Lots of trains today at Union Station in Little Rock, Arkansas, 15 between 7:59 a.m. and 12:04 p.m. Of special interest was a short, empty coal train with the last car having lost it coupler. According to a trusted UP source: "The short coal train you saw was the result of the coal dumper mishap at White Bluff.  If you'll notice, between the second and third car the end are colored. (White on the second car and red on the third car). That means that this is the end with the rotart coupler.  Someone fudged up and put the two spin ends next to each other.  So that meant that two non spin ends were nest to each other.  The dumper operator didnt catch it and spun the car to dump the coal.  When it did, it snapped the drawbar and coupler off the car.  Since it was near the end, they just unlinked the dpu and ran the rear three cars back to NLR.  Thats the dpu and the rear three cars you saw".    There were 6 trains between 10 and 11 a.m. alone. Trains (and one light engine move) passed at 7:59 a.m., 8:54, 9:04, 9:45, 10:02, 10:22, 10:36, 10:39, 10:45, 10:53, 11:21, 11:35, 11:42, 11:51, 12:04 p.m. Included today:

1) UP 4923, 1540, 1539, 6790, 7167, 5684, 5811, 4465, 5267, 7384, 2426, 4460, 1539 (again), 1930, 3858, 4211, 6430, 5011, 1975, 9497, 4068
2) GMTX 2156
3) Tiny green crab spider
4) Green MKT hopper
5) Load of pine tree logs
6) Short empty coal train with broken coupler
7) Lady jogger

CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE Or, to view all images in a larger format, click on: http://thundertrain.org/trains-083009-bb.html

LEFT-UP 4923, 7:59 a.m. with an autorack train. RIGHT-UP 1540 and 1539, our daily duo going from Biddle Yard to the main UP yard in North Little Rock to pick up its daily train to Gurdon, in southwest Arkansas. Time was 8:54 a.m.


LEFT-UP 6790 with empty coal train at 9:04 a.m. RIGHT-UP-DPU 7167.


LEFT-UP 5684, 9:45 a.m. RIGHT-UP-DPU 5811.


LEFT-UP 4465, 10:02 a.m. RIGHT-UP 5267, 10:22, with an intermodal.


LEFT-Two shades of red and green containers, maybe carrying future Christmas gifts. RIGHT-UP 7384.


LEFT-Green spider on the fence.  I looked this up (never can get enough eduction, right?) and it's a yellow crab spider, commonly known as a Neon Flower Spider.  Closeup below (the little sucker kept trying to move away from the close camera lens). RIGHT-Closeup. Looks like a face, doesn't it?


A jogger passes us about 10:30 a.m.


LEFT-UP 2426, another regular, passes with a southbound mixed train at 10:36 a.m. RIGHT-UP 4460, 10:39 a.m.


LEFT-Two southbound yellow signals about 10:44 a.m. It's rare to have both main lines handling a southbound train at the same time. RIGHT-UP 1539, after picking up its train, heads south to Gurdon, Arkansas, halfway to Texarkana.


LEFT-GMTX-GATX 2156, 10:53 a.m. 


LEFT-UP 3858, 11:21 a.m. with an empty autorack. RIGHT-UP 4211 on an intermodal, 11:35 a.m.


The short coal train mentioned in the synopsis at the top of this page.


LEFT-UP 5011 leads the daily YNL75 local to Pine Bluff at 11:51 a.m. RIGHT-UP 1975 and others.


LEFT-UP 9497. RIGHT-Large load of pine logs.


LEFT-Green MKT hopper 520. RIGHT-My chair under a shade tree (there were actually 4 others here today). It was very cool and breezy this morning and a light jacket would have felt good.


LEFT-UP 4068, 12:04 p.m. RIGHT-Your's truly.


I have a picture in Union Pacific's 2010 calendar-the June photo shown here of a UP train passing Union Station in Little Rock in July 2008. If you want a copy, you can order one from UP's online store or from the Arkansas Railroad Club, which is selling them as a fund raiser (we do NOT have copies to sell as of this date, August 30, but should receive them in September). Our cost will be $13, which includes postage and handling. Arkansas Railroad Club address: PO Box 9151, North Little Rock AR 72119.- Ken Ziegenbein

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