Arkansas Railroad Museum is a Must See for Rail Buffs

In the days before interstate highways and big rigs, goods traveled from east cost to west via railways. Trains still haul cargo, but the heydey of trains has long since past. The Arkansas Railroad Museum takes visitors back to the days when everything from coal to cotton to people were transported by rail.

Housed in the old Cotton Belt Shop in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. A word of warning, the old shops aren't air conditioned, so the museum is best visited early in the day during the summer months.

The museum houses old Cotton Belt and Union Pacific memorabilia, old rail equipment and general railroad history, but the centerpiece of the museum is its collection of old rail cars.

Over twenty cars are housed in the shop, and most are open for tours. There are several traditional cabooses, including one from around 1920. The cabooses were equipped with bunk space, kitchen areas and restrooms. The older cars lacked true kitchen facilities, relying instead on old flat top cast iron stoves used for both heating and cooking. The variety of ages give a good retrospective on the evolution of technology.

In addition to the cabooses, there are passenger cars, locomotive engines and a massive snowplow from the 1950s. The museum also houses the only remaining steam powered relief crane in the world. A six car outfit, the relief crane was deployed to derailment sites. The set includes the multi-ton crane, power car, a kitchen car and a sleeping car for workers.

The centerpiece of the museum of Engine 819, the last steam engine built in Arkansas. It was built in the Pine Bluff shop in 1942. Weighing in at 368 tons and measuring 100 feet long, 819 ran for over a decade before being replaced by new diesel engines. It was donated to the city in 1955 and sat exposed at Oakland Park for over thirty years. It was restored to its original glory in 1986. It took 150 gallons of water and 15 gallons of oil for each mile of travel. After several trips to nearby rail depots, Engine 819 is retired.

The museum is open from 9 am to 3 pm Monday through Saturday. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. There is no professional staff on hand but many volunteers, including past Cotton Belt employees, are frequently on hand to give first person accounts of life on the rails.