The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad, A Shortline Offering Passenger Service In Northwestern Arkansas

The history of the Arkansas & Missouri’s 140-mile route between Fort Smith and Monett dates back to the Frisco. The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, commonly known as simply the Frisco has a storied history of two halves. During the railroad’s first 60 years it had a very interesting and tumultuous history going through a number of name changes and bankruptcies (resulting in so many names). However, after its final name as the St. Louis-San Francisco, the railroad did quite well and prospered for its last 60+ years of operation before becoming part of the large Burlington Northern system in the very early 1980s.

The Frisco’s attention to its property would carry on throughout the rest of its life and a driving force behind shedding its history as a bankrupt-prone company to one that earned healthy profits and revenues. This began in the 1950s when it opened a high tech “Hump” yard in Memphis (whereby an inclined track and computer-controlled switches guided cars into their correct staging track), expedited freight trains across its major markets, consolidating operations, began run-through freights with other carriers (which meant Frisco locomotives were used to haul a train across foreign rails and vice-versa, known as “pooling” or “pooling power”) and was able to rid itself of its money-losing passenger operations in the late 1960s (while it always maintained its passenger operations with class the Frisco understood it was a losing battle and protested the ICC until it was able to drop all passenger service, the first large railroad to do so before Amtrak in 1971).

The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad currently offers three different excursion trips, using vintage heavyweight passenger cars and one, lightweight streamlined parlor car built in the 1950s. According to the railroad their three different excursions include:

This day-long, 134 mile round trip includes a three-hour layover in Historical Van Buren where you can study the historic downtown architecture, enjoy shopping at over 80 stores or dine at several fine restaurants.

The three-hour, 70 mile round trip excursion takes you through the ruggedly beautiful Boston Mountain range of the Ozarks, over three valley trestles and through the 1700-foot long Winslow tunnel for some of the most breathtaking scenery you are likely to see in 'The Natural State.'

Enjoy a four-hour excursion with a riverfront experience as you travel over the Arkansas River Bridge to the scenic Boston Mountain range of the Ozarks. Departs at 11:00 am on Saturdays January-March.

Also, for the railfans out there, while the A&M does not operate steam locomotives it does roster an all-Alco (American Locomotive Company) fleet of diesel locomotives! Their roster is below:

· #12, #14-#18 – Alco T-6 (Originally Norfolk & Western Railway and Pennsylvania Railroad)

· #20 – Alco RS1

· #30 – Alco RS32 (Originally New York Central)

· #32, #34 – Alco C424 (Originally Belt Railway of Chicago)

· #44, #46, #48, #50, #52, #54, #56, #58, #60, #62, #64, #66, #68 – Alco C420 (Originally Seaboard Air Line, Lehigh & Hudson River, and Lehigh Valley)

· #70, #72, #74, #76 – Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) M420 (Originally Canadian National)

· #600, #604 – Alco C424 (Originally Belt Railway of Chicago)

All in all, a trip aboard the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad is quite an experience, aside from just the great scenery. Riding aboard the railroad will also offer you the rare experience of actually getting to see a working freight railroad in action, something not afforded on most other excursion trains!

For more information on tourist trains like those offered by the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad you might want to consider the book Empire State Railway Museum's Tourist Trains 2006 from the Empire State Railway Museum. Given excellent reviews this guidebook covers nearly all of the tourist railroads and museums operating in the country in fine detail. So, if you’re interested in locating a tourist train or railroad near you, or simply want to know more about a particular one, you will certainly not be disappointed in Empire State Railway Museum’s guidebook to tourist railroads and museums. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit The Railroad Diamond by clicking the tab in the menu to your left marked "TRD Store".