Scanned Slides of the Reader Railroad
by Mike Condren
| In the early 1960s the Reader Railroad in southwestern Arkansas began running mixed trains behind steam. Here we see the engine and the freight cars for its train in Jan. 1964. |
 |
 |
| Here we see the engine switching the Barry Asphalt plant at Waterloo, AR, showing the very polluted ground covered with spilled asphalt. |
 |
| Here we see Reader 1702 in Waterloo, AR. |
 |
| In Feb, 1970, friends Tony Marchiando and Bill Welch accompanied me from Rolla to Reader for a ride. If I remember correctly, Tony got a cab ride from Reader to Waterloo. Here we see the train returning from the interchange with the freight cars for our mixed train. |
 |
| Here we see 2-6-2 #108 switching the loading tracks at the refinery at Waterloo. Bill is barely seen at the right side of the photo. |
 |
| Reader 2-8-0 #1702 is seen switching the MP connection in Reader, AR before heading to Waterloo with the mixed train. |
 |
| This is my view of the ride to Waterloo on top of the tender of Reader #1702. |
 |
| Reader #1702 is seen switching the refinery at Waterloo. |
 |
| My favorite Reader engine was their 1702. It was built for the U S Army in Sept. 1942, the month I was born. The Reader got the engine from the Warren & Saline River where I first saw it in Sept. 1961. |
 |
| During the years of passenger operations, I made several trips to "Ride the Reader". This trip drew #108 as our power. |
 |
| Here we see Reader #1702 running through the typical forest land through which the railroad ran on its way to the refinery at Waterloo. |
 |
Construction Zone |
 |
Watch Your Step |
This page was designed and is maintained by Mike Condren.
If you have materials
that you would like to contribute, contact me at mcondren@cbu.edu