Hi Folks, Just joined the forum. I'm researching past passenger train service to cities where my relatives live or lived. My brother lived in the Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas areas but isn't sure what passenger trains he might have seen during the early 1950's and 1960's when he was a boy and teenager. My research shows that the MKT/Frisco Texas Special and/or the Frisco Meteor probably ran through one or both cities during above years. Could someone please verify? Thanks! Dave USAF (Retired)
The Texas Special ran over in Oklahoma The Meteorite Connection train serviced both cities. In Fort Smith you would have also seen some Missouri Pacific Eagles run though Fort Smith and my home town of Van Buren. Possible a small amount of Kansas City Southern? I know mostly of Frisco operations as for the other smaller roads they ran locals around the area. Hope this will help. Ship it on the Firsco!!! Murphy Millican
Dave Until 31 Jan 58 there was a daily passenger train between Monett, Mo., and Paris, Tex. After that date the train only ran from Monett as far as Fort Smith, lasting until 9/65. It always connected in Monett with the Meteor to and from St. Louis, and until summer 1963 (I think -- if I weren't so lazy I'd look it up) carried a through Pullman car between St. Louis and Fort Smith (through Fayetteville) on an overnight schedule that left both ends around 6pm and arrived at the other end around 8am. It lasted longer than many trains of its ilk, especially in carrying a Pullman, partly because there was quite a lot of active commerce in Fort Smith and also because it still made good connections in St. Louis to Chicago and to the East Coast. Gordon
Thanks all for the info. Altho Frisco passenger trains' went through Fayetteville up to 1965, none of them were named trains. So guess I'll stick with "generic" Frisco passenger cars for layout.
