Arkansas Railroad Museum

09/04/2026

The Heat Magazine came and took a video tour of the Museum!

08/30/2026

Always something going on at the museum! We just completed the first phase of a maintenance project on our transfer table. Over the years, the overhead wires that supply power had started to sag, which was occasionally causing the pickup rollers to jump off. This stalls the table and usually blows a somewhat expensive fuse! We found the turnbuckles that adjust the wire tension were rusted and not able to move. We replaced the turnbuckles, and re tensioned the wires. This should get the transfer table functional again. We have plans to add some additional support to the wires, and maintenance work will be done on the pickup poles. We've spent about $750 on this work so far and will probably have to spend about $1500 more over the next few months. We could use some financial support on this critical project!

07/03/2026

Entergy finally was able to get to us today, and our power is back on! We will be open the 4th of July at 10 AM! Come check us out!

07/03/2026

The cavalry is here!

07/03/2026

For those in need.

🌡️ NEED TO COOL OFF? WE’RE HERE TO HELP.

Cooling stations are now open at Pine Bluff fire stations from 1 PM–6 PM through July 10.

Stop by for:
💧 Cold water
❤️ Vital checks
❄️ A cool place to escape the heat

Please note: Station 7 (2208 Ridgeway) is closed for remodeling.

Check on your neighbors, stay hydrated, and stay safe, Pine Bluff.

06/19/2026

When you are 4 years old, is anything better than watching a train set...

06/12/2026

Look what arrived at the museum this week... it runs...

06/11/2026

From College View Lodge —

“On 10 Jun 2026, College View Lodge raised Bro. Patrick Harper to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. WB Thomas Anderson conferred the degree as Worshipful Master, with WB Bruce Gubser as Senior Warden, WM Michael Frain as Junior Warden, WB Douglas Johnson as Treasurer, WB Curtis Wolbert as Secretary, Bro. Robert Ravndal as Chaplain, WB David Johnson as Senior Deacon, Bro. Jordan Anderson as Junior Deacon, Bro. Jacob Shade as Senior Steward, and Bro. Joel Barrett as Junior Steward.

WB Douglas Johnson asked the questions and WB Curtis Wolbert provided the answers for the 1st Section lecture. WB Thomas Anderson gave the 2nd Section lecture, and WB Ryland Nolan (Cotner Lodge No. 297) gave the 3rd Section lecture. WM Michael Frain issued the Charge. Congratulations to Bro. Patrick Harper!”

04/25/2026

Was there a railroader in your family? Last week in response to a post, we had a couple of people ask if we had any record of relatives who worked for the Cotton Belt. In our archives we have some personnel and payroll records, but they are far from complete… one great source are Seniority lists... All the unionized employees had a “seniority date” and the man with the longest service with the company could bid on better positions. Every trade had its own list. The lists for shop workers are rare, but for train crew, the lists were printed annually in time books, where employees kept nots of hours worked, and in the case of engineers, which engine they were running (the heavier the engine the higher the pay).

Fred Burban asked if we had anything on “WB "Pappy" Robbins (my Step mother's Father) was an engineer on the 819 and Diesel Electric after that till they "Bad Ordered" him in the mid 50's. He always laughed that he out lived the Sawbones that Bad Ordered him.”

Here is a 1957 time book that shows that he was No 61 on the engineer’s seniority list, with a seniority date (the day he became an engineer) of June 25, 1941.

04/20/2026

Another photo from last Friday's school field trip, from the England School District... 819 and friends