Continuing our story on the Reader Railroad, the notes on this photograph say this is “Reader Railroad steam locomotive #108 at work hauling a mixed train at Waterloo, Arkansas”. At first I thought it was a train departing from Waterloo, but zooming in on the image shows that the train isn’t moving. Indeed, it appears to be preparing to do its switching at the asphalt plant. Notice the two fellows standing on the oil tank of the tender, apparently using the cab roof as a desk to study some paperwork. Looking behind the first tank car (marked as a water car), there is a brakeman posing for the camera while waiting for time to make his next move.

Whatever the situation, it’s a nice photograph of the entire train of five tank cars and three passenger cars . . . a nice, typically southern mixed train.

Again, this is a scan of one of several 8″x10″ photos from the collection of the late Ron Findley. The notes on the back of the photograph inform that the photographer is “Sgt. John Taibi, stationed at England AFB”.