Shortline Railroads of Arkansas presents a look at the shortline railroads, which in the United States are rapidly vanishing from the map, being replaced by huge transportation systems, some of which are themselves struggling for existence. In Arkansas today the stories of such lines as the Monte Ne, the Dardanalle & Russellville, the Yazoo & Mississippi, the Antoine Valley, and the Possum Trot exist primarily in the memories of the men who once shared a spark of their existence. For more than fifty-five years Clifton E. Hull has been preserving in photographs and tales the histories of these little "country cousins." His photographs alone, a large number of which are here published for the first time, constitute a history of railroading of the first order. His intimate narratives of the men who founded the lines, operated them, fought over them (and sometimes brought about their downfall) breathe life into the "iron horses." Of particular interest to railroad enthusiasts is the story of the Ft. Smith & Western line, told here in detail for the first time. No dry-boses account, the book is rich in anecdotes, many of which the author learned from retired railroad men and their families who participated in the lively adventures of shortline railroading. This Third Edition reproduces the original First Edition in its entirety. In the thirty years since the first edition was published, shortline railroading has continued to evolve. Major systems have spun off short line segments and "regional railroads" in the effort to rid themselves of less profitable trackage. It now seems commonplace for these systems to wind up buying back some of this trackage, as thier traffic departments try to figure out how to move increasing tonnage on less trackage. Arkansas boasts an unusual number of shortlines for its size, many of which have descended directly from the railroads covered in this book. Arkansas shortlines continue to thrive across the state. This book preserves for the future the history of the Shortline Railroads of Arkansas.