The EC&H and More

Again, today I’m continuing the series of the road trip that Ron Findley and I were taking back in May of 1989. It was a Saturday, and we had already visited several rail lines that morning. The fifth and final stop in our journey that day was in Fordyce, Arkansas. Our goal was the Transitank Car Corporation which was purported to have a small diesel switcher. As I figure, this company did railroad tank car repair and maintenance. We managed to find the locomotive buried between some cars off in the woods.

Transitank Car Corp. Switcher
The Transitank Car Corp. center-cab switcher seen in Fordyce, Ark. I believe it to be an H.K. Porter 45 or 50 tonner, 300 hp, with two 4-wheel trucks, each with a single traction motor using side rods to transmit power to the 2nd axle. I suspect she had a mishap at some point as there appears to be a slight bend in the chassis and some damage at the hood end.

Leaving Fordyce, we drove to Camden to spend the night. Early the next morning, we headed over to the East Camden & Highland Railroad. We located the facility in what I believe was the Highland Industrial Park. Ron documented the two locomotives that we found there.

EC&H RR SW14 Locomotive #60
East Camden & Highland Railroad SW14 locomotive #60. Built in March 1949 as Pittsburgh & Lake Erie #8746, it had been upgraded into an SW14 by the Illinois Central Gulf in April 1980.
EC&H RR SW1200 Locomotive #63
East Camden & Highland Railroad SW1200 locomotive #63 (likely) in the Highland Industrial Park in East Camden, Arkansas.

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