Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Pine Bluff, Arkansas · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Railroad museumLimited weekly hours; call ahead before driving in

The Arkansas Railroad Museum fills the old St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) heavy repair shops in Pine Bluff with one of the largest collections of historic railroad equipment in Arkansas, led by Cotton Belt 819, the last steam locomotive the railroad ever built.

  • Home of Cotton Belt steam engine 819
  • Inside the former SSW heavy repair shops
  • Showing rail history since 1983
  • Several National Register listed pieces
  • Annual show in early April
  • Run by volunteers

Arkansas Railroad Museum at a glance

Hours
Limited days each week (long listed as Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm); other times by appointment. Call to confirm.
Admission
Not clearly posted online; call (870) 535-8819
Seasonal events
Annual show, first weekend in April (unless Easter)
Plan for
About 1 to 2 hours
Best for
Steam fans, diesel fans and kids who like to climb aboard
Best ages
Ages 4 and up

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Arkansas Railroad Museum? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Pine Bluff.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

The Cotton Belt shop that never stopped holding locomotives

Pine Bluff was a Cotton Belt town. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway, known everywhere by its Cotton Belt Route nickname, kept its main heavy repair and erection shop here during the steam era, the place where big locomotives were rebuilt and put back on the road. The museum now occupies those same shops on Port Road, at the old SSW yard, about an hour's drive from Little Rock.

The most famous resident is Cotton Belt 819, a 4-8-4 built in Pine Bluff in 1942 and the last steam locomotive the railroad built. Volunteers returned the 819 to operation in 1986, and it pulled excursions until the early 1990s. It is out of service today, but it remains the heart of the collection, along with a set of historic passenger cars, including lightweight equipment, that were gathered to run behind it. The engine is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum has been sharing the rail story of Jefferson County and the rest of Arkansas since 1983. It is operated by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society and local volunteers, who have kept adding to the roster over the years: an early Baldwin steam engine, a complete steam relief train, big six-axle diesels, cabooses, a wartime guard car and a snow plow, several of them listed on the National Register in their own right.

A shop floor full of steam, diesels and a relief train

Most of the equipment sits indoors in the old shop building, which still has its pits, massive overhead cranes and heavy tools from the days when the Cotton Belt rebuilt engines here. On the east side of the shops is a working transfer table that crews still use to shift exhibits around. Railroad memorabilia from various Arkansas railroads fills out the displays, and there is a gift shop.

Beyond the 819, look for Cotton Belt 336, a 1909 Baldwin Mogul, and the Cotton Belt relief train, led by a 200-ton Industrial Brownhoist steam crane with its boom car, generator flat, kitchen car, tool car and crew sleeper. Diesel fans will find Union Pacific 2907 (an Alco C-630), Cotton Belt GP30 5006, a GE U23C from the Lake Superior and Ishpeming, Santa Fe RSD-15 843 and two GE 25-ton switchers. Cabooses, a 1947 car named Apple Blossom, a Budd baggage dorm called Pegasus and a WWII hospital car round out the roster.

Don’t miss

  1. Cotton Belt 819A 4-8-4 built in Pine Bluff in 1942, the last steam locomotive the Cotton Belt built, restored to run in 1986 and listed on the National Register.
  2. Cotton Belt Relief TrainA full wreck and relief train, from the 200-ton steam crane to the kitchen car and crew sleeper, listed on the National Register as a set.
  3. Cotton Belt 336A 1909 Baldwin D3 Mogul, also on the National Register, waiting on cosmetic restoration.
  4. The shop building and transfer tableLook up at the overhead cranes and out to the still operable transfer table: the building is an artifact too.
  5. Union Pacific 2907An Alco C-630, one of the heavyweight diesels that shows how railroading changed after steam.
  6. G56 Guard CarAn ACF hospital car from World War II, listed on the National Register.

Climbing aboard real engines

The museum describes itself as a hands-on railroad history experience, and kids can climb aboard many of the cars and engines for a close look. Cabooses, a diesel or two and the huge relief crane tend to hold small attention spans, and the indoor shop setting keeps much of the visit out of the rain and sun.

