Spanning more than a hundred years, Cotton Belt history is filled with mergers, miles and the ordeals of laying miles of track and the acquistion of tons of railroad equipment. And this Cotton Belt story is relived by thousands of rail fans at the Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff every year. About an hour's drive from Little Rock, the museum features one of the largest displays of railroading equipment in the state.
   The museum's history begins with the last steam locomotive built in the Cotton Belt shop in Pine Bluff. The historic engine was donated to the city of Pine Bluff and sat in Oakland Park for 25 years. Rusted and vandalized, a small group of volunteers offered to move the locomotive back to the shop for restoration. Not satisfied with a cosmetic restoration, the group decided to set #819 back to operating condition. In 1986 their dreams became reality when locomotive #819 made her debut at the Cotton Belt Festival with a train trip to Fordyce.
   From this same group of rail fans the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society was born and adopted the name Arkansas Railroad Museum for the old Cotton Belt shop. The building, over 70,000 square feet, is filled with historic railway equipment, engines, railcars and one-of-a-kind displays. Open from 9am to 2pm, six days a week, admission to the museum is free with requests for donations.

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