One of the least-known parts of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad was its New Orleans line, a part of the Louisiana Division. No, the line never reached New Orleans, but it did reach the bauxite, timber, and agricultural products of South Arkansas and North Louisiana. With the addition of the former passenger-heavy line to Hot Springs, Arkansas, these lines became The Little Rock in 1977. These 500 miles of track were a "quasi-independent" operating subsidiary of the Rock Island, a place to test new service strategies and to see if local management could help turn the railroad around and make it profitable.
During the short two years before the Rock Island began to close in late 1979, The Little Rock was successful in turning a profit and in regaining some of the lost business across the region. However, like most of the railroad, little survived after the company's receivership, and today most of the track and right-of-way have been abandoned.
This book is written for those who want to know more about the various Rock Island lines south of Little Rock, Arkansas, and the more than a dozen companies involved with building and operating the railroad. It is written as if the reader has left Little Rock and is riding the line southward, helping to answer the questions of "Where are we and what once happened here?"
Information on The Little Rock's history and current status, as well as a mile-by-mile route guide, are included. Enjoy this review of The Little Rock, one of the Rock Island Railroad's mighty fine lines.