Steam Locomotive Stops in Paragould
From the Jonesboro Sun
Transcribed by: Sandy Hardin
By Amanda Harris
PARAGOULD -- The Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985 steam locomotive made its way
through Northeast Arkansas Friday morning, making a brief stop in Paragould and
later in Hickory Ridge.
The world's largest operating locomotive is making a 9-state winter tour which
began in Cheyenne, Wyo. At its half-way point, it will be on display in Houston,
Texas, during Super Bowl activities.
The Union Pacific-owned locomotive weighs more than one million pounds and has
drive wheels which measure six feet in diameter and allow it to reach speeds of
more than 70 miles per hour.
It holds 25,000 gallons of water. Originally built as a coal burner, the engine
has been converted to use oil.
Built for fast freight in 1943, and also used for passenger service, the
locomotive was retired in 1959 and was displayed in Cheyenne until a group of
Union Pacific employees restored it to operating condition, doing the work on
their own time.
It has been used for special excursion services ever since.
On what turned out to be a cold Friday morning, the train left Bernie, Mo.,
about 10 minutes after 8, making its way through Malden, Mo., Piggott, Rector
and Marmaduke before reaching Paragould about 9:30.
Many of the 100 or so people waited near the railroad tracks in the downtown
Paragould area rushed toward the engine as it crept to a stop in the brisk air.
Children and adults alike posed for pictures near the engine, with those photos
destined to become mementos that likely will be tucked away in albums and handed
down for generations to come.
Paragould residents seemed especially excited to catch a glimpse of the Super
Bowl-bound train, which made a brief stop in the Greene County town. The Sun
learned the impromptu stop was a gesture meant to pay tribute to Paragould and
its railroad heritage.
The Greene County city was established in 1882 when two railroads decided to
build lines through the county that intersected at the spot that has become
Paragould.
One of those lines -- the St. Louis and Missouri Pacific -- was headed by
railroad baron Jay Gould, and the other by J.W. Paramore. The latter was called
the Cottonbelt, previously known as the Texas and St. Louis Railroad.
Gould and Paramore agreed to construct the railroad lines to ship cotton from
Texas to St. Louis.
When it came time to select a name for the town that sprang up around the
junction of the two lines, officials agreed to take the first syllable from each
of the railroad men's names, creating Paragould.
In the 122 years since, the people of Paragould have not forgotten their
heritage.
Friday's short visit from the Challenger was a reminder for many of the city's
beginnings.
Paragould resident Kimberly Warmath braved below-freezing temperatures so that
her son, 4-year-old Noah, could see the locomotive.
"It was absolutely impressive," Warmath said, noting that she let
little Noah "play hooky" from pre-school Friday morning to experience
the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Warmath and her family are train enthusiasts, she said, explaining her family
has ridden trains at Branson, Nashville and the Grand Canyon, as well as visited
the train exhibit at the St. Louis Museum of Transportation.
Christa Gamble, a Paragould resident and the executive director of the Greene
County Community Fund, called the Challenger's visit "a historical
moment."
The 122-foot-long steam locomotive, followed by eight cars, made its way through
Brookland and Jonesboro at mid-morning Friday. It was scheduled for an 11 a.m.
maintenance stop at Hickory Ridge, and an overnight stop in Pine Bluff.