Hibblen Radio - Rock Island

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(Page 2 of 3 on Rock Island depots and trackage, here looking at areas west of Little Rock)

WEST OF LITTLE ROCK

The old Rock Island track heading west out of Little Rock is pretty amazing. While Memphis to Little Rock is very flat, after crossing the Arkansas River, it becomes much more hilly. There is also a scenic stretch where it parallels the Arkansas River. I can only imagine how incredible it must have been to ride this line in a passenger train. Fortunately, this part of the Rock Island's mainline to Oklahoma is still there and in use, thanks to the short line railroad the Little Rock and Western. It was created to serve clients along the track after the Rock Island's demise, running between Little Rock and Danville, a distance of about 80 miles. Below is a westbound LRWN train in 2003 at a crossing near Pinnacle Mountain State Park, which the Rock Island track cuts straight through. The line also still has the old Rock Island block signals at regular intervals, with the one below where the track runs alongside Highway 300, approaching the town of Roland.


This block signal's fuse box is also still there and includes its old batteries and tags, now covered in cobwebs. There was also a tattered maintenance log of when the batteries were checked by the railroad, with dates going back to 1965.


ROLAND: This is a very picturesque community that seems like it was built around the railroad, with many homes facing the tracks. Below the same Little Rock and Western freight train slowly cuts through the town. I also noted that there was an old Rock Island hopper car included in the train, with the old The Rock logo partially painted over. There is also a second track through this area.

To the left, the train is just outside of Roland, at a crossing where Highway 300 veers away from the track.

PERRY DEPOT:

Perry is where the Little Rock and Western is headquartered, with a machine shop built behind the old depot and, on this day in July 2004, engine 101 sticking its nose out. There are quite a few relics here, including the old semaphore signals, a "The Rock" sign on the side of the depot and a great old railroad crossing with a "Stop On Red Signal" sign, like I've only seen in old pictures from elsewhere.

OLA DEPOT:

This depot, shown to the right in a postcard image taken in 1983, remains in pretty bad shape. When I visited it in July 2004, it had recently been painted. Before that it was covered in graffiti. Note that the path for baggage carts over the tracks that leads to the depot remains. Also, the triangle shaped block signal is pretty unique. The only other one I know of in Arkansas was at the Hazen depot.

DANVILLE DEPOT:

I'm not sure if this depot is still standing. If it is I couldn't find it when I passed through, but wanted to include this postcard of it with a photo taken in 1983. Danville is where the old Rock Island tracks end today for the Little Rock and Western. West of here the line was taken up in the mid-1980's.

BELLEVILLE:

Despite the fact that the rails no longer cut through Belleville, these crossings remain as a monument to the Rock Island. Perhaps the town wanted to mark where a major railroad carrying so many passengers came through. Just west of the crossing is a post office, exactly where the tracks were.

BOONEVILLE DEPOT:

Unfortunately, the Booneville depot, shown to the right in a postcard image taken in 1983, burned down several years ago. The rock columns and part of the frame do still remain however. I haven't been able to photograph that yet, but have seen images of what it looks like now on Ken Ziegenbein's web site. What a shame. The Spanish mission style was quite unique compared to other Rock Island stations in Arkansas