mena eastward for 35 miles. A list of routes being developed in

Arkansas in 1904 included the Mena, Hot Springs & Eastern, with 86 miles said to have been surveyed and

grading to begin soon. Then in 1905, the Mena & Eastern was incorporated to build from Mena to Black

Springs and its fields of slate, but it only managed to grade a few miles of roadbed. (These were not the only

proposals for the remote mountainous area between Mena and Hot Springs in the first decade of the 1900s.

The Kansas City, Hot Springs & Southeastern was incorporated to build 82 miles from Waldron southeast-

ward. Another endeavor was to begin at Hot Springs; the intended western terminus is unclear, as one state-

ment from that era says 50 miles to mid-Montgomery County, while another says 70 miles to Mena was sur-

veyed.) To thwart potential unfriendly competition, the KCS created the Hot Springs, Ouachita & Mena Rail-

road. This was to proceed from Hot Springs westward to Black Springs, and also acquire the stillborn M&E.

The KCS did purchase the “the slate railroad” in 1908, but then did not proceed with construction and let the

charter expire.

Also, a Mena newspaper reported that in Fall 1906, there was talk of the KCS rerouting its line away

from Mena. This threw cold water on the town’s growth and progress. But in March 1907, the “highest author-

ities of the railroad” allayed these fears.

As the following sequence of 1909-1910 railroad-related excerpts from the weekly newspaper will

show, the feeling went from “grateful for the railroad” to “we’ve been railroaded”. In this case, something

“going south” actually meant it “went north”.

April 15, 1909 - For the second time in less than two years, the casing of the KCS’s well broke, so the railroad

was relying upon a connection to the municipal water system for steam locomotive water.


June 24, 1909

The article went on to say the “vice president stated that he had

just come from New York, where he had been going over with the

directors the plans for improve-

ment of the Kansas City South-

ern, and knew absolutely noth-

ing was in view that would tend

to interfere with the future pros-

perity of Mena. but within

a few months…keep reading

Oct. 28, 1909 - The newspaper

raised an alarm that “quick ac-

tion” was needed, else Mena

would forfeit a chance to get a

railroad westward from Hot Springs. This was because another line –

the Memphis, Paris & Gulf [Ed.: later, Memphis, Dallas & Gulf] –

was proposing to build southwestward from Hot Springs, and Hot

Springs businessmen could only raise $100,000 in inducement capital for one venture, not both.

Nov. 11, 1909 - Sometime prior, the KCS had announced plans to relocate

the division point 40 route-miles northward to Heavener, Okla., along

with facilities and employees. The KCS would claim that they needed to

reposition the crew change point due to a recent Federal regulation (in

railroad vernacular, “hog law”) setting a 16 continuous hour limit on train

crew service, with 8 hours of rest.

KCS officials met for several days in Kansas City with union representa-

tives, to ascertain what the unions would want in return for the relocation.

The unions responded that the only acceptable plan was the “maintenance

of the division in Mena in the future as in the past”.

Concurrently, many were writing to the newspaper supporting or opposing

the “hog law”. But this hog law had nothing to do with railroaders’ hours

of service. It was about requiring farmers to fence their livestock, and not

allow them to run free.

Nov. 25, 1909 -

In a lengthy editorial, the newspaper enumerated the harm to be done if the KCS followed through with relo-

cating the Central Division point to Heavener. It mentioned not only the employees’ tangible investments in

their houses, but also the tangible and the intangible investments in community structures and social institu-

tions.

The editor related comments from railroad crews to indicate that the only reason that the 16 hours was ex-

ceeded was if road crews were tied up doing local yard switching along the way.

The piece stated that in the early days of Mena, “the company was a friend to Mena and its people.” It ques-

In other railroad news …


tioned whether the KCS president had actually kept faith with an agreement to postpone action for 60 days,

since efforts to effect the change were progressing. And it closed with the phrase “a betrayal of confidence”.

