This spring’s train adventure centered around the Kansas City Southern in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

We began in Toronto, stopping in Deshler Ohio to pick up our fourth crew member. Then it was onwards along the Nickel Plate to Fort Wayne, and on down to St Louis and beyond.

The Nickel Plate is always a fun line to follow. We happened on NKP 765 getting ready for a spring shakedown run, just east of New Haven IN…..a good omen for what was to follow.

 

Trouble in Paradise

After overighting in Springfield MO, we found ourselves on the KCS at Neosho MO. Our morning trackside was productive, but the afternoon turned into a lull….and then more. The dark clouds that flew by us turned out to be a lethal storm that unleashed tornadoes across Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

Listening to the scanner, we heard the KCS dispatcher order all trains to “stop and take shelter in place”. The tone of his voice was ominous – the concern for the train crews, and the danger they were in, was obvious.

We headed south, driving through intense rain and lightning – fortunately missing some tornado strikes by about 25 miles.

 

On to Mena

We awoke the next morning to fine weather, but sad news on the TV: recounting the fatalities and devastation of the previous night’s storm. We realised we had been lucky to have been a little bit off the storm’s path.

The KCS was back in operation, and for the next four days we ventured up and down the line, getting down as far as DeQueen AR, collecting some nice shots and observing on how the railroad operated.

Folks were friendly everywhere we went, as were the train crews. People seemed to be getting by in Arkansas – there was little affluence, but also little of the desperate poverty we’d seen the previous fall in West Virginia. We found plenty of proud people making ends meet as best they could, and plenty of abandoned homes and businesses where folks had gone bust and moved on.

Mena Depot

Mena has done a fine job of preserving its old depot. We spent lots of time there. It didn’t hurt that there was a good restaurant, with a view of the tracks, right behind the station! KCS came through with some fine action.

Hanging out at the depot, watching trains, is a lost pleasure. It was nice to step back into another age, and relive the experience.

 

Rich Mountain

It goes without saying that Rich Mountain is a dramatic bit of railroading. We put a lot of miles on the car running up and down the mountain. It was driving time well spent.

 

Home again

In good time, we had to pack up the car and head for home. On the way back, we detoured a little along the Frisco west of St Louis.

The Missouri segment was a contrast to Arkansas…..Missouri folks were decidedly downbeat. We saw much more ‘redneck’ gear in Missouri….but the camo clothing was upscale designer wear. There were more new ATV’s on the back of expensive pickup trucks. It was a cautionary tale in happiness versus affluence.

We retraced our route through St Louis, flew across Illinois, and continued over to the Indiana Railroad at Jasonville IN. A little south of Jasonville, we stumbled on a former Amtrak Rohr Turbo, rotting in the weeds at a scrapyard.

After overnighting in Indianapolis, it was back to the Nickel Plate, a quick stop in Deshler, and on to Ontario.

The grafitti on NCUX 12352 said it all – nothing like living the dream!