I understand that the Cotton Belt Historical Society operates a museum out of the old Cotton Belt shops, in Pine Bluff Arkansas.

Can anyone comment on this museum operation, I understand they operated the 819 for some time, however I assume the locomotive is stored in the shops building. Is there a list of equipment currently owned or stored in this location, and do they occupy the entire remaining shop complex ?

Just curious to know a little bit more about the operation.

There are only two St. Louis-Southwestern (Cotton Belt) locomotives still in existance; 4-8-4 # 819 and 2-6-0 # 336. The Pine Bluff group has both.

Les

I am curious as to if they have any passenger cars or other equipment stored in the old Pine Bluff shops. Seems like a very large building, and just wondering what equipment that museum owns, and operates. I can;t find any information other than the 819 on their website.

Was the large building they occupy adjacent to the transfer table donated to them by the Cotton Belt, UP etc etc ? How long have they been in existance ?

thanks

I can add a little information, but not too much. We visited Pine Bluff in June of 1997, and the 819 organization was set up at the shop, and they were permitting visitors at that time.

The 819 and the smaller Cotton Belt loco were stored inside the shop, along with a group of passenger cars. I would guess that there were upwards of a dozen passenger cars.

I believe that everything was kept indoors. My recollection is that there was one car or loco, per stall, with each stall leading out to the transfer table.

The 819 and the passenger cars seemed to be in very good shape, from what I could tell. The smaller engine appeared to have been a recent acquisition, and had had some preliminary disassembly performed on it.

That's about the only relevant stuff that I can recall.

John Redden

I believe at the time of its acquisition, the plan was to restore SSW #336 to operational status. Not sure why this was not done. Perhaps because UP pulled the plug on operation of Northern 819 over UP rails. This is a shame because the 336, if restored, could have been run for a fraction of the cost of firing up the 4-8-4. It might also have generated some income from visitors if a short run around the Pine Bluff Shops could have been set up.

Actually the Mogul was much more of a "typical" Cotton Belt steamer that the 819 was. I believe that the St. Louis Southwestern had more 2-6-0's on their roster than any other steam locomotive type. The railroad did not have any 2-8-2's (the "normal" steam freight locomotive) and not many Consolidations either as I recall. The Mogul was THE freight locomotive on the SSW until the 4-8-4's were built.

Maybe someone can tell us what the story is. Was the 336 found "not restorable?" Was there just no interest? Was the group waiting for UP to relent its revoking of trips with the 819 over their rails? Or what?

Les