Dec. 16, 1909 - This story began with “The Mena division removal fight is on”, the proceeded to report that

KCS has filed for a restraining order to block any attempt by Mena citizens to “enjoin the road from removing

the division from Mena”. A Federal Officer served papers on a number of Mena’s citizens to appear at Federal

Court in Ft Smith in response to the filing. People in Mena were threatening to bring suit because they had pur-

chased town lots based on the railroad representing Mena to be the division point. One of the railroad’s coun-

terpoints is that if such promises had been made by the KCP&G, the company had gone into receivership, and

therefore any such representations by the prior owner were not binding on the current owner.

Jan. 13, 1910 - A KCS agent arrived in Mena, to become familiar with the city in the event that the railroad

were to begin purchasing properties of employees forced to relocate to the new division town, Heavener. An-

other publication reported planned shops and a 10-stall roundhouse for Heavener.

Mar. 17, 1910

And in other news …

• A rear end collision between two northbound extra freights within the

Howe (Okla.) yard derailed 15 cars and left three crew with injuries, none

life-threatening.

• Under the headline “BIG STRIKE IMMINENT”, a leading representa-

tive of a union on the KCS left for Chicago to discuss a strike over fire-

men’s wages that would affect all railroads west of the Mississippi.

• dateline March 15: In what became a landmark event in US history, the

Supreme Court began to hear the case of the government’s attempt to break up the mammoth Standard Oil

Company. This case was based on the same Sherman Antitrust Act that had been used to break up the

Northern Securities railroad group.

May 19, 1910 - No news about the division relocation, but in other railroad news …

A geologist for the KCS arrived in Mena to inspect nearby ore veins that “can be developed into paying in-

dustries”.

June 9, 1910

Mocking the Kansas City Southern’s claim of necessity in moving

the division point, the paper reported “For more than 40 days … no

freight train has failed to make the run between Stilwell and Mena

within the time required by law for continuous labor of train crews –

16 hours”. Long time employees were said to be “astonished” by the

railroad’s claim that trains could not traverse the 122 miles between

Stilwell and Mena within the allotted time. “For years and years the

feat had been preformed (sic) with such unfailing regularity that most

people imagined it no trick at all to run a train at an average speed of

little more than 7 miles an hour.”


June 16, 1910

In other railroad news …

Floods and two freight train wrecks in

southwest Missouri required the KCS to

detour trains over the Katy and Frisco

through Ft Scott to Pittsburg. Train No. 1

had arrived in Mena 5-½ hours late.

The P&NW will be extended from Daisy, which is

about 40 miles northwest of Prescott, for another 40

miles to Mena.

June 23, 1910 - The story cited a similar case in Indiana, where the court ruled the Wabash liable for damages

after town lots were promoted with the claim that the town would be a division point, only for the railroad to

later relocate the division point. In other railroad news …

A local booster club posted a sign at the depot to pique the

curiosity of train passengers “who are looking for new homes

or seeking relief from broken health”.

July 28, 1910

A large ad on the same page touted the KCS special excursion train, to run

on the Gulf & Interstate (which ran from Beaumont to Port Bolivar),

where passengers will take a ferry to Galveston.

Aug. 4, 1910 - No news about the division relocation, but in other railroad news …

KCS carmen are receiving a 2 cent per hour raise. This benefits 22 men based in Mena, with air brake in-

spectors now receiving 29½ cents per hour.

Sept. 8, 1910 - The air compressor now at Mena is being dismantled, to move it to Heavener. Switch engine

No. 92 is to be relocated to the Heavener yard.

Sept. 22, 1910 - Firemen brought a fire at the new KCS roundhouse at Heavener under control before it could

severely damage the structure.

Originally chartered in 1905, the KCS now held a charter for but had not yet proceeded with the Hot Springs,

Ouachita & Mena. Said to be weary of empty promises and inaction by the KCS on a railroad between Mena

and Hot Springs, the State Attorney General supported two Mena advocates who recounted “ill treatment … at

the hands of the Kansas City Southern”, and stated that “the Kansas City Southern had played with Mena long

enough”. In the face of this, the KCS attorney backed down to allow time for Mena citizens to organize a

company for a road between the two cities.

The desirability of rail service competition in Mena was mentioned; currently, it cost less to ship freight

from Kansas City first to nearby Ashdown (served by both KCS and the Frisco), then back to Mena. Refer-


ences were made to an alternative route, to the north of the original. The KCS attorney said the railroad now

owned much property in Mena, due to employee relocations to Heavener and DeQueen, and therefore planned

to promote the town to immigrants.

