Locomotives numbers: UP 3860, 9367, 4228, 3908, 7065, 7524, 6433, 3794, 5680, 9760, 7895, 4843, 5930, 6221 (ex-SP), 7296, 4548, 4741, 4742, 4526.
UP 3860, 7:29 a.m.
UP 9367.
UP 4228, 7:58 a.m.
UP 3908.
UPS truck trailers.
Amtrak Texas Eagle No. 21 southbound near it's stop at Union Station Little Rock at 8:06 a.m. Lead locomotive was AMTK 79 with seven Superliner passenger cars. The train was delayed by tornadoes around St. Louis the night before, so it was over 5 hours late.
Entering the Amtrak siding at 8:06 a.m.
8:07 a.m.
The train just stopped at 8:07 a.m. and Richard, the local Amtrak agent, was getting ready to load and unload baggage.
Passengers were getting off at 8:08 a.m. Some of these were getting off for a smoke break, since Amtrak trains are non-smoking. Believe it or not, had this train been on time at 3:02 a.m. instead of 8 a.m., many of these same passengers would be getting off for their smoke break regardless of the hour.
I zoomed to see more passengers. I chatted with a few of the them a little and they talked about being held in St Louis because of the tornado threat. Had the train been early, as it sometimes is, it would have waited here some days for over 30 minutes until it was time to leave. One night I saw some kids get off and run laps around the parking lot to vent energy.
A load of baggage.
A taxi waits.
A stack train passes northbound at 8:11 a.m.
Ditch lights were turned on at 8:17 a.m., meaning the Eagle was ready to resume its journey to Texarkana, Longview, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Texas, San Antonio and points in between. Three days a week, one of the sleeping cars and coaches are attached to the Sunset Limited in San Antonio destined for Los Angeles.
Leaving at 8:17 a.m.
The Sightseer Lounge dome car.
Peace and quiet return to Union Station.
A Killdeer bird at 8:25 a.m. right outside my car at the station.
A Mochingbird. (Thanks to Doug Hatman for that confirmation)
UP 7524, 8:38 a.m.
Two different shades of red Canadian Pacific hoppers, the first one being CP 384851.
CP 607564 Canada hopper.
CP 606797 Canada hopper.
SOO 75016 SOO Line hopper.
Grey HOKX 286234 tankcar.
Flatcar between two tankcars.
TILX 198656 Renewable Products Marketing Group tankcar.
Long 4-dome white tankcar, EUSX 448014.
Four blue-striped tankcars in a row, one being SHPX 43229.
Lots of new railroad ties.
New ties.
GAMX 97441 long gray tankcar.
Central Arkansas Transit streetcar 412 eastbound on Markham Street in downtown Little Rock between the 100+ year old renovated Capital Hotel and Marriott Hotel (former Peabody Hotel).
A streetcar seen from Ashley's Restaurant inside the Capital Hotel. This is a fine-dining facility.
A streetcar passes blooming tulips in front of the Capital Hotel. Storms the night before caused many tulips to be blown over. It's 10:15 a.m.
A streetcar on 2nd Street with colorful tulips in the foreground.
Back at Union Station at 11:09 a.m. ASAXEN 10605 hopper, Agri Industries hopper.
Another train passing the gondolas with the sand at 11:10 a.m. with UP 6433 leading.
UP 6422, 11:10 a.m.
UP 3794 and 7065.
CMO 265204 Union Pacific Building America hopper.
UP 5680, 11:22 a.m.
UP 9760, 11:33 a.m.
Another northbound passing at 11:34 a.m.
UP 7895, 11:34 a.m.
UP 4843.
GAMX 874 and two other Wisconsin Central hoppers.
Back downtown for lunch, looking at overhead wires for the streetcars next to the new Residence Inn Marriott on 3rd Street in the River Market of Little Rock.
More overhead wires.
A streetcar coming toward me on 3rd Street. It's about to go under the busy Interstate-30 overpass.
The grass has become very green here. You can see the highway signs to the left, one pointing to I-30 north to North Little Rock and its' intersection with I-40 and the other pointing to I-30 south to Texarkana and Texas. I-30 is a relatively short interstate, going only from North Little Rock to Fort Worth. The streetcar line goes under I-30 to get to the President Clinton Library and Park, which has lots of tourists, and is one reason Little Rock got the streetcar system.
Back at Union Station at 1:38 p.m., UP 5930 passes.
UP 6221, former SP.
UP 7296.
UP 4548, 2:20 p.m.
UP 4741.
UP 4742, 2:27 p.m.
UP 4526.
WPHX 2??? long cylinder tankcar.
MKT 4461 hopper.
GATX 214007 long, new tankcar, built 3-14.
DVLX 2068 short tankcar, also new.
C&O 604884 Chessie System yellow short hopper, with the Chessie Sleeping Cat. The green sign says Shop Only, do not load. It was built in 4-79/