The El Dorado & Wesson Railway (reporting marks EDW) is a shortline rail carrier in the state of Arkansas. Its present line runs 5.5 miles from El Dorado, Arkansas to Newell, Arkansas. It was a Sunday in May of 1989, the day after Ron and I had visited the five short line railroads reported on previously. We headed up to Reader, Arkansas early that morning to check out the “new” Reader Railroad. After having toured the property and taken the round trip journey on the train, we headed back down to the south. We decided to ferret out the El Dorado & Wesson Railway down in El Dorado to see what they had to offer.

Arriving in El Dorado, we found the railroad’s engine house. And inside was the company’s roster: three Alco S2 switchers. The railroad was obviously shut down for the day, and not a soul was in sight. Frankly, there wasn’t much to see. But the fact that the railroad had three locomotives to handle a train for under 6 miles suggests that they had ample traffic and perhaps some stiff grades. Due to the high security gates, Ron recorded his views from the outside.

The E&W purchased these three locomotives from the Kentucky & Tennessee Railroad in 1987, their numbers 101, 103, and 104. The E&W didn’t repaint them — merely re-lettered them for the E&W.

We circled around to the other end of the building to inspect the 3rd locomotive, another Alco S2.

All three locomotives looked pretty spiffy in their white paint. Regarding their numbers, I am quite certain that the two locos in the first photo are numbered 22 and 23. I have seen other photos of numbers 22 and 24, but nothing of the 3rd unit. I am speculating as its number being 23 based on former units on the roster. Units numbered between 18 and 21 (all Alcos) were painted green. Later units 25 and 26 are EMD SW switchers, and are painted green. That leaves only 23 “unaccounted for”, hence my assumption.