Oct. 13, 1910

Oct. 20, 1910

Oct. 15 – “The Board of Railroad Incorporation … voted to grant a

charter for the Mena and Hot Springs Railway Company.” The board

also declined to issue a charter for a KCS subsidiary.

Nov. 10, 1910 - Not surprisingly, the KCS asked for a change of venue in a Polk County civil case, contending

that “the people of Polk county were so prejudiced against the railroad” that a fair trial could not be had. The

judge moved the case to a location two counties removed.

Nov. 17, 1910 - Montgomery County citizens from along the northern route

arrived in Mena to promote their interests. Places along the northern route

include Waters [Ed.: now Pine Ridge], Oden, Washita, Mt Ida, and Silver.

The southern route is through Big Fork, Black Springs, and Womble [Ed.:

now Norman].

Contrary to high hopes and pronouncements, a 1912 Prescott & Northwestern map showed its north-

western terminus remaining at Daisy. The 1915 map of the Railroad Commission of Arkansas showed no rail

line between Mena and Hot Springs, and the P&NW as having retreated southward from Daisy, ending near

Highland. The short-lived Memphis, Dallas & Gulf did extend southwestward from Hot Springs to Glenwood,

and had cobbled together pieces onward to Ashdown. The Iron Mountain’s Gurdon & Ft Smith (the north tip

built as the Gurdon & Ft Smith Northern) still terminated at Womble (Norman), a few miles northwest of

Glenwood; the dashed line on the Missouri Pacific map from Womble on to Greenwood (near Ft Smith) was

never more than a dashed line. Later, the KCS’s Arkansas Western extended from Waldron southeastward to

the lumber mill town of Forester for a while. Logging company rails did make further incursions into the heart

of the Ouachita Mountains.

In spite of the unfulfilled railroad expectations, Mena moved forward and today presents itself quite

well as a town of about 6000. The surrounding mountain scenery presents itself well, too.

Sources:

Carter, T. H. Kansas City Southern Railway, Arcadia Publishing, 2009.

Lynch, T., and Caileff, W. D. The Kansas City Southern: Route of the Southern Belle, Pruett Publishing

Co.,1987.

McMaster, Rose. Origin and Development of the Kansas City Southern Railway Company, Univ of Missouri,

1936.


FALL 2019 NRHS CONFERENCE REPORT

The Fall 2019 NRHS Conference was held November 7-10 in Dallas, Texas. From the Arkansas-

Boston Mountains Chapter, Ken Eddy was present the entire time; Jim Gattis and Hugh Harris attended parts

of the conference.

Railroad Research Archives

The conference opened with a Thursday evening reception at the DeGolyer Library, housed in the

Fondren Library building on the campus of Southern Methodist University. The DeGolyer Library is a re-

search library; about four years ago, they agreed to hold NRHS archives. So far, they have digitized thousands

of images, but that constitutes only the tip of the iceberg. Many of these items can be used non-commercially

without charge or for a small reproduction fee. Their website has a link to a spreadsheet that lists the locomo-

tive mechanical drawings in their possession.

The site address is [https://www.smu.edu/libraries/degolyer]. To access the Baldwin locomotive list,

choose “Collections”; when that page loads, click the lower-left red button “View Finding Aids”; then scroll

down to "Baldwin Locomotive Works".

Those attending had the opportunity to buy duplicate publications that the Library was discarding, in-

cluding a volume autographed by Beebe and Clegg. They also viewed unidentified photos in the SMU collec-

tion, and were able to identify a few.

Almost Baskin-Robbins’ 31 Flavors

With the number of different operating systems springing up, the Dallas-Ft Worth area has not yet ap-

proached Baskin-Robbins’ 31 different flavors, but it is trying.

Friday activities began with riding some of the many distinct rail transit systems in the Dallas-Ft Worth

Metroplex. Operations ridden in the morning were DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit), TEXRail, Trinity Rail-

way Express, and the Dallas Streetcar.

