On Thursday, September 24, 2009, Union Pacific ran a short Operation Lifesaver train out of Russellville, Arkansas. It had two UP locomotives, one on the front and one on the back (UP 9407 and UP 5330), and 2 UP passenger cars usually sitting in the UP's North Little Rock yards (MP 3646 and MP 15802). Here are some photos of this train in Russellville and going over the bridge over Illinois Bayou near London, Arkansas, which is next to the Arkansas River and close to the Arkansas Nuclear One power plant.

CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE Or, to view all images in a larger format, click on: http://thundertrain.org/092409-operationlifesaver-bb.html

LEFT-Local riders waiting for the Operation Lifesaver train at the restored Russellville, Arkansas depot, 10:35 a.m. RIGHT-Arkansas Railroad Club's official photographer, as well as the local Union Pacific official photographer, John C. Jones was at the depot, as usual.


RIGHT-These old Rock Island commuter coaches are still sitting across the UP tracks from the Russellville depot. If I recall, they were once used as part of a restaurant.


LEFT-UP 9407 was on one end of the push-pull operation. RIGHT-UP 9407 was dedicated to Larry Breeden, winner of the J.C. Kenefick Safety Award  in 1990.




LEFT-MP 3646, which usually sits in the UP North Little Rock yard.


LEFT-MP 15802. RIGHT-Lots of patrol cars, city and state. Most would ride this Operation Lifesaver train today.


RIGHT-Missouri Pacific Buzzsaw emblem on the depot.


LEFT-John C. Jones in the cab of UP 5330, which was on the trailing end of the train as it left the station but was the lead unit on the return trip. RIGHT-Train left heading away from me to the west and the town of London, about 10 miles west of Russellville.


LEFT-The Conductor Statue in front of the Russellville depot. RIGHT-While waiting for the train to cross the railroad bridge across Illinois Bayou (next to the Arkansas River), which is near London, AR, about 10 miles west of Russellville, I saw this crane and got a quick photo.


LEFT-Flyin' low.... RIGHT-Fishermen on a small boat below the bridge.


LEFT-The train was heading east back to Russellville at 11:49 a.m. RIGHT-Cropped.



Here's a Youtube movie of this scene. Since I started the movie before I took the pictures, the train doesn't come into view until about 40 seconds into the movie (movies are always secondary to my photos). Click this link to view the movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQiP81IBkTk


LEFT-The park from which I took the previous pictures is the site of an old Protestant Mission to Cherokee Indians in this area in 1820, the Timothy Wright Mission named for the president of Yale University. RIGHT-Train back at the Russellville depot at 12:18 p.m.

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