Included:
1) UP 1995, 4141, 7862, 7472, 5862, 6423, 5835, 7000, 4863, 9765, 4376, 7177, 8460, 4798, 1998, 7052, 4344, 4021, 1959, 6964
2) UP/SP 6241
3) KCS Belle 4693, 4108
4) TFM 1615
5) UP/Rio Grande 1900
6) BNSF 4736, 4828, 4585, 5965, 4104
7) NS 8023
8) CN 2266, 5778
9) AMK 191 on Texas Eagle
10) Downed trees from snow/ice
11) TILX 500959 new tankcar Built 12-12
12) KCS 286180 Belle hopper
13) Santa's Elf
14) MKT 16085 red Katy gondola
15) SP 337735 gondola
16) AEPX 30253 coal hopper
17) CP Rail hoppers
18) Pigeons
19) Pipes
20) Arkansas State Capitol lit up for Christmas
21) Iceberg in parking lot
22) Last Amtrak Texas Eagle arrival of 2012 at Little Rock
23) Party at Union Station
24) Union Station at night from Markham Street
UP 1995, 9:27 a.m.
Parts of trees down at the station due to ice and snow that fell December 25, 5 days ago. This snow and ice was part of a 10.3" snowfall at Little Rock, the most ever to fall on Christmas Day and the first time it snowed here on Christmas since 1926. The National Weather Service in Little Rock issued it's first ever Blizzard Warning with this storm. Snow reduced visibilities to near zero and winds gusted to 45 mph. Many larger trees were downed and over 180,000 were without power for days, and even as I type this on December 31, 12,000 were still without power in Arkansas. I worked for the National Weather Service for 32 years, since retired, and never saw this combination of freezing rain, snow, sleet, and wind in all those years here in Arkansas. Amtrak's Texas Eagles, Nos. 21 an 22, were annulled between Fort Worth and St Louis on both December 26 and 27 due to trees and unusually heavy snow on tracks (Union Pacific asked Amtrak to cancel the trains after Amtrak 22 northbound arrived in Little Rock Christmas night with damage to the lead locomotive due to hitting large numbers of downed trees-UP had to add a helper locomotive to the train when it left Little Rock).
This frozen water sums up the chill. Average high temperature in Little Rock this time of year is 50...it's been in the mid 30s or less for highs for a week now.
UP/SP 6241, 10:20 a.m. December 30, northbound.
UP/SP 6241.
UP 7682 and 7472.
New TILX 500950 tankcar, built 12-12.
KCS 'Belle' hopper 286180. I hardly ever see these in Little Rock anymore.
UP 5862, 10:27 a.m.
UP 7022.
DPU, UP 6423, 10:35 a.m.
UP 6423.
Another empty coal train headed by UP 5835, 10:39 a.m.
UP 7000.
Two coal trains waiting for signals/crew change, both going northbound. The one on the right is the DPU, UP 6423, of the first train.
Frozen flag.
Santa's Elf.....
MOW truck, 11:06 a.m.
11:13 a.m. southbound headed by UP 4863.
Passing trains on a cold day at 11:15 a.m., one headed by UP 5835, the other by UP 4863.
UP 9765.
Lots of train action.
Good ole' MKT 16085 red KATY gondola framed by good ole' UP yellow.
MKT hopper again.
SP 337735 Southern Pacific gondola.
Passing the coal train southbound.
AEPX 30253 coal hopper.
Empty coal train finally moves north at 11:38 a.m.
KCS 4693 'Belle' heading a mixed northbound at 1:20 p.m. Lots of different locomotive roadnames today. I think only CSX and CP were absent today.
KCS 4693, UP 4376.
CP Rail hoppers.
UP 7177, 1:31 p.m. northbound.
UP 8460.
It felt as cold as it looks.
Clouds were thickening for an upcoming rain event tonight.
Ice damage.
UP 4796, 2:04 p.m.
Another family was at the station at 2:04 p.m. I was the only railfan here and was about to get a surprise 'catch'.
UP 1998.
UP 7052 with a varied consist on a northbound stack train, 2:30 p.m.
UP 7052 and TFM 1615.
KCS Belle 4108, rather colorful lashup.
Pigeons. I didn't have any breadcrumbs today.
This train, headed by UP 4344, had an unexpected locomotive in its consist, which you'll see in the next photo. It's 3:01 p.m.
UP 4344, 4021 and Bush unit 4141. The Bush unit had just gone southbound a couple of days before on a light engine move to Houston from North Little Rock, presumably because the former President George H. W. Bush, Sr. had been in intensive care in a hospital there. However, he was released from the ICU and his health had improved, so 4141 returned to North Little Rock. So maybe the rumors all these years were true, that UP and the Bush family were keeping this unit in storage for a possible memorial train someday. It also proves that you can't move a locomotive secretly. I think its a great idea, but also glad that day may be years away. It does prove that 4141 is in working order.
Another great locomotive to catch is UP/Rio Grande 1900, even though it's a staple around here in yard service. 3:24 p.m. Of course, it has the UP patch, but viewing from the front, you'd think we're in Colorado.
UP 1959 and 1900. This was one of the regular yard movements between North Little Rock and the former Rock Island's Biddle Yard in south Little Rock.
A happy wave from a small fan. The girl and her mother had just parked to watch a few trains.
BNSF 4736, 3:53 p.m. northbound.
BNSF 4828 and NS 8023. I love the variety of motive power here at times.
More trains on the way with green and yellow signals northbound.
What? Another BNSF trackage rights train, headed by BNSF 4585 at 4:25 p.m.
BNSF 5965 and 4104.
Pipes.
CN 2266, 4:37 p.m.
CN 5778.
CN 5778 and 2266.
Yellow southbound signals at 4:47 p.m.
Southbound at 4:52 p.m.
UP 6964, 4:53 p.m.
New white tankcars.
The Arkansas State Capitol was still lit up for the Christmas season today, December 30.
Jump ahead now to New Years Eve at 11:13 p.m. for the last northbound Amtrak Texas Eagle arriving in 2012 It was about 30 minutes early.
The red signal reflected in the white snow.
Pretty good crowd for New Year's Eve.
An ambulance was waiting at the station, reason unknown.
Union Station has a large catering/banquet facility inside and there was a New Year's Eve party going on. Yes, I walked through the crowd but didn't stay long. At least I can say I went to a party...lol.
Union Station taken from my car about midnight.