Arkansas Railroad Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arkansas Railroad Museum

St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt Route) Steam Locomotive 336
Location	1700 Port Road Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Type	Railroad museum

The Arkansas Railroad Museum is a super cool place to visit in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It's located at the old Cotton Belt (SSW) train yard.

This museum is home to a huge collection of historic railroad equipment. It's about an hour's drive from Little Rock, Arkansas. The museum is run by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society and amazing local volunteers. You can visit Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM. On Sunday afternoons, you can visit by making an appointment.

Amazing Trains and Equipment

St. Louis Southwestern Railway Steam Locomotive #819
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Arkansas Show map of Arkansas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1720 Port Rd., Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Built	1943
Architect	St. Louis Southwestern Railway
NRHP reference No.	03000401
Added to NRHP	May 18, 2003

The Arkansas Railroad Museum is most famous for being the home of SSW #819. This is a very special steam locomotive because it was the very last one built by the Cotton Belt railroad!

The #819 was brought back to life in 1986. It went on 13 special trips between 1986 and 1993. Right now, it's not running because it needs some important checks and repairs. These are required to make sure it's safe to operate. The #819 is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum also keeps a collection of old passenger cars. These cars were once used behind the #819.

Another cool train at the museum is Cotton Belt 336. This D3 Mogul steam engine was built way back in 1909. It needs some work to look its best again. Just like the #819, this locomotive is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum also has a special group of cars called the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt Route) Relief Train. This whole train is also listed on the National Register! A relief train is used to help out when there's a train accident or a problem on the tracks. It carries tools and equipment to fix things.

Here are some of the cars that are part of this relief train:

• SSW 96005 – A giant 200-ton crane used for lifting heavy things.
• SSWMW 5682 – A special car that holds the crane's long arm (boom).
• SSWMW 98501 – A flat car that carries a generator for power.
• SSWMW 94129 – A kitchen car where the crew could eat.
• SSWMW 96216 – A tool car filled with all sorts of repair tools.
• SSWMW 96209 – A crew sleeper car where workers could rest.

There are many other interesting pieces of equipment at the museum, including:

• Union Pacific 2907 – A powerful Alco C-630 locomotive.
• Lake Superior and Ishpeming 2300 – A GE U23C locomotive.
• Cotton Belt 5006 – An EMD GP30 locomotive.
• Little Rock and Western #102 – An Alco C420 locomotive.
• KLIX #2003 – An EMD GP20 locomotive.
• Rescar GE 25-tonner – A smaller, powerful locomotive.
• West Tennessee #2054 – An ALCO RSD-12 locomotive.
• AT&SF 843 – An Alco RSD-15 locomotive.
• The Wabash Alloys GE 25-tonner, which is also on the National Register.
• The tender (the part that carries water and fuel) from SSW 814, which was a sister engine to the famous SSW 819.
• A 1942 Tool Car, which used to be a baggage car.
• A 1944 Power Car, also an old baggage car.
• The G56 Guard Car, which was a hospital car during World War II. It's on the National Register.
• The SN87 Jordan Snow Plow, used by the U.S. Army to clear snow from tracks. It's on the National Register.
• The 1947 Apple Blossom passenger car.
• SSW 2214 – A classic wooden caboose.
• SSW 83 – A caboose with a special "bay window" for better viewing.
• SP 125 – Another bay window caboose built in 1966.
• AM 1410 – A large refrigerated car used for shipping goods.
• 3480 Pegasus Baggage Dorm – A special car from 1938.
• CBHS 819336 – A tank car.

The Museum Building

Most of the museum's equipment is kept inside the old Cotton Belt (SSW) shops. This huge building was once the main place where steam trains were repaired and built. It has cool features like deep pits under the tracks, giant overhead cranes, and special tools for working on big trains.

On one side of the building, there's a working "transfer table." This is like a giant elevator on tracks that moves trains from one track to another. The museum uses it to move exhibits around sometimes. The best time to see many of the exhibits outside is during the first weekend of April (unless it's Easter weekend). That's when the museum has its annual show! Many trains are moved outside so that vendors can set up tables inside the museum.