In the afternoon, some went to the Museum of the American Railroad and TrainTopia (an amazing

model train layout) in Frisco, at the north edge of the Metroplex. Ken got to climb in the cab of Big Boy 4018.

Others continued riding rail transit systems, taking DART and the A-train north to Denton.

LEFT: TexRail from DFW

Airport (near Grapevine) to Ft

Worth follows part of the for-

mer Cotton Belt line. RIGHT:

The DART line from down-

town Dallas to the northwest,

and the Collin County A-train

follow the former MKT Den

ton-to-Dallas line.

LEFT: Ken and Jim on

the Trinity Railway Ex-

press returning to Dallas.

RIGHT: The program

kept many of the at-

tendees’ cameras busy.

https://www.smu.edu/libraries/degolyer


Sunday Extra

A Sunday extra package highlighted the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. (The name “Grapevine” has

nothing to do with the track layout; Grapevine is the name of a town northeast of Ft Worth.) Featured were a

model train layout, railroad shop tour, and a trip pulled by FL7 #2016. To cap it off, the group watched a long-

horn cattle drive at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Meetings and Member Information

On Saturday, the Advisory Council met in the morning, the Board of Directors met in the afternoon.

Some of the following RailCamp information was gleaned outside of the meetings.

Vice President - Nominations for the Board of Directors will be accepted between January 1 and March 31,

2020.

Secretary - The NRHS Fund has a new set of trustees. The financial accounts are in good order. Focus of the

Fund is to first fine tune the investment policy, then focus on fund raising. A near-term objective is to add in-

formation on the NRHS website that will inform members of how to donate a portion of purchases made on

Amazon to the Fund.

Treasurer - Have developed a proposed 2020 budget for Directors to review. Financial health of NRHS is the

“best it has been in years”. A private accounting company is in the process of auditing the books; so far, we

have learned that our records are in excellent shape. Hugh Harris was specifically complimented for good

membership records. Requests were made for more members to step up and volunteer, especially for helping

with finances and controller work; expect to see more specificity in an upcoming News.

RailCamp - RailCamp began in 1998. The activities entail the cooperation and coordination with over a half

dozen organizations, including Amtrak. Obviously, RailCamp has to await firm commitments from partner

organizations before firm plans can be made. For 2019, there were 36 campers from 14 states; about half had

scholarships. The Arkansas-Boston Mountains Chapter was recognized for being a new scholarship sponsor.

NRHS has made the initial contacts and requests for 2020 camps, but has to receive replies from all partners

before firm dates can be scheduled. RailCamp advertising brochures were distributed, to take back to chapters.

Tentative 2020 dates: Northwest July 26-Aug 2; East possibly after July 4th, such as the second FULL week of

July.

Heritage Grants - Will be accepting applications for 2020. It was noted that few chapters take advantage of this

opportunity.

Membership - Will soon send renewal letters to current members.

Attractions - Once again, mentioned the Combined Federal Campaign, which allows people with some Federal

connection to donate. The 2020 Discount List (e.g., museums that offer free or discounted admission for

NRHS members) will be compiled and posted on the website; expect this to be available in early May, timed

to coincide with vacation season.

Conferences

• Spring 2020: March 26-28 (Thursday-Saturday), Westchester/Cincinnati, Ohio. Activities include riding

White Water Valley Railroad, tour station and tower.

• Fall 2020: October 15-18, Johnson City, Tenn.

• Spring 2021: April 16-18, Raleigh, N.C.

Conventions - Due to factors such as the Heber Valley derailment and loss of revenue, the Utah convention

had an $8000 loss.


The 2020 convention will be held at Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, Cal., about five miles west of both

Anaheim and the Amtrak Fullerton depot. Information will be posted on the NRHS website. NRHS has a $119

room rate at the Knott’s Berry Farm hotel; parking reduced from $10 to $5 per day.

• June 8, Monday afternoon: on-site registration will begin

• June 9, Tuesday: meetings; morning behind-the-scene tours of the Knott’s Berry Farm train operation, for

those registered at the conference hotel

• June 10, Wednesday: Orange Empire Railway Museum, also known as Southern California Railway Mu-

seum

• June 11, Thursday: Fillmore & Western steam trip (the line used by Hollywood film crews)

• June 12, Friday: RailGiants Train Museum; banquet Friday evening at hotel

• June 13, Saturday: Griffith Park Travel Town museum; night photo shoot

Film Library - Four people serve on the committee to review, edit, and digitize railroad videos.

