Favorite Rail Photos

My Favorite MoPac Depots on Little Rock District
The Old Depot Poem

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Bonita, LA depot where Mr. A. R. Lambert worked as depot agent for many years, this is the first depot I remember anything about, I used to go there during WWll and talk with the train order operators. I never worked in the depot when I was with the railroad, but always wanted to work at least one day in my hometown.

Mer Rouge, LA the first depot was constructed in the early 1900s as a two story structure, later torn down prior to WWll; Agent and operators were moved to the freight station, located about two blocks south, which was on a raised 3 1/2 foot platform, in turn it was remodeled in about 1955-56 and lowered to ground level and painted blue and gray instead of yellow as it's predecessors.Picture is of last depot.The wooden train order rack was on far side of main track, the wood peckers occasionally filled the holes in the rack with pecans and acorns, making it difficult to insert the trainorder hoop in the rack because the hole was already full. I kept an icepick handy to dig them out.

Dermott, AR depot constructed in 1913 by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Ry Co. It was a beautiful large depot constructed in an "L" shape in downtown Dermott, perhaps the best depot on the district. It has been torn down and only a historical plaque remains. I worked my first railroad job there 1100 PM Jan 2, 1948.

Wilmot, AR depot was a simple structure built near the turn of the century. John T. Murphree was agent there during WWll and several years afterward. He was followed by his wife Ms. Effie Murphree who was agent. I have fond memories of working third trick at Wilmot, often visited during the night by the city marshal (Englith). Wilmot was a nice town with a theatre, drug store, etc. and beautiful Lake Enterprise just west of the depot.

THE OLD DEPOT
The old depot stands all alone,
Down by the railroad tracks.
There's not a bit of life around,
Not even some old mail sacks.
It once made life for this little town,
When people rode the trains,
The telegraph instruments now are gone,
and its loss to me brings pains.
The march of time has bowed it out,
and leaves me in distress,
Because all the trains go whizzing by
The old depot that's now a mess.
The wreckers will be coming soon,
to tear down this old landmark.
No vestige of it will then be seen,
Only a spot that's smooth and dark.
By E. H. Tostenson
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	Bonita, LA depot where Mr. A. R. Lambert worked as depot agent for many years, this is the first depot I remember anything about, I used to go there during WWll and talk with the train order operators. I never worked in the depot when I was with the railroad, but always wanted to work at least one day in my hometown.
	Mer Rouge, LA the first depot was constructed in the early 1900s as a two story structure, later torn down prior to WWll; Agent and operators were moved to the freight station, located about two blocks south, which was on a raised 3 1/2 foot platform, in turn it was remodeled in about 1955-56 and lowered to ground level and painted blue and gray instead of yellow as it's predecessors.Picture is of last depot.The wooden train order rack was on far side of main track, the wood peckers occasionally filled the holes in the rack with pecans and acorns, making it difficult to insert the trainorder hoop in the rack because the hole was already full. I kept an icepick handy to dig them out.
	Dermott, AR depot constructed in 1913 by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Ry Co. It was a beautiful large depot constructed in an "L" shape in downtown Dermott, perhaps the best depot on the district. It has been torn down and only a historical plaque remains. I worked my first railroad job there 1100 PM Jan 2, 1948.
	Wilmot, AR depot was a simple structure built near the turn of the century. John T. Murphree was agent there during WWll and several years afterward. He was followed by his wife Ms. Effie Murphree who was agent. I have fond memories of working third trick at Wilmot, often visited during the night by the city marshal (Englith). Wilmot was a nice town with a theatre, drug store, etc. and beautiful Lake Enterprise just west of the depot.