
Eleventh Street - Van Buren Line
From
foot of Garrison on double tracks in center of paved street to Texas
Corner, cars turned onto 11th where the samestyle double tracks
extended to a point where Midland Boulevard now begins, continuing
double track private right of wayin the center median strip to Waldron
Road, crossing the Suburban railway, junctioning with the rock crusher
spur at QStreet, Fifth Street line at Division Street, the carbarn at
Kelley Highway, the Frisco connection diverging at a point nearPlum
Street, and a siding near the entrance to Electric Park. At Waldron
Road, the route became single track private rightof way along the west
side of the roadway to the Van Buren Bridge, where double tracks set in
bridge pavement carried theline across the bridge, followed by single
track extending across the viaduct, entering middle of pavement on Van
Buren'sFourth Street west to Main, north to East main, east on East
Main, north on Fifteenth, east on Poplar, north on 20th, parallelto
Frisco tracks on a private right of way, east on Alma Boulevard, south
on Arkebauer Lane, and east on private right ofway to the smelter.
There was a passing track near 17th on Poplar.Except when smelter
operation required through-service operation, local Van Buren service
came from the so-calledstub car moving between Fourth Street and the
smelter. A spur located at Fourth and Main permitted passing whenneeded.
South Fort Smith Line
From
foot of Garrison, the route extended to Texas Corner on double track
center of paved street, south on Towson onsingle tracks to Rogers,
double track to South A, single track to Dodson, passing junction with
the Park Hill tracks at SouthH Street. At Dodson, tracks moved to the
west side of the roadway for private right of way, passing Arkoma line
junction atSouth W Street, turning east on Fresno to Jenny Lind Road
where tracks connected with Park Hill line at the
fairgrounds.Continuing south along the side of Jenny Lind, crossing
Suburban railway, extending south on private right of way,turning east
on Savannah, and south on 31st to run along the side of the street to
the South Fort Smith depot. Although theroute is described as running
along certain streets in this outline, practically all the route beyond
the Suburban crossingwas on private right of way. Although there were
rutted and un-paved paths where motorists sometimes drove parallel
tothe tracks, most of what we know as streets along the South Fort
Smith line were not streets during the years of Light &Traction
service.
Arkoma Line
From a terminal situated
at various times at the foot of Garrison, Texas Corner, and finally
Texas Road and South WStreet, (Texas Road became Towson) Arkoma service
used tracks of the South Fort Smith line to the junction at South
WStreet. From the junction, Arkoma tracks diverged southwest descending
a grade on private right of way, then turned westcrossing Missouri
Pacific tracks at grade. Proceeding west on what became Arkoma Road,
the route crossed the Frisco atgrade, extended around a hill some
distance south of Schulter, continued south and west roughly parallel
to Lowery andcrossing that thorough fare near Blocker Street,
continuing south on Choctaw, southwest on Gillette, turning ontoOsage,
onto LeFlore, and terminating on Eames, only a short distance from the
Poteau River. Much of the Arkoma line hasbecome automobile roadways.
Park Hill Line
Beginning
at the foot of Garrison, but at various times using the 3rd Street
loop, service began at first out Garrison to13th, continuing out Little
Rock Avenue, turning south on 21st onto single track as far as South H
Street. When tracks wereconstructed on South H, Park Hill service
diverged from Garrison at Texas Corner, proceeding south on Towson,
east onH Street with single track extending along the center of the
pavement, for conection with the track on South 21st Street,continuing
south on 21st to Dodson. There were passing sidings on H, between 17th
and 18th, and when required, carsmet at the junction on 21st and H
Streets. South of Dodson on 21st, park Hill cars moved on private right
of way situated onthe west of the curb as far as South W Street. With
construction of the fairgrounds, Park Hill track was extended from
WStreet south to a connection with the South Fort Smith line.
Anticipating increases in fairground traffic, a second track
wasinstalled situated on the east side of 21St between Dodson and South
W Street, extending further in concrete pavement toSouth X, and on
private right of way southward to a point beyond what now is called
Dallas Street at the fairgrounds.Following fairgrounds bankruptcy, the
west track from Dodson to the fairgrounds was removed. With abandonment
of theLittle Rock Avenue line, track between that line and H Street
along 21st was removed. With South Fort Smith lineabandonment, track
between the fairgrounds and South W was pulled up, leaving only a
single track route via Towson,South H, and South 21st Street toward
Park Hill service. Final period of Park Hill operation was as a
combination with theNorth Fifth Street line, with cars moving between
11th and Division to 21st and South W Street in a continuous route.
Little Rock Avenue Line
Service
began at the foot of Garrison, extending east on double tracks to 13th,
and further east on Little Rock Avenue,passing junction with the Park
Hill line at 21St. Double track ended just east of 23rd, single track
continued to Greenwood,where the line turned south on private right of
way at the east side of the curb line, with track ending at Oak
Cemetery.
Grand Avenue Line
Beginning at the
foot of Garrison, service extended to 13th, where cars turned northward
on double tracks extendingalmost to D Street, further extending on
single track, turning east on to Grand Avenue, passing a junction with
the North EStreet line. Continuing eastward on Grand, the route ended
at Albert Pike Road. Passing sidings were at 16th, and 32ndand track
crossed the Suburban railway near 31st Street.
Fort Smith Trolley Museum
100 South 4th Street
Fort Smith, Arkansas, 72901
(479) 783-0205
info@fstm.org