I'm looking to the east along US Highway 70 in Lonoke, Arknasas early morning on September 27, 2008. You can see the semaphore (in this case a train order signal) to the left of the depot. I sometimes imagine a Rock Island train stopping here.
From Tom Balzen via email on September 30: "The semaphore is actually a train order signal. The operator on duty would set the signal to the stop position if he had orders to pass up to the crew. Train order signals as well as operation by train orders are both now things of the fairly distant past. The train order signal at Lonoke looks like a semaphore but it is not a signal controlling train operation. Its position/setting was strictly to let the crew know that orders were to be picked up at that station. If the operator was not on the platform with the staff to hoop up the orders or if the orders were not put on a permanent staff installed for that purpose, the train then had to stop and get the orders.
The train order signals at Lonoke are both set to stop, i.e., orders are to be picked up. Normally the train order signals would be set to proceed unless the dispatcher issued orders to the operator. When the operator received notice from the dispatcher the he intended to issue an order, the first thing the operator did was to set the signal appropriate for the direction the train would be approaching from to stop. The other signal would remain at proceed. This way, if the train arrived at the station before the orders were ready, he would have to stop. I have seen an exception to this, when there is a passing siding nearby. The dispatcher could issue orders for two trains, one expected to pass the station prior to meeting another train at the passing siding and the other for the train approaching from the other direction from the passing siding.
BTW, the dispatchers originally issued orders by Morse Code over telegraph lines, then by telephone over company owned wires in most cases. On the MoP, in Austin where I used to hang out with the local operator, the dispatcher occasionally would issue orders to the operator by Bell telephone landline. Usually when this was done, there was some problem with the company owned lines."
Looking to the west with a low, morning sun shining on the Lonoke depot. The tracks ran to the right of the station.
A little farther east. This caboose and boxcar were donated by UP shortly after the tracks were taken up in the 1980s. The tracks under the two cars were put back to hold the cars and are not original to the area. The small original section of track is located just to the right of the semaphore.
Between Carlisle and Hazen, Arkansas. This crossbuck sign was left in place. I'l standing close to the original main line of the Rock.
Section of original Rock Island track next to a silo just west of Hazen, September 27.
Yellow flowers along the right of way west of Hazen.
About 8 a.m. September 27 at Hazen, Arkansas, looking west. This depot was restored in the 1980s. The section of track here was put in after the original track was taken up in the 1980s. A block of original track remains to the right of the trees at left.
Another type of Rock Island signal, also at its original location. The motorcar has been here for 25 years.
The track on the other side of the road is original.
Jumping to late afternoon, September 27, on my wan back to Little Rock from Brinkley, these yellow flowers were all over this grassland. The silos in the distance are in Hazen and I'm looking to the east toward Hazen with an afternoon sun.
The area between Carlisle and Hazen is a natural area where the vegetation is original grassland. This was bought by the Nature Conversancy right after the Rock Island went bankrupt, sort of a pre-"rails-to-trails" path. The Rock Island ran right in the middle of this area.
Looking to the east between Hazen and Carlisle, Arkansas. The silos at Hazen are in the distance. Note the old railroad shelter.
