Saturday, July 26, 2008 at various places in Arkansas, including: Marion (BNSF's Fedex Intermodal Yard and UP's large Intermodal facility at Ebony), Sunset, Marked Tree, Gilmore, Jericho, Hunter, Brinkley and Little Rock. This was the unofficial Train Picture Day in North America, so I wanted to get several towns with trains. Another group of Arkansas Railroad Club members went north of Little Rock to railfan the BNSF in north Arkansas. We all started the day at 5 a.m. (Ken Ziegenbein photos)

Included today:
1) BNSF 5704, dpu on a coal train at Marion, AR, 7:59 a.m. (near West Memphis, AR in extreme east Arkansas)
2) Photo of the Marion Intermodal Facility of the BNSF through the fence.
3) Harvard Yard in Marion.
4) CSX 4737, BNSF 325, BNSF 4358, BNSF 1024 on a mixed train northbound, crossing Highway 135 on an overpass (a few miles south of Marked Tree) at 8:40 a.m.
5) Same train at Marked Tree, AR at 8:50 a.m.
6) BNSF 5318, CN5433 southbound at Marked Tree, 9:02 a.m.
7) CSX 4737 leaves Marked Tree northbound at 9:05 a.m. These two trains passed.
8) BNSF 5318 at Gilmore, AR, 9:36 a.m.
9) BNSF 5318-CN 5433, Jericho, 9:50 a.m.
10) UP Ebony Yard at 10:08 a.m. (Ebony is just outside Marion)
11) Diesel Supply Co. yard unit No. 189 at Ebony
12) NS 9162, Fair Oaks, 11:16 a.m.
13) NS 9162, Hunter, 11:31 a.m. (I had a heck of a time getting ahead of it!)
14) UP 2414, CN 5534(?), Brinkley, 1:59 a.m.
15) UP 9390, Brinkley, 2:14 p.m.
16) UP 9687, 6:04 p.m., Union Station, Little Rock

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BNSF 5704, dpu on a coal train at Marion, AR, 7:59 a.m. (near West Memphis, AR in extreme east Arkansas). The train is heading into the Marion Intermodal yards.


LEFT-Taken from a road crossing on the north side ot the Marion yard (the entrance just ahead was gate 1 of the Harvard Yard). RIGHT-This sign was also there.


LEFT-Fedex trailers at the Marion BNSF facility. RIGHT-Highway 77 parallels the BNSF yard.


CSX 4737 leads BNSF 325, 4358 and 1024, about to cross Highway 135 a few miles south of Marked Tree, Arkansas at 8:40 a.m.


RIGHT-Slowing to a stop on the south side of Marked Tree, and will wait on a southbound BNSF train here. The CSX train is headed north. It's 8:52 a.m.


LEFT-Waiting, as as usual, the lights are dimmed for the approaching southbound. RIGHT-Marked Tree water tower.


LEFT-Southbound BNSF 5318 and CN5433 head this train toward Marion from Marked Tree at 9:02 a.m.. The CSX train is to my left. There's a marsh area all around me here with ponds of water, algae and lots of high grass. While standing here, I had the crap scared out of me when a very loud SPLASH occurred in the water just to my right.  Knowing alligators sometimes are found in swampland like this in eastern Arkansas, I didn't go any farther. I have no idea what made the splash, though. RIGHT-The two trains pass. Meanwhile, I was watching my feet.


CSX 4737 and train head north into Marked Tree.


RIGHT-Flying Goose emblem.


LEFT-I chased this train south to Marion. Here it's seen at Gilmore at 9:36 a.m. RIGHT-Coming into Jericho, AR at 9:49 a.m.


LEFT=Jericho. RIGHT-Now for some UP actIon. Here's the UP's imtermodal yard at Ebony, which is just outside Marion, so I understand train destination ID's use Marion.


LEFT-The sun came out on this one. I'm on the shoulder of US 64. It's about 10:15 a.m. RIGHT-South side of the UP Ebony yard complex.


Diesel Supply Co. No. 189 at Ebony Yard.


LEFT-NS 9162 passing through Fair Oaks, AR at 11:16 a.m. RIGHT-Trying to keep ahead of this train, seen in the rear-view mirror. This stretch of UP track between Fair Oaks and Brinkley parallels US 49 and is some of UP's best track, so the train was going track speed (the shippers special with the DD40X was clocked at 89 mph on this stretch of track a few months ago). I had to go greater than the 55 mph speed limit on US 49 to keep ahead of the train, but I managed :-)


LEFT-I finally got to cross the tracks ahead of the train here at Hunter at 11:31 a.m., but the gates started down as soon as I got across. RIGHT-At Brinkley now, at the museum, with a train approaching southbound at 1:59 a.m.


LEFT-UP 2414, 2:14 p.m. with CN 5534 (not sure). RIGHT-UP 9390, 2:14 p.m.


LEFT-Distant thunderstorm seen from Union Station in Little Rock, 5:30 p.m. RIGHT-Had to get one train passing Union Station on this day, and UP 9687 obliged at 6:04 p.m. I was looking into the sun.



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