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Arkansas Railroad Museum

Arkansas Railroad Museum is housed in the former repair shops of the Cotton Belt Railway in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Exhibits include steam locomotives, an impressive array of rolling stock, and displays of railroad memorabilia from various Arkansas and East Texas railroads. The main attraction of the museum is a restored steam locomotive (the Engine 819) built in 1942 by the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company. The cost of this engine in 1942 was $143,607; now equivalent to over two million dollars. This powerful locomotive dominated the rails for roughly 12 years before being replaced by diesel engines. It was donated to the city in 1955 and rested in Oakland Park until 1983 when the Cotton Belt Historical Society brought it out of the park. In 1986, it was undergone a complete restoration process, rebuilt cost was $140,000. The restored engine can pull 100 freight cars with ease and its mileage averages a mile per 15 gallons of oil.