7:30 a.m. at 844's display site, behind UP's offices on 4th Street in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
RIGHT-The sun broke through briefly.
LEFT-A southbound passes our location at 8:14 a.m. with UP/Cotton Belt 1962 in the lead. RIGHT-UP 1966. That's the Baring Cross bridge across the Arkansas River in the background, and the Arkansas State Capitol.
LEFT-Red MKT gondola 16014. RIGHT-UP 7856 northbound arrives at 8:20 a.m. This site is off limits for photography except when a special train is parked in the area, like the 844 (to the right of the photo). They had to let these two trains pass before 844 could back across the bridge to the Amtrak Station (Union Station) to change tracks.
RIGHT-The Valley Eagle Heritage train begins its backup move across the river at 8:50 a.m.. It will change from Main 2 to Main 1 at milepost 346 in front of Union Station.
LEFT-844 let out a dense blanket of steam as it passed us backing up. I've included a video of this scene below. And yes, we were all pretty well steam-cleaned!
Direct link to the video at YouTube (larger picture):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldRVtlS2D_0
LEFT-Still backing to Union Station. RIGHT-Heading for Van Buren at 9:23 a.m. Departure was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. but railroads can be busy, as today was, and trains get delayed. UP had issued a press release this same day (April 23) stating that it had an all-time recored high income for the first quarter of 2010 (something like $516 million I believe) and the Little Rock and Van Buren Subs were busy.
LEFT-Cropped and enlarged view of the previous photo.
LEFT-9:25 a.m. RIGHT-North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays (left) and Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines (waving) got to ride 844. Pay Hays likes passenger trains and is the head of a nationwide group of mayors who support Amtrak and increased passenger rail service.
I drove to Russellville, Arkansas, about 1 1/2 hours west of Little Rock on I-40, to wait for the train there and get some views of the large crowd. It was 11 a.m. The Russellville Depot (former MoPac) is now a great museum.
RIGHT-Inside the depot museum at Russellville.
RIGHT-A school bus arrives at 11:09 a.m.
LEFT-Across the tracks at a restaurant housed in an old commuter car.
LEFT-UP 5720 passes at 11:32 a.m. westbound. RIGHT-Sharp-looking dogs.
LEFT-844 arrives at 11:48 a.m. in the rain.
11:52 a.m. April 23.
RIGHT-A fish in a lake a couple of miles west of Russellville on US 64. This is Illinois Bayou, which is part of the Arkansas River system.
LEFT-You can see 844 and its Valley Eagle passenger train across Illinois Bayou at 12:26 p.m. RIGHT-Crossing the bridge across Illinois Bayou at 12:28 p.m. April 23, 2010, heading for Van Buren, Arkansas. The Arkansas River is on the other side of this bridge. Also, Arkansas Nuclear One, a 1970s nuclear power plant still in operation, is to the right of the bridge. There was no way to get the power plant and train in the same shot unless you waited on US 64 in the right lane.
Cropped photo of 844 on the bridge.
Here's a video of the train crossing:
Direct link to the video at YouTube (larger picture):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udguHklJ9Us