Friday, October 10 and Saturday, October 11, 2008 in Little Rock and Brinkley, Arkansas. This is the Saturday of the week that saw the biggest fall of the stock market in history, in case someone reads this in 20 years. BUT the trains continued to run!

   Of interest today is a late Amtrak southbound Texas Eagle, Number 21, which arrived in Little Rock at 9:19 a.m., about 6 hours late. This train had hit a trailer full of corn in Illinois the day before, which delayed it. Nobody was hurt, apparently, but a couple of the passengers who got off at Little Rock for a smoke break said they could see corn flying by the windows after the truck was hit (trailer only, they said the truck cab was off the track). Of course, all this is second hand. Thanks to Eric Grissom for the 'heads-up' on Amtrak's late arrival.
   Also on this web page:

1) UP 7890, with a lot of red containers, 11:35 a.m. October 10
2) UP DPU 8631, 11:42 a.m. on same train.
3) Following are all October 11. Part of crowd of 49,900 runners and walkers in the annual Race for the Cure fundraiser to raise money for breast cancer in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock.
4) UP 4652, KCS 4034 (Belle unit), 8:49 a.m. at Union Station LIT
5) UP 1917, 9:01 a.m. LIT
6) Amtrak Texas Eagle No. 21, 9:19 a.m.
7) UP 4416 and Amtrak locomotive 12, 9:36 a.m. UP was waiting on Amtrak to depart.
8) UP 2380, 9:57 a.m.
9) GMTX 2133, sharp blue and white
10) UP 3883 passing UP 2380, 10:00 a.m.
11) Rest are in Brinkley, AR (between Little Rock and Memphis on I-40). UP 3837 and 9734, 12:53 p.m.
12) CN 8016, 1:23 p.m.
13) UP 4412, 1:39 p.m.
14) UP 4903, 3:31 p.m.
15) UP 4441, 3:45 p.m.


Or, to view all photos in a larger size, click on:
http://www.thundertrain.org/101108-lit-brinkley-bb.html


LEFT-UP 7890, October 10, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. RIGHT-DPU 8631, 11:42 a.m.


LEFT-Small part of the runners/crowd at the annual Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock, October 11, about 8:45 a.m. RIGHT-UP 4652 with KCS Belle unit 4034 in the consist, 8:49 a.m.


LEFT-KCS 4034. RIGHT-Sharp Rock Island R on this hopper.


LEFT-UP 1917, 9:01 a.m. RIGHT-Ballons released during the Race for the Cure event.


LEFT-A conductor getting ready to board Amtrak's Texas Eagle in Little Rock, 9:17 a.m. October 11. Little Rock is a crew change point on Amtrak's Texas Eagle route. They go from here to Marshall, Texas  southbound and from here to St. Louis northbound. RIGHT-Amtrak 21 arriving at 9:19 a.m. A tractor-trailer hauling corn failed to yield to this train in Illinois the day before, causing a 6 hour delay. Some passengers who got off at Little Rock for a smoke break said when the train hit the trailer of corn, they could see corn flying by the windows. Apparently nobody was hurt. This is all second hand.


LEFT-Our railfan crew. RIGHT-You can see a little dent in the front. The yellowish tint on the right is presumably 'creamed corn.'


LEFT-They added water to the diner here. RIGHT-The lone Amtrak agent hauling luggage for those getting off.


LEFT-Stretching their legs. RIGHT-UP 4416 was waiting for Amtrak to depart. It's 9:32 a.m.


Finally leaving for Texas at 9:39 a.m. The person with the video camera was a passenger who had just gotten off.


LEFT-UP 2380, 9:57 a.m. RIGHT-GMTX 2133.


LEFT-UP 2380 passing UP 3883, 10:00 a.m. RIGHT-Now I'm in Brinkley, Arkansas at 12:53 p.m. UP 3837.


LEFT-What a coincidence this was. This visitor to the Brinkley Depot Museum is Mr. Sanders, Amtrak engineer whose run is from Little Rock to Marshall, but not today. He was scheduled to take Amtrak 21 out of Little Rock the next morning, however. RIGHT-Cars at the museum.


LEFT-CN 8016, 1:23 p.m. RIGHT-UP 4412 with a BNSF unit trailing, 1:39 p.m.


LEFT-My 'bug of the month' was this beetle on the window of the old ticket office at Brinkley. It was outside. RIGHT-Also a butterfly.


LEFT-UP 4903, 3:31 p.m. RIGHT-UP 4441, 3:46 p.m.

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