The Arkansas Railroad Museum is located on Port Road in Pine Bluff, Arkansas at the former Cotton Belt (SSW) yard.
History[]
The former SSW shops are occupied by the historic collection of railroad equipment. This museum is about an hour's drive from Little Rock, AR, and is one of the largest displays of historic railroad equipment in Arkansas. The Museum is operated by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society and local volunteers.
Locomotive Roster[]
| Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Cotton Belt No. 819 | Pine Bluff Shops | 1943 | 4-8-2 "Mountain" | |
 |
Cotton Belt No. 336 | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1909 | 2-6-0 "Mogul" | It is in poor condition and will be cosmetically restored. This locomotive is also listed on the National Register. |
 |
Union Pacific No. 2907 | ALCO (American Locomotive Company) | 1966 | C-630 | |
 |
Central Texas Gravel Locomotive No. 210 | General Electric | 1953 | GE 25-ton switcher | It was acquired by the museum in 2005, with plans to use it for moving rolling stock within its facilities. |
| frameless | Lake Superior and Ishpeming 2300 | General Electric | GE U23C | ||
 |
Wabash Alloys Locomotive | General Electric | GE 25-ton switcher | ||
 |
ATSF No. 843 | ALCO | 1960 | RSD-15 | |
| frameless | Little Rock and Western No. 102 | ALCO | C-420 | ||
| frameless | KLIX No. 2003 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD GP20 | ||
| frameless | West Tennessee No. 2054 | ALCO | RSD-12 | ||
| frameless | Cotton Belt No. 5006 | Electro-Motive Division | EMD GP30 |
Trivia[]
- The Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM and on Sunday afternoon by appointment.
- The equipment is mostly housed in the former SSW shops, which was the main heavy repair and erection shop for SSW during the steam era.
- The transfer table is used to move exhibits from time to time. The best time to see the exhibits outside is the first weekend in April (unless that weekend is Easter) when the Museum has its annual show. Many of the exhibits are taken outside so that tables can be set up inside the museum for vendors.
- The Arkansas Railroad Museum is most famous for stabling SSW #819, it was the last steam locomotive built by the Cotton Belt.