Facebook - About 4000 people subscribe to the NRHS Facebook page. Posts are viewed by as many as 1000.

Website - Updating work is ongoing; there is a backlog list of “to do” items.

Procedure Manual - The roundhouse survey has collected 20 new listings, which will be added to the NRHS

Admin site webpage [https://admin.nrhs.com/].

Bylaws - Proposals are being considered for changing the Bylaws. These would reduce the size of the Board.

IDEAS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SIDETRACKED

Continuing with topic of early-1900 informational publications with dubious information, one title

listed by Kansas City Southern in 1923 was this, authored by a J. F. Newsom.

Kudzu: The Cultivation and Uses of a New and Valuable Leguminous Forage Plant

Perhaps Another Rail Attraction in the Making? Stay tuned!

What once was a Wagoner, Oklahoma railroad station (MKT) has for years served as a food, fuel, and an-

tiques emporium known as “The Depot”, located north of town on US 69 at Whitehorn Cove Road. But that is

about to change. In September, the City approved a bid of $85,000 to move the building, along with a dining

car and caboose, to a downtown site at State Highway 51 (Cherokee) and Smith Street, which just happens to

be close to the “X” formed where the Missouri Pacific crossed the Katy. On November 9, the building was

sighted at its current location, but atop a huge flatbed moving trailer.

Information gleaned from reports in the Muskogee Phoenix, Tulsa World, and the Waymarking.com website.

UPCOMING 2019 SPRINGDALE PROGRAMS November 21 - The Depots of Fort Smith, Arkansas by Chuck Girard

December 19 - Annual A&M Christmas Train Ride and Party - 6:30pm

January 16 - TBD

https://admin.nrhs.com


ABMT NRHS CHAPTER MINUTES ̶ October 17, 2019

Meeting of the Arkansas-Boston Mtn. Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society at the Reilly

McCarren Transportation Museum, A&M Depot, Springdale, AR. Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by

the President, Gary McCullah. 14 members present. September minutes were approved with no changes.

The Treasurer, Rosanne Hofer, gave the Treasurer’s report: Checking $1,508.89; Edward Jones total

$80,149.26 (CD $50,303.49, Money Market account $29,845.77).

Hugh Harris, NRHS National Membership Chair and in charge of presentations was not present, but he’s

looking diligently for people to present. His email is hughrharris @ aol.com.

Mike Sypult, the Scrambler editor, was not present but sent word that he is organizing the task of digitizing

Mike Condren’s photo collection. The Scrambler is excellent, as usual. Someone wondered how many chap-

ters have such an excellent newsletter. The consensus was, not many and that we are extremely lucky. Too

bad we cannot clone Mike.

The officer list at National is up to date thanks to Jim Gattis, the National Representative. Jim will attend the

upcoming NRHS meeting in Dallas, as will Ken Eddy.

Old Business: Some anxiety about light traffic at our new Frisco Fest venue was expressed. People thought

that this should improve with time, in part because this year the weather was not cooperative. Steve Tharp

survived his optical surgery and is with us once again.

New Business: Lynn Cleaveland raised the question of finding RailCamp candidates for 2020. We need an

ad campaign, perhaps utilizing something like the modified RailCamp item from the NRHS website that is

attached. We need to start, perhaps contacting school career counselors.

Al Kaeppel asked that the following about the 2019 Christmas party be included in the minutes: “The Christ-

mas party on the train is an annual tradition and will continue in 2019. Our train will leave the Springdale De-

pot at 6:30 PM on Thursday, Dec. 19 (get there early). For those who like a sip, wine and beer will be served.

Food will be a catered supper with vegetables and choice of meat, plus dessert. To make a reservation, you

must give $10 per person (cash or a check made out to ABMT) to Al at the November meeting or mail it to

him at: 3831 Tara St., Springdale, AR 72762. You do not have a reservation until he has cash in hand. When

making a reservation please select roast chicken or roast beef for your meal. Let’s have a big group and a very

good time.” We will continue the tradition of Secret Santa gifting where people can select and exchange gifts

in the process and Claire McCullah will preside as usual.