This is a working shop building rather than a polished gallery, so keep a hand on younger children around steps, pits and grab irons. School-age kids who like big machines will get the most out of it.

Plan your visit: tips for Arkansas Railroad Museum

  • Call (870) 535-8819 before you go; hours are short and can change.
  • Visits outside regular hours can be arranged by appointment.
  • Come for the April show to see many pieces pulled outside into daylight.
  • Plan on about an hour's drive from Little Rock.

The Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society

The Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society and local volunteers run the museum and look after a collection that would fill most rail yards. A visit, a purchase in the gift shop or a donation helps keep the shop roof over these engines, and the museum's Facebook page is the easiest place to ask how to lend a hand.

More rail history within a few hours of Pine Bluff

The Missouri Pacific Depot Museum in Newport is about 103 miles away, and the Cotton Belt Depot Museum in Texarkana, about 130 miles southwest, continues the Cotton Belt story. Across the river, the Mississippi Delta railroad history exhibits are about 80 miles east. See all the train museums in Arkansas for more.

Every train museum in Arkansas

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a dad lifting Rally the corgi up the big stairs of a red train car
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Engine 819 is a giant, and I can already picture my kids staring up at those cab steps. Rally knows that feeling. In our book his little corgi legs cannot manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. Every family who climbs aboard something huge with a small person knows that boost. If your crew wants to keep the train going at home, our coloring pages are free.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Arkansas Railroad Museum?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Arkansas Railroad Museum: 20 questions before your Pine Bluff visit

Where is the Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff?

The Arkansas Railroad Museum is at 1700 Port Rd, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71601, in the former Cotton Belt (St. Louis Southwestern) yard and shops. It is about an hour's drive from Little Rock. Put the Port Road address in your GPS, and call (870) 535-8819 if you need directions to the shop entrance.

What are the Arkansas Railroad Museum hours?

The museum keeps limited hours, long listed as Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, with other times arranged by appointment. Because a volunteer group runs it and the website does not spell out a current schedule clearly, call (870) 535-8819 or message the museum's Facebook page before you make the drive.

How much does it cost to visit the Arkansas Railroad Museum?

The museum does not post a clear admission price on its website. Call (870) 535-8819 or email info@arkansasrailroadmuseum.org to ask about current admission and whether donations are welcome at the door. Bring a little cash just in case, since the gift shop and donation box both help the volunteers who keep the collection going.

What is in the Arkansas Railroad Museum collection?

The collection includes Cotton Belt steam locomotives 819 and 336, a complete Cotton Belt steam relief train with a 200-ton crane, and a long list of diesels such as Union Pacific 2907, Cotton Belt 5006 and Santa Fe 843. There are also cabooses, passenger and baggage cars, a WWII hospital car, a snow plow and Arkansas railroad memorabilia.

Is there an Arkansas Railroad Museum roster of locomotives?

Yes, the roster is long. Steam: Cotton Belt 819 (4-8-4, 1942) and 336 (Baldwin Mogul, 1909), plus the tender of sister engine 814. Diesels: UP 2907 C-630, LS&I 2300 U23C, SSW 5006 GP30, LR&W 102 C420, KLIX 2003 GP20, West Tennessee 2054 RSD-12, AT&SF 843 RSD-15 and two GE 25-tonners.

What is Cotton Belt 819 at the Arkansas Railroad Museum?

Cotton Belt 819 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive built in Pine Bluff in 1942, and it was the last steam locomotive the Cotton Belt built. Volunteers restored it to operation in 1986 and it ran excursions until the early 1990s. It is currently out of service, displayed in the shops, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Does Cotton Belt 819 still run?

Not at present. The 819 operated in excursion service from its 1986 restoration until the early 1990s and is now out of service. The museum keeps it indoors in the old shops along with the passenger cars, including lightweight equipment, that were collected to run behind it. Follow the museum's Facebook page for any news about the engine.

Who runs the Arkansas Railroad Museum?

The Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society operates the museum with help from local volunteers. They care for the equipment in the former St. Louis Southwestern shops and have been sharing the rail transportation history of Jefferson County and Arkansas since 1983. The best way to reach them is (870) 535-8819 or info@arkansasrailroadmuseum.org.

When did the Arkansas Railroad Museum open?

The museum has been showcasing the rail transportation history of Jefferson County and the state of Arkansas since 1983. Its home is much older: the building was the Cotton Belt's main heavy repair and erection shop during the steam era, which is why it still has pits, overhead cranes and an operable transfer table.

Can kids climb on the trains at the Arkansas Railroad Museum?

Yes. Kids can climb aboard many of the train cars and engines, and the museum calls itself a hands-on railroad history experience. Stay close to little ones on steps and in cabs, since this is an old working shop with pits and heavy equipment, and ask a volunteer which pieces are open that day.

Is the Arkansas Railroad Museum good for toddlers?

It can be, with close supervision. Toddlers usually enjoy the sheer size of the engines and climbing into a caboose, and most of the collection is indoors. The shop floor has pits, steps and hard surfaces, so a carrier may be easier than a stroller for very young children. A one-hour visit is often plenty for that age.

Can you ride a train at the Arkansas Railroad Museum?

The museum does not advertise regular train rides. It is a display collection inside the old Cotton Belt shops, where you walk among the locomotives and climb aboard selected cars and engines. Engine 819 pulled excursions after its 1986 restoration but is now out of service. Call (870) 535-8819 to ask about any special events.

What is the Arkansas Railroad Museum annual show?

Each year, on the first weekend in April unless that falls on Easter, the museum holds its annual show. Many exhibits are pulled outside so vendor tables can be set up inside the shop, which also makes it the best time to see and photograph the equipment in daylight. Confirm the date on the museum's Facebook page.

When is the best time to take Arkansas Railroad Museum photos?

The annual show on the first weekend of April is the best time for photos, because many locomotives and cars are moved outside into daylight. During regular hours most equipment is indoors under the shop roof, which suits detail shots of cabs, wheels and the overhead cranes. Ask a volunteer before photographing anything off the usual path.

What do Arkansas Railroad Museum reviews say?

Visitors often focus on the size of the collection and the chance to get up close to engine 819 inside a real railroad shop. The museum's Facebook page has more than 5,000 followers, and it is listed by the state tourism site and Explore Pine Bluff. The main thing to plan around is the limited weekly hours, so call first.

Is the Arkansas Railroad Museum the same as the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad?

No. The Arkansas Railroad Museum is a museum in Pine Bluff, in south central Arkansas, run by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society in the old Cotton Belt shops. The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad is a separate operating railroad. If you are looking for the Pine Bluff collection, use 1700 Port Rd.

Does the Arkansas Railroad Museum have a gift shop?

Yes, the museum has a gift shop alongside its displays of railroad memorabilia from various Arkansas railroads. Purchases help support the volunteer society that cares for the collection. Stock and hours follow the museum's open days, so call (870) 535-8819 if you are hoping for something specific.

Can I visit the Arkansas Railroad Museum by appointment?

Yes, visits outside the regular open days can be arranged by appointment. That is handy for groups, school classes or rail fans passing through on a weekday. Call (870) 535-8819 or email info@arkansasrailroadmuseum.org a few days ahead so a volunteer can plan to meet you.

How can I volunteer or donate to the Arkansas Railroad Museum?

The museum is operated by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society and local volunteers, so help is always useful. The website does not list a volunteer form, so call (870) 535-8819, email info@arkansasrailroadmuseum.org or message the Facebook page to ask about volunteering, membership in the society or making a donation.

What other train museums are near Pine Bluff?

The Mississippi Delta railroad history exhibits in the Cleveland area are about 80 miles east, the Missouri Pacific Depot Museum in Newport about 103 miles, and the Cotton Belt Depot Museum in Texarkana about 130 miles. Memphis, with its railroad and trolley attractions, is about 127 miles away.

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