Eight enormous drive wheels propelled the storied Engine 819, listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
The Arkansas Railroad Museum
Be Awed by the History and Sheer Scale of These Mechanical Giants
Steam engine 819, a 4-8-4 Northern-type locomotive was
the last built at the Pine Bluff yard. Along with the 1909 Baldwin-built 336, both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and they are housed at the Arkansas Railroad Museum. The collection includes several rare diesel locomotives, a complete steam wrecker train, cabooses, a snow plow and other examples from the railroad era of yesteryear.
Also housed in the vast structure are collections of railroad memorabilia and a working scale-model railroad layout.
The Arkansas Railroad Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00AM until 2:00PM. (Hours may be curtailed during extreme outdoor temperatures.) Call ahead for special guided tours. Location is 1700 Port Road, just off U.S. Highway 65B. Phone 870.535.8819 or visit the official website.
A highlight of the museum’s annual calendar is Railroadiana, held on the first Saturday of every April. As the largest exhibition of railroad-related items in Arkansas, the event is fun for the entire family. On display and for sale are collections of vintage railroad memorabilia, and for rail modelers, scale model trains, track sections and accessories. Fans of N, HO, O or G scales will surely find something of interest. Visitors can observe model railroad club “engineers” operating trains on their working modular layouts. Plan to come early and spend the day. Door prizes are awarded during the show.