Tony Anderson said that Mike Sypult addressed the Ft. Smith Historical Society about the history of railroads

in Ft. Smith last Saturday and it was very well received. Many of the members had no prior knowledge of the

NRHS or the chapter but may be inspired to subscribe to the Scrambler. The newsletter is a recruiting tool,

let’s use it.

Train Talk: Mitch pitched Audio Theater performances at the Springdale 1st Presbyterian Church. Tony An-

derson said 185 issues of the Frisco Employee Magazine are available for download. Just google “Frisco Em-

ployee Magazine” to find the appropriate website. Someone is selling a DVD too. Books: Barton Jennings

book on Missouri & N. Ark. RR; A.W. McBride Vol. 1 of Frisco photography, go to the Frisco Historical Fa-

cebook page; Michael Landon-2 volumes about the Frisco; Rails Around Missouri by Michael Kelly. It co-

vers the Frisco, MOPAC, KCS, and Katy. The book The Dardanelle And Russellville Railroad by Pollard and

Hull is available via the MOPAC Historical Society company store for $45.00. Bill Merrifield said he enjoyed

riding the Grand Canyon RR; plans to go to Baltimore by train in November, what’s the best way to go? Ad-

vice was, no direct route, go Chicago-NY-NE Corridor or go New Orleans-Crescent-NY-NE Corridor;


Demonstrates pitiful state of U.S. passenger service.

Program: Malcolm Cleaveland on the Orient Express. Much based on following: Cookridge, E.H. 1978. Ori-

ent Express: The Life and Times of the World’s Most Famous Train. New York: Random House. 286p. Index,

photos, maps as endpapers. ISBN 0-394-41176-5 Lots of info about creation of this RR icon, its history, and

the people who used it.

Malcolm Cleaveland, Secretary

Interested in railroads? Possible summer activity: Nat. Railway Historical Society (NRHS)

RailCamp – The Arkansas Boston Mountain Chapter of the NRHS will sponsor a high school student, all ex-

penses paid, including transportation. See description below. To apply, contact the ABMT NRHS chapter be-

fore March 15, 2020. The NRHS’s annual RailCamp program offers a unique opportunity to high school stu-

dents providing hands-on

training in one of Ameri-

ca’s oldest and most im-

portant industries. During

the one-week program

campers will learn about

railroad history, preserva-

tion, maintenance, opera-

tions and experience

firsthand how to couple

rail cars together, to in-

spect equipment and help

to maintain steam and die-

sel locomotives.

About RailCamp RailCamp is an educational experience for high school students who have an interest in

railroads and railroading. The program is designed to teach students about 21st century railroad operations,

dispatching, and maintenance while providing a simultaneous experience in the early history of U.S. railroads

in the development and settlement of our country. Students will learn both modern and historic elements of

America’s most vital transportation mode, including how diesel, electric, and steam locomotives function, how

track is built and maintained and how early freight and passenger cars were constructed.

With a focus on the ways in which revolutionary technical changes in modern railroading affect today’s busi-

ness, students will attend a week-long camp where they will participate in railroad operations, interact with

railroaders, learn about preservation techniques, experience railroad history, career opportunities, and work

with real railroad equipment. Camp opportunities are offered in both Newark, DE and Tacoma, WA during the

summer months.

Applying to RailCamp The program is open to high school boys and girls who are currently freshmen, soph-

omores, juniors, or seniors (class of 2020). Individuals who enter their freshman year in 2020 will also be eli-

gible to participate.

The cost for attending either camp location is $1,390 per camper, including a non-refundable $50 fee when an

application is submitted. Transportation arrangements and expenses are the responsibility of the camper.

Scholarships are available, but do not cover transportation. Applicants do not have to be NRHS members to

attend. Applications for the 2020 RailCamp will be posted early next year.

volume 33, no. 3 november 2019 · volume 33, no. 3 november 2019 official monthly publication of...

Documents